Refugee resettlement on a rise through North Dakota outside of Fargo, Grand Forks and Bismarck
Fargo, Grand Forks and Bismarck used to be the only places in the state for refugee resettlement. Now, communities throughout the state are taking part, and the number is rising.
Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald
GRAND FORKS — Metro areas like Fargo, Grand Forks and Bismarck are the three official refugee resettlement sites in North Dakota, but as rural populations decline and workforce shortages continue, an interest in bringing refugees to smaller communities across the state is rising.
Cynthia Shabb, executive director of the Global Friends Coalition, said she has seen that interest herself.
Information from the state shows resettlement is branching out from the official resettlement sites, she said, and there are individuals seeking to resettle people in their own communities. However, Global Friends can only resettle people in Grand Forks.
“It’s interesting how there’s a broad interest,” she said. “When we resettle somebody, we start at pre-arrival to 90 days, so if they’re coming through our program, they really need to be resettled here in Grand Forks so we can assist them in the first three months to get them off to a good start.”
Statistics from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services show that from 2000 to 2021, 80% of resettlement occurred in Fargo, 15% in Grand Forks and 5% in Bismarck. From 2022 to 2024, things have shifted, with Fargo taking up 53%, Grand Forks and Bismarck at 16% each and the remaining 15% elsewhere. Of that percentage, 7% went to Dickinson, 3% each to Minot and Williston, then the remaining 2% in other rural communities.
https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/refugee-resettlement-on-a-rise-through-north-dakota-outside-of-fargo-grand-forks-and-bismarck
