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Posted: Thursday, 05 November 2015 8:31PM Syrian refugees begin arriving in metro New Orleans WWL.com Reporting Refugees migrating from Syria and Afghanistan have begun to arrive in the New Orleans area. Catholic Charities, which is part of the Archidiocese of New Orleans has taken in two Syrian refugee families and is expecting many more. There are approximately 180 cities in the country that are eligible to accept some 10,000 Syrian refugees. In Louisiana, those cities include Metairie, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. The Syrian refugees are first flown to the United States, with the State Department paying the International Organization for Migration for the airfare. Once the refugees arrive in the country, they receive assistance in settling and finding employment in the area. It's believed the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force will run the incoming refugees through a Terrorist Screening Center. Catholic Charities has targeted services for helping refugees, and has received a federal grant from the U.S. Department of State/Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration to assist the newcomers. After about 90 days, refugees are no longer eligible for the State Department-funded support that they were receiving through migrant and refugee services. However, they are able to join support programs through the Department of Health and Human Services. It's unclear how much the screening process for the 10,000 Syrian refugees will cost American taxpayers. The State Department spent $1.1 billion resettling people from around the world in the country last year. That’s about $16,000 per person.