Refugee labor

Idaho has been resettling a lot of refugees, from many nations, because of the affordable housing and need for workers in our sparsely populated state. Reactions have ranged from total acceptance and welcoming to outrage and fear that some refugees have not been properly vetted. In particular, refugees from Syria working at dairy processing facilities near Twin Falls have been pointed out. Executive director of the Idaho Dairymen's Association, Bob Naerebout: "We are spending time trying to make sure that producers and our broader reading audience recognize the importance of the refugee community and what they bring, not only for the dairy industry, but for the community as a whole. So if you go into any of our food processing plants, you will find a lot of the information and a lot of the labor force is taught in multiple languages and that is because refugees have filled a void. When you are at 3% unemployment or less like we are in the Magic Valley, there is a void of labor and they fill that void. And that helps oil the economic machine that keeps everything running. If we cannot have our raw milk processed into dairy products than that creates an economic void in our community. There has been controversy through the last election campaign but the refugee community is a very economic engine that we are utilizing in the state of Idaho. They have to be recognized for all of the good and the value they bring to our community.