Once resettled...not so settled

This year’s “Forced to Flee” tour is dedicated to bringing awareness to refugee issues throughout the world and promoting activism among the Calling All Crows community. The Crows’ Nest blog will feature articles by Trish Becker-Hafnor discussing the complex elements of the refugee experience, from conflicts affecting communities across the globe, to the challenges of living in a foreign country after resettlement. You can read previous installments here, here, and here.

The first leg of the Forced to Flee Tour has come to a close, and over the past several weeks we’ve explored worldwide conflict, refugee camps and some of the difficult decisions that face refugees throughout the process. We are now poised to understand what happens after resettlement, once refugees have landed in a third country.

Once an individual or family has decided to resettle, they must undergo a series of interviews, health screenings and bureaucracy in order to be accepted. There is often a significant waiting period between registering for resettlement and being selected, yet there is typically very little time between the moment that someone is notified and when they are required to depart. Families are often thrown into a tailspin while packing all of their belongings into one or two suitcases, saying goodbye to family and friends and preparing for the rest of their lives in a foreign country.

There are 12 countries throughout the world that have substantial resettlement programs, the US being one of them. Once refugees arrive in the US, they receive a one-time stipend of $1,800 to assist with housing, food and all costs related to their transition into the US.  They also qualify for eight months of food stamps and financial assistance, to assist with rent and expenses as they look for work. Often, refugees have specialized skills and advanced training in fields ranging from medicine to engineering to law. However, these skills and degrees are rarely recognized in the US and many individuals find themselves working menial jobs with poor hours and harsh conditions. Doctors find themselves in meat packing plants, and engineers work as janitors.

After eight months, most families are cut off from assistance, with exceptions for individuals with a disability or families with small children. Imagine suddenly moving to a new country, trying to learn the language, adapt to a completely different culture, navigate complex systems, provide for your family and find a company that will hire you despite linguistic, cultural and religious differences…all within just eight months. The amount of time given to new arrivals is far too short, and the support available is too little.

Adding to the challenge of resettlement is the fact that most refugees have significant trauma histories, and studies have shown that they experience Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at ten times the rate of the general population. Refugees are often in need of treatment for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and PTSD, but face difficulties finding treatment that is culturally and linguistically competent. There are a limited number of mental health professionals who reflect the language and culture of the diverse group of incoming refugees. 

Refugees are often unaware that there is treatment available for the life-altering symptoms that they are experiencing. Programs designed to screen incoming refugees for mental health issues are now available, and are gaining traction in resettlement programs throughout the country. The Pathways to Wellness Program was established in King County, Washington and uses multilingual screening tools that were carefully developed to incorporate culturally relevant symptoms and idioms of distress. The screeners are now given as part of the public health examination that many refugees undergo when arriving in the US. 

The challenges that face refugees are complex and disheartening, but Pathways to Wellness and other innovative programs that address unmet needs offer some hope. Learn more about The Pathways to Wellness Program

Refugee Camps

This year’s “Forced to Flee” tour is dedicated to bringing awareness to refugee issues throughout the world and promoting activism among the Calling All Crows community. The Crows’ Nest blog will feature articles by Trish Becker-Hafnor discussing the complex elements of the refugee experience, from conflicts affecting communities across the globe, to the challenges of living in a foreign country after resettlement. You can read previous installments here and here.

As the Forced to Flee Tour carries on, Calling All Crows continues to explore the various elements of the refugee experience from worldwide conflict to the challenges that face those that choose to resettle.  Refugees have 3 possible solutions to displacement: repatriation (returning to their country of origin), integration into the community to which they have fled, or resettlement into a third country.  The journeys of refugees vary widely, but the refugee camp is an experience that is shared by many.

There are nearly 40 million people currently living in refugee camps in 125 countries.  This is according to official numbers from the UN High Commissioner of Refugees and doesn’t include the countless makeshift, unofficial camps that line the borders of conflict-ridden nations.  Nor does it include the estimated 26.4 million internally displaced persons, or the millions more that live “illegally” in host communities in neighboring countries.  

Refugee camps vary in size, style and permanency.  In newly established or growing camps, families gather under tents stamped with the UNHCR logo, as war rarely allows time for permanent home building.  In countries where conflict has persisted for generations, refugee camps can seem more like villages with wooden homes, restaurants and bustling markets.  This was the case with Umpiem, the camp that I lived in for two years on the Thai-Burma border.

