ECDC
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Liberation and Freedom Committee heard a presentation on the process for settling refugees in the city from the Ethiopian Community Development Council on Wednesday.
Emily Gilkinson with ECDC spent around 15 minutes talking about the process that the refugees will go through, which often lasts more than two years and includes interviews and vetting from both the United Nations and multiple arms of the United States Government.
The process starts with refugee eligibility interviews with the UN. “They really have to investigate to see whether the individual has been persecuted and cannot return to their home country because of those threats,” said Gilkinson.
Once the UN and US Government have given preliminary approval the refugees will undergo medical screenings and cultural orientation before being cleared for travel. “We ensure that is followed so that they understand ‘what is the resettlement agency?,’ ‘what is public assistance?,’ basic information about US laws and culture, how to stay safe- those types of things as well.”
Gilkinson says the United Nations makes resettlement in another country their last option; they’ll also explore integrating the refugee into the 3rd country they fled to or back into their home country if possible.
Officials also consider whether the refugee has any connections in the US such as friends, relatives, or distant relatives. If so they will work to resettle them near those contacts to provide a support network for the individual.
The entire presentation can be viewed as part of the Liberation and Freedom Committee meeting archive on the city’s YouTube channel.
Public input for Wednesday’s meeting was relatively short with just three people speaking in support of the refugees, including Marathon County Supervisor Ka Lo. No one present at Wednesday’s meeting spoke against the resettlement of refugees in Wausau.
Gilkinson said the ECDC is still on track to bring a group of about ten refugees to Wausau by the end of the year, with around 75 more to come by October 2022. The group is still in the process of hiring a full-time director to work with those that have been resettled in Wausau.
Additionally New Beginnings Wisconsin has started collecting donations of items such as furniture, bicycles, winter clothing, and other household goods and personal care products on Saturdays at the Whitewater Music Hall in Wausau. Donations can be dropped off from 9 AM to noon, and organizers ask that you either call or email before dropping off large items such as furniture. For more information on how to donate items, click here.
The ECDC works with dozens of other communities across the US to find new homes for refugees including larger markets such as Chicago, Boston, Denver, and San Diego. Wausau is one of two new communities they are adding to their portfolio this year, the other is in Vermont.
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