Afghan Refugees in Buffalo

Abstract

Afghanistan is a diverse country with many different ethnicities, often differentiated by language or religious beliefs. Many of the groups can also be found in the nations that border Afghanistan: Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. Since 2003, New York State has resettled 395 Afghan refugees, including 63 in 2013. Many of these have settled in Erie County. Many recently resettled individuals from Afghanistan have come with “SIV” status. Similar to refugee status, SIV indicates “Special Immigrant Visa”, made available to individuals who worked with the US Armed Forces in Afghanistan (often as a translator or interpreter).