Over the next year some 12,000 Iraqi political refugees are expected to be resettled in the United States.
New Hampshire is likely to receive 100 to 150 of them.
But people charged with preparing for the refugees’ arrival worry they might not be well received.
New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein reports.
Overall, Amy Marshalton thinks New Hampshire communities welcome immigrants and refugees from all over the world.
Marshalton places people in Laconia and Concord, for Lutheran Social Services.
But placing Iraqis she says may be different.
This week, the state’s refugee advisory committee is meeting with people like Marshalton to discuss how to prepare the state for the arrival of the Iraqis.
Host cities, Nashua, Manchester, Concord and Laconia are also expected to send education and healthcare officials.
The agenda includes making sure everyone has the same arguments to ease locals concerns that these new arrivals are a threat to people in New Hampshire.
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4:47 I think there is an intentional movement of putting together a work group so everybody is on the same page, and is getting the correct messaging out to providers and the communities...with other refugee groups there hasn’t been such an intentional movement in that way.
Manchester Public School social worker Kim Calhoun recognizes the need to get people on the same page.
Since the war in Iraq began, she says she’s worked with Muslim immigrant students who at times have confided they have felt very uncomfortable in school.
She says if the larger public is left in the dark about just who these people are, she could imagine some pretty ugly situations.
24:47...I’m just giving you examples, someone at the high school would write something at the bathrooms that is just cruel. Or there would be an editorial in the newspaper that would be hurtful...around fears these people could hurt us, fears around terrorism...what if one of these individuals is a terrorist that we just let into Manchester.
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8:12 ....I don’t think anyone has to have any worries that people coming here maybe have anti-Americans points of view. In fact, it’s pretty much the opposite.
That’s Amy Ignatius.
She directs the State Office of Energy and Planning, which oversees the refugee program.
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6:44 many of these people have worked with Western offices and military people, assisting with the war effort. And with non profit organizations. Many of them speak English fluently. They may have western backgrounds and educations. So we think they have a good situation to fit well into our community and be very successful here.
But the strongest argument Ignatius and others have is that these people put their lives at risk by helping the US.
But, she says, if that’s not persuasive enough then, consider that the State Department, the US Embassy, the FBI and the CIA have all played a role in screening the refugees.
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:40 ther are extensive security and screening measures before anyone come to this country. Theyre are health checks, requirements they be fingerprinted. Any criminal background, any kind of questions of animus against this country and if there is any problem on any of those fronts they are not allowed to be in this program.
Ignatius says she’s sympathetic.
She didn’t grow up around anybody speaking Arabic, and she doesn’t know much about Iraq or Islam.
And with all the war coverage, she admits it’s really easy to get negative views of the people who might become classmates, co-workers or neighbors.
She doesn’t anticipate problems, but she says if there are, she’s ready to do whatever she can to help.
Egyptian born Nabil Migalli, who has lived in Manchester for the past quarter century says there won’t be issues as long as people don’t generalize.
1:15....we can not assume every Iraqi is violent. They are all Muslims...some who are coming are Christians, we should not assume that Shia and Sunni hate each other as much as the media tries to convince us.
Migalli estimates 5000 Arabs and a few thousand Muslims live in the state.
He says he hopes those communities step up and reach out to make the Iraqis feel welcome.
5:47 ...it doesn’t have to be public appearances. I am talking about family to family. Invite your neighbor talk to them.
The first refugees could arrive as soon as the New Year.
For NHPR News, I’m DG.
