How Utah Became A Sanctuary For Refugees Seeking Safety

A New Beginning: Utah's Refugee Story

Utah has been a place where people from all over the world come to start over. I mean, even the pioneers found Utah to restart their lives. Each year, refugees arrive in the Beehive State after being forced to leave their home countries to due war, political issues, persecution, or natural disasters. Many people have spent years living in refugee camps, or even temporary housing before finally receiving the opportunity to resettle somewhere considered safe. When these people arrive in Utah, they begin that difficult, but hopeful process of rebuilding their lives.

Connecting to Community: Local Support for Refugees

In the United States, refugees go through a pretty lengthy vetting process before they're allowed to resettle. Federal agencies work with major international organizations in order to identify families in need of protection and to determine where they can start fresh. One they get approved, refugees are connected with local programs that help them find housing, education, community, and employment. Utah has welcomed thousands of refugees over the years and the people arriving here come from a variety of different countries.

Here's where most of Utah's refugees are actually coming from: