A recent report is highlighting the “racism, sexism and verbal abuse” staff members U.S. resettlement agencies have faced while helping approximately 72,000 Afghan evacuees who were brought to the U.S. in 2021 and 2022.
According to a State Department Inspector General report obtained by Fox News, about nine groups faced issues and challenges while assisting tens of thousands of evacuees who were granted humanitarian parole to enter the U.S.
“[Resettlement agency] officials told OIG that the [Afghan Placement and Assistance Program] involved some of the most significant challenges that they had ever faced,” the report said.
The agencies, who stem from non-profits, were assigned to aid the evacuees as part of their mission to assist with resettlement. Part of their complaints stemmed from complications around the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to issues related to housing, staffing and cultural orientation.
With regards to cultural orientation, agencies were reported to have faced “inappropriate behavior” from some evacuees, which they said stemmed from a lack of cultural awareness. “For example, some RA staff reported experiencing racism and sexism from Afghan clients unaccustomed to the norms of U.S. society,” with one agency stating that “a few local offices had issues of verbal abuse from Afghans, mostly those who were upset or frustrated by the process,” the report reads. “Many parolees had very high expectations and did not understand the role of local affiliates and would become frustrated with services and housing.”
The report also underlined “unrealistic expectations” from some who thought they would receive “welcome money” upon arrival. Others rejected housing they deemed to be of inadequate or substandard quality while some who were working professionals and held advanced degrees in Afghanistan thought they “would be set up in positions within their chosen field.”
To counter these requests, the agencies were reported to have conducted “standardized minimum requirements for cultural orientation that emphasize self-sufficiency, manage expectations, and convey U.S. societal expectations for behavior regarding gender, race, and sexual issues.”
Last Thursday, the White House announced its evaluation of the 2021 withdrawal, defending President Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan because it was “the right thing for the country.”
