St. Louis leaders pushing to double the number of Afghan refugees here

ST. LOUIS — Local leaders are looking to a small country in Eastern Europe to potentially double the number of Afghan refugees here.

A group of about 350 refugees fled to Albania with help from former U.S. service members after Kabul fell last fall, said Jerry Schlichter, an attorney leading an effort to attract Afghans to St. Louis. But now, he said, the Albanian government is done supporting them.

That’s where Schlichter and others, including the International Institute of St. Louis and Mayor Tishaura Jones, are hoping to step in.