By Peter Goonan, The Republican 

SPRINGFIELD – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who has asked the federal government to stop sending refugee families to Springfield, sought to bolster his case Monday by presenting a Somali refugee who said his family has lacked adequate help and services from agencies since moving here last October.

Abdulahi Ibrahim, the Somali refugee, spoke of his family’s difficulties through a translator, Bedel Omar of the East African Cultural Center, during a press conference at City Hall arranged by Sarno. The event occurred just two days before Sarno’s scheduled meeting with local resettlement agencies on Wednesday.

Sarno has stated that Springfield is overburdened in meeting the needs and challenges of refugee families, and said the information provided by Ibrahim and Omar reflect there are inadequate follow-up services from resettlement agencies and programs.

Resettlement agencies and advocates for the refugees have said they do their best to provide assistance and that the mayor’s stance is harmful to a very vulnerable refugee population.

Ibrahim said he and his wife and five children resettled in Springfield on Wilbraham Road last October, aided by Lutheran Social Services of New England, after fleeing from Somalia to an Ethiopian refugee camp.

The family has struggled since with the new language, the colder climate, and challenges such as where to get heating fuel and how to pay for heat. There was not enough assistance from Lutheran Social Services after the initial welcome and funding for rent and some expenses, he said.

In addition, he said there are families who do not know how to get to a hospital or clinic, and he knew of a pregnant refugee woman who did not know how to get home from the hospital. There are families who do not know how to get oil or other heat, and there are cases of apartments with no heat and no working stove, and refugees who do not know who to call for help, Ibrahim and Omar said.

A spokeswoman for Lutheran Social Services said the group received no advance notice of the mayor’s early afternoon press conference, and would have no immediate response.

Representatives of Lutheran Social Services and Jewish Family Services of Western Massachusetts, the two primary resettlement agencies in Western Massachusetts, and the Catholic Charities Agency which aids refugees, are scheduled to meet with Sarno and some city department heads on Wednesday to discuss the refugee resettlement program and any concerns and issues.

Sarno has stated that many refugees live in substandard housing and are victims of crime, and place a burden on the code enforcement staff, police, and the school system.

Robert Marmor, president and chief executive officer for Jewish Family Service, said last week he is interested in discussing the mayor’s proposal to lobby for more funding to increase services.

Helen R. Caulton-Harris, the city’s director of health and human services, said refugees face far more than housing issues. There are challenges in transportation, communication and navigating the system of services as well.

Code Enforcement officials have raised concerns about refugees not having heat in the colder months, and living in substandard apartments, without knowing fully how to get assistance.

Source: MassLive