Many in the Bay Area want their Ukrainian relatives to find safe haven here but the obstacles they're facing are formidable.
SAN FRANCISCO — The biggest refugee crisis since World War II is unfolding in front of the eyes of the world.
Olha lives in Kyiv. When the bombings worsened, she and her mother fled with Olha’s baby, taking a bus then a train to Poland. They left Ohla’s husband and father behind so they could help defend the city. The goal for the women: to join extended family in San Jose where the baby would be safe.“I could hear the military planes going over the train and all the way I’m texting my uncle who is in San Jose. He was calming me down because I was afraid,” she told KPIX.
She says unless there is a major change in U.S. law, it’s going to be very difficult for individuals to quickly bring family members to the Bay Area on any kind of visa – including one designated for tourists. “The irony here being these refugee and human rights laws were established in response to the holocaust and the exodus of refugees from eastern Europe and yet we find ourselves in a situation that echoes in many ways that time,” Bhuket said.Bay Area families and those they love don’t want to lose hope.
As to how many Ukrainians can apply for refugee status: under the Biden Administration, there are currently 125,000 refugee slots available globally. Of those, 10,000 are set aside for all of Europe and Central Asia — a region which includes Ukraine. Those numbers could be increased but, once again, the process is painfully slow.
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