Governor Peter Shumlin is telling refugees in Vermont that he welcomes their presence in the state, saying employers need young workers and that he believes they will be contributors to the state's economy and social fabric.
Shumlin met Tuesday with two classes of refugees from around the world studying English.
He stopped by at the Ohavi Zedek Synagogue in Burlington and visited with a class of more than a dozen students from places as diverse as Bhutan and the Congo. The synagogue is donating space for the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program to hold classes.
Afterward, Shumlin met with reporters and described as "shameful" the calls by many governors around the country for not welcoming Syrian refugees into the United States.
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