Sep 19, 2021

First Afghan refugees arrive in Kansas City

Posted Sep 19, 2021 2:00 AM

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The first family of Afghanistan refugees has arrived in Kansas City as resettlement agencies in the area prepare for hundreds more.

Mayor Quinton Lucas tweeted that he was “proud" of the city for “welcoming all people" in announcing the family's arrival this week. He said they represented the first of 550 Afghan refugees who will arrive in Kansas City.

More than 100,000 people were airlifted out of Kabul in a chaotic exodus late last month after President Joe Biden announced that U.S. troops would withdraw, and the Taliban seized control of strife-torn Afghanistan in just a few weeks. Thousands more Afghans want to leave.

This week, the Biden administration began notifying states about how many Afghan refugees would be resettled among the first group of nearly 37,000 arrivals. Kansas will receive approximately 500 refugees and Missouri 1,200 refugees.