Louisville refugee service agency says it'll be ready for eventual Ukrainian refugees

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than 4 million people have left their lives behind in Ukraine to seek refugee in other countries as the Russia continues its invasion. And for some, the United States could become a permanent home, something resettlement agencies are preparing for.

In just the first three days of April, more than 100,000 people left Ukraine, according to a United Nations Refugee Agency. That is the same number of people President Joe Biden's administration said America is prepared to take from the way-torn country.

"The way they may enter and the amount of time it would take to come that is definitely to be decided," said Colin Triplett, the director of Migration and Refugee Services for Catholic Charities in Louisville.

Triplett said the refugee crisis for America will likely look vastly different compared to what we saw just a few months ago when thousands of people fled Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul.

"That was a very condensed process," Triplett said. "They came in with a very specific and special immigration status."

Triplett said if there is a silver lining from resettling so many Afghan refugees quickly, it's that agencies like Catholic Charities are better equipped with more resources.

"We have those donations — those material donations — because we've kept in contact with those donors," he said. "Or we still have refugees coming, or a sponsorship group (saying), 'We have refugees coming. Would you like to sponsor this group?' So I think that momentum is important."

So when and if Ukrainian refugees seek resettlement in Louisville, Triplett said they will be ready.

"We may not see people from Ukraine for some time now, but the more people we get connected now to help refugees we're actually seeing that are in need, the better," Triplett said.

Catholic Charities said it's been years since resettling Ukrainian people in Louisville. When and if the time comes, the agency said they will need help from anyone in the community who speaks Ukrainian.

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