Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced that Ohio received notification from the federal government that 855 Afghan evacuees will come to Ohio through the U.S. Department of State’s Afghan Placement and Assistance (APA) Program.

The federal government has told Ohio that the placements will be to eight local resettlement agencies located mainly in northeast and central Ohio.

The first group of Afghan evacuees totals 37,000 individuals nationwide.

“These are individuals who have been partners with United States and deserve our support in return for the support they’ve given us,” said Governor DeWine.

“Thank you to the resettlement agencies and communities who have stepped forward and demonstrated they have the resources necessary to help these individuals in their time of need.”

The governor says the purpose of the federal APA Program is to provide newly arrived Afghans with initial relocation services as they begin to rebuild their lives in the United States.

The federal government is screening and vetting participants in this program.

These are individuals who have not yet received refugee status, nor a special immigrant visa.

They are arriving to the U.S. under a legal mechanism known as humanitarian parole.

Managed by the federal government, humanitarian parole provides temporary authorization to enter the U.S., based on humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons.

Details of the program can be found by clicking here.