Welcoming Washington:
Updates From the
Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance
November 2024 Newsletter
Highlights
Washington Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Support Project Information Sessions
The DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance is hosting two public webinars to share information about the WA MASS project, which officially launched Nov. 1, 2024. Service providers and community partners should attend an information session to learn more about the WA MASS project, providers and services offered and to receive guidance on connecting individuals to WA MASS services.
Each session will share the same information. Please only register to attend one.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Highlights Seattle
Over the past few months, USA for UNHCR has been shining a light Seattle’s work with refugees. It has published several articles about Seattle, including Five Things to Know About Refugees in Seattle and A Taste of Seattle: Eight Refugee Businesses in Seattle, Washington.
Through other posts on their website and LinkedIn, USA for UNHCR has highlighted such programs as Seattle’s Refugee Artisan Initiative, Project Feast and former refugee Tshishiku Henry’s work to build welcoming communities for refugees in Washington state.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, USA for UNHCR partered with the Gates Foundation Discovery Center in Seattle to host an event featuring Emi Mahmoud, a Sudanese-American slam poet and former refugee.
You can find more information on the USA for UNHCR website.
Newcomers in Washington
Refugee Arrival Data
September 2024 Arrivals: 1,570
Federal Fiscal Year 2024 Arrivals to Date: 12,535
FFY 2023 Arrivals: 14,652
  View the above data via this document for more detail.
News and Updates
DSHS Statewide Refugee Advisory Council Vacancies
- The DSHS Statewide Refugee Advisory Council helps ensure the coordination of services for refugees and immigrants and raises awareness of issues that affect refugee and immigrant communities throughout Washington state. The RAC has two membership vacancies open for application in Pierce and Benton-Franklin counties. Please email Hamed Hakimkhel (hakimkhel@dshs.wa.gov) if you or anyone from your organization is interested in applying.
Grant Opportunity: Unaccompanied Children Lived Experience and Youth Engagement Program
- The Unaccompanied Children Lived Experience and Youth Engagement Program is a discretionary funding opportunity announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services aimed at establishing a Lived Experience Council and Youth Leadership Academy to support former unaccompanied children and their sponsors. The program will recruit and train people with lived experience, conduct research on best practices, and work to protect children from exploitation. The program focuses on leadership development, continuous improvement and effective integration of unaccompanied children into society. Applications are due by Dec. 20, 2024. Apply here.
Stay Involved
Events, Webinars and Trainings
Statewide Refugee Advisory Council Public Forum
- 10 a.m.-noon | Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024
- To receive the meeting invitation, please complete ORIA’s Stakeholder Contact Form.
Washington Ukrainian Welcoming Task Force
Quarterly Community Consultations
- King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties, 2-3:30 p.m. | Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024
- Benton and Franklin Counties, 1–2:30 p.m. | Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024
- Spokane County, 9:30–11 a.m. | Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024
- Clark County, 1-2:30 p.m. | Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024
- To receive the meeting invitation for your county, please complete ORIA’s Stakeholder Contact Form.
For more resources for refugees and immigrants in Washington state, check out ORIA’s resource tool here.
Contact ORIA
Please direct your inquiries to ORIAinfo@dshs.wa.gov.
More information about ORIA programs and services can be found on ORIA’s webpage.
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The monthly ORIA newsletter is distributed within DSHS to ORIA service providers and other external partners and stakeholders. If you’d like to share your content on this platform, please complete this form. ORIA reserves the right to determine appropriate content to publish.
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