Wausau could welcome new group of refugees in October

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - A national resettlement agency is looking to bring 75 refugees to Wausau over the course of the next year.

The Ethiopian Community Development Council proposed Wausau as a new resettlement site in its funding proposal to the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. If the proposal is approved, they will work with local leaders and community stakeholders to open a branch office in Wausau and begin resettling refugees as early as October.

After conducting community consultations in Wausau, ECDC’s Director of Community Engagement said, “It was inspiring to see so many community stakeholders, across sectors, turn up to show their support for welcoming refugees to their community. Based on our visit, it seems clear that Wausau has a strong network of service providers that work together to meet the needs of their community and dedicated community members who want to make their community welcoming and who recognize the economic and diversity benefit that newcomers bring with them.”

In preparation for the possibility that the proposed plan is accepted, ECDC is currently working with community organizations to set up a program to ensure a smooth transition for the refugees and the community.

ECDC is one of nine national resettlement agencies that has been resettling refugees since 1991, working with a network of 15 affiliate organizations around the country.