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Osman Mohamed, of Somalia.For many refugees, the first year can feel like a race against the clock to set up a new life.You get a little cash up front and a few months of help from a social worker.Then, you’re mostly on your own.We followed three refugee arrivals, from touchdown at Sea-Tac Airport to eight months into their lives here. Eight months, because that’s when refugees without families stop receiving small federal payments.Their stories are as different as the countries they come from, but they start with a similar thread – leaving despair behind and grasping for hope. Listen to our one-hour special (mp3)http://cpa.ds.npr.org/kuow/audio/2017/01/1124-REFUGEE-SPECIAL.mp3

How refugees make it to Washington state

KUOW Photo/Liz Jones
A Syrian refugee family arrives in Seattle in 2015.

Bill Radke speaks with Sarah Peterson, Chief of the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance at the Department of Social and Health Services, about the journey refugees must go through to get from their home country to this state. 

KUOW's Upon Arrival: How refugees find their way in Seattle

Year started with KUOW: 1985 – 1986, 1991 – 2004, 2012