Welcome the refugees

According to World Relief, Spokane will become home to hundreds of Afghan refugees in the coming months. There’s a partisan divide over this, with a recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll showing that 84% of Democrats and 49% of Republicans support resettling Afghan refugees. I think that everyone should welcome refugees into Spokane, at least on economic terms.

A 2017 report from the Department of Health and Human Services found that resettled refugees collectively contributed $63 billion more in tax revenue than they used in public services from 2005-2014. The bipartisan New American Economy Research Fund found refugees start new businesses at a rate 50% higher than native-born citizens.

The economic advantages of resettling refugees will heighten as the native-born population ages; in 2015, less than half of the U.S.-born population was working age (24-65) and the number of Americans over age 65 is expected to double by 2050. By contrast, 75% of refugees are working age; many work in service jobs that are hard to fill, particularly in a post-COVID world. An authoritative 2017 study published by the Department of State found “robust causal evidence” that refugees have no long-term deleterious effects on the U.S. labor market.

My belief is that America is at its best when we welcome strangers into our communities. If you’re concerned about refugees sucking up public resources, don’t be: they give more than they get.

I welcome questions at keving09721@gmail.com.

Kevin Glover

Spokane