Poughkeepsie Meeting Details Refugee Resettlement Plan

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Vassar College hosted a meeting Sunday to discuss plans to open a refugee settlement office in Poughkeepsie, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported, as about 80 refugees are expected to settle in the area early next year.

Eleanor Brooke shared photos and descriptions of her experiences with refugees on the CWS website, in its "The Syrians I Know" series.
Photo Credit: *Eleanor Brooke, via CWS Facebook*

Rachel Martin

11/07/2016 1:00 p.m.

The well-attended meeting included speakers from the Mid-Hudson Refugee Solidarity Alliance and Church World Services Network, according to the Journal. CWS is one of several refugee resettlement agencies that coordinates with the federal government.

Maria Höhn was one of those speakers. A founder of the Mid-Hudson Refugee Solidarity Alliance, she's also a Vassar history professor. She and Sarah Krause, a CWS senior director, answered a variety of questions about the program -- including about how refugees are vetted -- the Journal reported.

The refugee vetting process takes about two years, according to the Journal. And it involves a variety of federal agencies, including the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security.

Read the Poughkeepsie Journal article here.

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