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Afghan Refugees Seeking Asylum Status in Central New York Afghan Refugees Seeking Asylum Status in Central New York

By Katherine Itoh

KATHERINE ITOH: Sajiah Naqib is not just any student at Syracuse University. She is originally from Afghanistan, a country taken over by the Taliban and its citizens fleeing for a safe haven.

SAJIAH NAQIB: It’s really hard to be on a limbo not knowing what’s going to happen next. We certainly can’t go back. And the thing is, we are trying really hard to also get our family members here.

ITOH: Although Naqib originally came to the United States as a Fulbright student, she is still here under a temporary visa and worries about her future status in the country.

NAQIB: We have this thing called the 2 year home residency where after you are done with the J2 program you’ll have to go back for two years. So now we’re kinda in a limbo. Like what do we do. So we’ve been asking around for like an asylum case of something.

ITOH: There are many Afghan like Naqib in the Central New York area that are only here temporarily. That’s where the Hiscock Legal Aid Society in downtown Syracuse steps in to help.

LUCY SALDANA: They didn’t arrive here as refugees and they didn’t get asylum status yet. So we need to screen them, as legal providers in the region we are screening them at the moment, to see what available relief they have and what options they have to receiving permanent status in the United States.

ITOH: The screening clinics take place from 9:30 AM to 1 PM on Fridays at the Financial Plaza building that’s right behind me.

ITOH: But with the status of many Afghans potentially expiring within the next year, the Hiscock Legal Aid Society needs additional help from the community.

SALDANA: We are recruiting volunteers, especially from the legal community and interpreters as well, to help us where they can because we don’t have the manpower right now.

ITOH: It’s a scary time for the Afghan refugees as they continue to hope for the best outcome. This is Katherine Itoh, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – With their temporary status expiring as early as next year, Afghan refugees are seeking asylum status to permanently reside in the United States.

The Afghan refugees arrived in the Central New York area under humanitarian parole after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. This temporary status only allows them to legally stay in the country for around two years. To assist in the legal processes, the Hiscock Legal Aid Society in downtown Syracuse is holding screening clinics to find any applications for permanent status.

“They didn’t get asylum status yet. So we need to screen them,” said Lucy Saldana, the Deputy Executive Director and Immigration Program Supervisor at the Hiscock Legal Aid Society. “As legal providers in the region, we are screening them at the moment to see what available relief they have and what options they have to receiving permanent status in the United States.”

The Afghan refugees will need to file their applications soon as they are coming up on the deadline of one year of residency in the states. However, with the potential influx of Ukrainian refugees in Central New York, the demand for legal services is growing. The Hiscock Legal Aid Society is asking for additional help from the community.

“We are recruiting volunteers, especially from the legal community and interpreters as well, to help us where they can because we don’t have the manpower right now,” Saldana said.

The screening clinics take place at the Financial Plaza on South Warren Street on Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

It’s a scary time for the Afghan refugees as they wait for a decision. Sajiah Naqib originally came to the United States as a student in the Fulbright program, however, she is facing similar circumstances as the Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban. Naqib is also under a temporary visa and worries

“It’s really hard to be on a limbo not knowing what’s going to happen next,” Naqib said. “We certainly can’t go back. And the thing is, we are trying really hard to also get our family members here.”

The Afghan refugees and legal community are watching to see what bills Congress will pass, that could help ease the asylum application process. But for now, Afghans like Naqib can only hope for the best outcome.

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