Connecting Afghan Clients with Lost Luggage
The Department of State has contracted with Emergency Management Solutions (EMS) to assist Afghan clients in locating and reclaiming their lost luggage. EMS has created a website where Afghan evacuees can search for their lost luggage. Please also post the following flyer around your offices and share widely among your Afghan clients so that those who lost their luggage during their evacuation can reclaim their personal effects.
Recertification Program for Afghan Pilots
Resettlement agencies have resettled a few different groups of Afghan pilots over the past few months – including some as walk-ins. PRM has been made aware of a hiring/recertification/training program that may be of interest to some of them. Please reach out to your Field Support Coordinator if your affiliate has served/is serving some of these individuals and USCCB will be happy to make this connection.
Affiliate Staff Contacting Afghans at Safe Havens Prior to Arrival
PRM recently received reports that several Afghan guests still at Safe Havens have been contacted by their case manager prior to arrival at the final destination. Affiliate case management staff should not be contacting Afghan guests on base prior to IOM travel regarding placement or APA Program services. Case management staff may contact U.S. ties to plan services and housing options, but not the Afghan guests. In addition, the disbursement of the full direct assistance per capita is not intended to be discussed pre-arrival; and case management staff should not be contacting guests prior to their IOM travel to discuss this service option. The options for direct assistance disbursement should only be discussed and offered post-arrival based on an individual assessment of the case. PRM’s concern is this inappropriate communication is causing confusion among guests and could encourage independent departures or last-minute requests to change final destinations. Please also note that the term “welcome money” is not accurate and should not be used.
Please note PRM guidance regarding the disbursement of the full direct assistance model:
“Under the APA Program – Afghans may choose to forgo some, or all program components and instead receive right away the per capita direct assistance portion of the APA based on eligibility established by a formal affiliate policy and an individual assessment of the case. The policy must establish eligibility criteria for how the affiliate or community partner determined which beneficiaries would be eligible (such as those with few or no service or support needs). Eligibility should be based on a documented assessment of individual needs for each member of the case and should only be used where the beneficiary has few or no service or support needs or the affiliate or community partner is not able to provide some or all of the services due to administrative constraints. Participation in this model, if an affiliate or community partner chooses to make use of it, should be offered only to those who meet the established eligibility criteria.” See Section II.g.3) Reception Services of the APA Cooperative Agreement.
