The plight of the world's refugees has come into particular focus following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The U.N. refugee company says greater than 1 million folks have fled to Poland, Hungary, and different nations, and thousands and thousands extra might comply with.
In america, the newest inflow of refugees got here final summer season, following the autumn of Afghanistan. One place the place they've been welcomed is town of Clarkston, Georgia.
Over 4 a long time, town has hosted so many refugees from so many locations that it has change into often called "essentially the most various sq. mile in America."
A journalist who fled Afghanistan and has been requested to be recognized merely as Ahmad has been named on a couple of Taliban hit record. He and his household fled to america.
"We spent our complete life in Afghanistan, you already know. We had mates there, our complete household have been there," Ahmad's son, 20-year-old Aziz, informed "CBS Saturday Morning" co-host Dana Jacobson.
After a number of months residing at completely different U.S. navy bases, the household of six now has a house in Clarkston. Their neighbors embrace folks from all components of the world together with Nepal, India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Clarkston is named "Ellis Island of the South." Greater than half of the inhabitants was born outdoors of america and 60 languages are spoken within the metropolis's one sq. mile.
The Atlanta-based nonprofit, Inspiritus, resettled Ahmad's household and hundreds of others since 1981. ESL lessons, ethnic grocery shops and simply obtainable public transportation assist refugees settle into Clarkston.
"It is a welcoming metropolis, and it has been that method for a really, very very long time," Director of Refugee and Immigrant Providers at Inspiritus, Aimee Zangandou, stated.
Inspiritus has resettled greater than 600 Afghan refugees alone within the final three months. The nonprofit had settled simply 74 complete refugees in 2020. It was pressured to downsize in the course of the Trump administration, which capped refugee admissions in fiscal 12 months 2020 at 18,000 — the bottom quantity since Congress handed the 1980 Refugee Act.
"We're nonetheless hiring, we're nonetheless searching for sources, we're nonetheless gathering communities, and companions which have partnered with us earlier than that we wish to attempt to convey again," Zangandou stated.
It isn't simply the refugees who profit from Clarkston's open arms. Georgia native Kitti Murray launched Refuge Espresso in 2017. The nonprofit has employed and skilled 50 folks from over 17 nations, together with her first rent, Leon Shombana, who fled the Congo 10 years in the past.
"We're like folks from the massive household, you already know. I can most likely say, such as you're from an enormous household, completely different mom however one father. That's Refuge Espresso," Shombana stated.
Whereas Clarkston prides itself in being concerning the "lengthy welcome" for residents like Shombana who got here and by no means left, all of it begins with a spot that's house in additional than simply the title.
"The individuals are very loving. They introduced all this stuff, the furnishings, the beds, the mattress, the kitchen, home equipment all. They're serving to us rather a lot and we're very grateful to them," Ahmad stated.