February 20, 2007
Contact: Curt Stewart 801.526.4315
Salt Lake City - With the recent tragic events in Salt Lake City and the attention
focused on the refugee community in Utah we would like to remind the community
of the on-going services and coordination of efforts between state, county,
city and local governments, community based organizations, school districts
and the refugee community.
Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. and Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon began
discussions with the refugee community and service providers a year ago about
the sufficiency of refugee services in Utah. As a result, the Governor and Mayor
established the Refugee Working Group on October 12, 2006. The group’s
charter is to review the present refugee resettlement system, its gaps and strengths
and recommend solutions or enhancements to the system. The Working Group has
been meeting monthly and meetings are open to the public.
“Our intention when we formed this group last year was to ensure that
no one falls through the established safety net of resources available to refugees
settling into our state and to find solutions to unmet needs,” said Governor
Huntsman. “It’s critical that all parties involved in the refugee
resettlement process work together to assist refugees to successfully integrate
into our culture and feel a part of the community.”
"I am a strong supporter of the partnership between government and non-governmental
organizations for the protection and rights of refugees in Utah," says
Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon. "That is why Salt Lake County has
joined the State of Utah and other agencies in these humanitarian efforts.”
Many state and local agencies and community-based organizations serve refugees
in some way. The Refugee Working Group is an advisory group and brings all of
these service providers and refugees together to pool their resources and expertise
to develop solutions that best meets the needs of this very diverse community
of refugees.
The governor has designated the Office of Community and Culture and its Executive
Director, Palmer DePaulis to be the facilitator of the workgroup.
For more information on the Refugee Working Group visit jobs.utah.gov/refugeeworkinggroup.
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