Updated May 05, 2022:
Information related Ukrainian refugees
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Washington state has a long history welcoming refugees fleeing war and persecution in their home countries. Over the past 10 years, more than 30,000 refugees from over 70 countries have resettled in Washington state through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. This includes over 6,500 Ukrainians who have resettled in our local communities since 2010, including 121 newly arrived individuals since October 2021.
As the federal government prepares guidance to states on the pathways by which Ukrainian refugees will be arriving, Washington’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance is working with our refugee resettlement agencies and local communities to prepare for an increase in arrivals. At this time, we do not have any additional information about how many people might come to Washington state or when they might arrive. It is too early to estimate the numbers of people who will arrive in local communities in Washington.
When refugees and immigrants do arrive in our state, we work with our community-based partners and resettlement agencies to connect people with vital, culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate services like food and cash assistance, temporary and long-term housing, medical screenings and behavioral health services, employment and training programs, child care assistance and help navigating social services.
Through Washington’s recent participation in the federal government’s Operation Allies Welcome, our state welcomed more than 3,200 Afghan arrivals since October 2021. Building off of the work we have done over the past six months, the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance will work with communities and organizations to support those seeking refuge in Washington state, specifically those from Ukraine as well as many other across the world.
What can people do to help?
Anyone interested in helping can connect directly with local refugee resettlement agencies or directly with the DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance by sending an email to ORIAinfo@dshs.wa.gov.
What public benefits and refugee assistance services are Ukrainians eligible to receive?
On May 21, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Additional Ukraine Supplement Appropriations Act, 2022 (AUSAA). This law makes certain citizens, nationals, and residents of Ukrainian eligible to receive federal public benefits and refugee assistance services.
For a complete list of the federally funded benefits and services, please refer to this table.
Updated May 11, 2022
Washington’s Ukrainian Welcoming Task Force
As the humanitarian crisis continues in Ukraine, millions of people have been displaced from their homes. The DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance is facilitating the Washington Ukrainian Welcoming Task force to coordinate services for Ukrainians arriving across the state. The initial meeting included an overview of the Ukraine arrivals in Washington, the new Uniting for Ukraine program, and an update from variety of state agencies.
For the full Video/Audio recording of the briefing please visit here.
For the Power Point Presentation of DSHS / ORIA on Ukrainian Welcoming Task Force please visit here.
For the PowerPoint Presentation on Ukrainian Health Updates please visit here.
For the PowerPoint Presentation about Welcome.US please visit here.
Upcoming Public Events:
Statewide Refugee Advisory Council Public Forum, May 19, 10am - 12:00pm (PST). For more details please visit here.
