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Syrian Refugees Having Trouble In Ohio
By: Associated Press
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TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) – Syrian refugees seeking asylum in Toledo are finding the process long and difficult to navigate.
The state Department of Job and Family Services reported that 48 Syrian refugees settled in Ohio during the 2015 fiscal year, which runs from July until June. Lucas County, where Toledo is located, took 32 of them.
Backlogged systems, shuttered embassies and families with mixed immigration status are among the roadblocks for those trying to bring family members who remain stuck in a war zone to the city.
Toledo immigration attorney Ammar Alo says that some clients wait up to two and a half years for asylum. It can then take an additional six months to bring a spouse or children to the U.S. from Syria.