Refugee Resettlement

Over 27 million refugees left their countries because of conflict, violence persecution and human rights violation. Many of these refugees left everything they had in their country in search for a new place to call home where their families are safe without fear of violence, persecutions. around the world to Maine.

Reception & Placement

MEIRS officially become a resettlement agency under Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) in October 2022. MEIRS staff begin their process of welcoming new refugees before they come to the country by making sure housing is ready and furnished for them. Our dedicated staff also met our new refugee arrivals at the airport and transport them to their new homes and provide hot cultural foods when they arrive.

MEIRS believes in partnerships with schools, social service agencies, employers and local government to better serve the new refugees who are coming into Maine. MEIRS goal is provide services and programs to new refugees so that they become economically and financially independent.

MEIRS was one of the agencies that helped resettle Afghans when the State Department launched the Afghan Placement Program (APA) on September 2021. MEIRS resettled 104 Afghans into Maine from November 2021 to September 2022. The APA program officially ended in September 30th 2022, but MEIRS continue to work and support Afghan families who are struggling in our wrap-around services and other programs we offer in our agency.

In partnership with ECDC and Office of the State Refugee Coordinator, MEIRS is also helping welcome Ukrainians to Maine through the Uniting for Ukraine program. MEIRS provides basic services to Ukrainians who have come to the United States to escape war in their home country.