Some of the approximately 100,000 Ukrainian refugees coming to the U.S. may end up in Massachusetts.
While in Brussels to meet with European allies, President Joe Biden said the United States would admit up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and provide $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to countries affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Gov. Charlie Baker had previously said the state would welcome the people of Ukraine with open arms. Exactly how many refugees could come to the Bay State remains unclear.
“I think everybody feels awful about the horrific events that are taking place in Ukraine and we certainly would step up and find a way to help those folks if they make their way to the us," Baker said prior to the official announcement from the White House.
Approximately 3.6 million refugees have fled Ukraine in recent weeks to neighboring countries such as Poland, Moldova, and Romania.
In an executive order on March 3, Baker directed all executive branch agencies to review and terminate contracts with any Russian state-owned companies. As part of that order, he also directed his state's Office for Refugees and Immigrants to work with the Federal Office of Refugee Settlement to support Ukrainian immigrants and refugees who are fleeing the violence.
There are six agencies in Massachusetts that work with the U.S. State Department to help resettle refugees, the Boston Globe reported. The government will determine how many refugees the state can accept based on the capacity of each organization. Most recently, Massachusetts took in about 2,000 Afghan refugees who escaped after the Taliban took over that country.
