Tarek Said reminds us that refugees are humans with humor:
All jokes aside…images of Syrian war refugees streaming into Europe flashed across our television screens in the summer of 2015 and continue to be the focus of media, policy, and politics worldwide. Stories of struggle and tragedy are contrasted with forthright assistance as well as ambivalence. What has been less visible is the word community anchors, individuals, and non-profit organizations assisting the newly arrived refugees or asylum seekers. Libraries and other community anchors in Europe are key institutions actively engaged in providing resources and services to respond to the needs of these refugees or asylum seekers. What can librarians in the United States, with our own experiences with migrants, learn from our European and other international colleagues with their current and distinct experienced with forced migration?
The U.S. accepts a limited number of refugees each year. The President in consultation with Congress determines the authorized target for refugee admissions through a Presidential Determination. According to the IRC, the U.S. has pledged to resettle 110,000 refugees in 2017. Learn more about resettlement here and here.
The refugee screening process for entry into the United States engages multiple agencies and steps:
Refugees and asylum seekers in the United States undergo a rigorous screening process:
Using the hashtag #AidRefugees, the White House calls the campaign “hashtag diplomacy.”
Additional reading from the White House Archives:
- Strengthening Communities Through Immigrant and Refugee Integration
- (Fact Sheet) Strengthening Communities by Welcoming All Residents: The Federal Role in Immigrant & Refugee Integration
Learn more about the changes to the refugee climate since 2016 here.
Learn more about refugees within global and local contexts in this article.
Learn more about the health of refugees and the proposed solutions here.
Arnold, Renea and Colburn, Nell. “The Neglected Ones: Children of undocumented immigrants seldom receive the services they need | First Steps,” School Library Journal, July 1, 2012.
Grady, Sandra. Improvised Adolescence: Somali Bantu Teenage Refugees in America.
Children’s book: Our Journey from Syria to America.
Canada
Our Community, Our Voice: The Settlement and Integration Needs of Refugees in Surrey, BC.