The civil war in Burma has lasted for over 60 years, and ethnic minority groups have been living in camps in Thailand for the duration of this time.  Umpiem is home to 20,000 people and is the second largest camp on the Thai-Burma border.  For some perspective, Hagadera Camp in Kenya is the world’s largest refugee camp with 138,000 people.  Because it has existed for so long, Umpiem resembles a small city with hundreds of shops and restaurants, 2 high schools and 2 junior colleges and several internet cafes.  The homes are made of bamboo and concrete and, at times, have multiple levels.  When I first arrived in Umpiem, I was struck by the beautiful gardens surrounding the homes, a sobering indicator of the permanency of the camp, and of the refugee status itself.

Umpiem is unique in many ways, but is also a representative image of many camps throughout the world.  Like most camps, it has a governing body of local residents.  Unfortunately, the local governments are often tied to militia groups who offer protection in exchange for fees or a portion of refugees’ rations.  Refugee camps are typically home to schools, places of worship and community centers, but are also characterized by rumors, uncertainty and an inability to escape.  In Umpiem, security was especially strict, as Thailand wanted to ensure that refugees from Burma were contained within the camps, and not working or finding refuge in border towns.  Refugees often face such discrimination and violence within the country that they’ve escaped to, as racism and nationalism influence policies and local attitudes.

The Refugee Camp is only one element of the refugee experience, but it is a crucial one.  For many, it represents safety and shelter after traumatic experiences, violence and war.  For others, it may be yet another challenging obstacle on the journey to a safe and fulfilling life.  However, it is an experience shared by many of the refugees that belong to our local communities, and for that reason, it is an experience to be honored and shared.

The Decision to Resettle

This year’s “Forced to Flee” tour is dedicated to bringing awareness to refugee issues throughout the world and promoting activism among the Calling All Crows community. The Crows’ Nest blog will feature articles by Trish Becker-Hafnor discussing the complex elements of the refugee experience, from conflicts affecting communities across the globe, to the challenges of living in a foreign country after resettlement. You can read the first installment here.

“I came here lonely,” he said, with a slow nod of the head.

“Do you mean you came here alone?” I ask, “You moved to this refugee camp without any family or friends?”

“Yes, I came here alone.”

The slip of the tongue is rare for Ko Aye,* a handsome 26 year-old with near perfect English (in addition to the five other languages in which he is fluent). Ko Aye is a refugee from Burma, living alone in Umpiem Camp as his family has either resettled or remains in Burma. He works in the camp as a translator for a resettlement organization and dreams of moving to the United States one day to be reunited with his family. He wants to be an engineer.

Ko Aye sits beside me at a dusty teashop in the heart of the refugee camp where I have been living and working for the past year. He patiently answers a barrage of questions about the resettlement process – a subject he knows like the back of his hand. He explains the history of refugees from Burma, and the sad realities that face the vast majority of those hoping to resettle. Because countries like the US only accept a limited numbers of refugees each year, refugee camps throughout the world are filled with people who have nothing to do but wait. Less than 1% of worldwide refugees are resettled to a third country, a result of limited funding coupled with sharply increasing numbers of displaced persons. 

But not every refugee wishes to resettle, and in fact it is a decision that tears families and communities apart. Refugee camps provide a temporary point of refuge for many families who have fled their homes, a place to wait out armed conflict and hope for peace in the near future. The wait is unpredictably long, and the uncertainty can be unbearable. In Umpiem Camp, where Ko Aye lives, refugees have been waiting for peace for over 60 years. Rumors constantly weave throughout the camp, giving families false hopes of democracy and repatriation, and prolonging their wait for a safe return home.  

For some, waiting is not a solution. Instead, they choose to apply for resettlement, a process that can take years. With a resettlement application, people often face stigma from their communities and are labeled as deserters. They place the futures of themselves and their families in the hands of a governing body whose rules and preferences fluctuate with the changing of political alliances. And even if resettlement is approved, families are often separated, lovers torn apart and communities dismantled. The decision to resettle is a challenging one, and this is before considering the struggles that await refugees in a third country.

Ko Aye, like many young refugees, dreams of attending university and building a livelihood for himself and the family he hopes to one day have. He is young, brilliant, educated and ambitious. For him, resettlement is his best option, as it will provide an opportunity for education, prosperity and a new life.  So here he waits – unchallenged and unfulfilled, but with hopes of a future free from violence, fear and being alone.

*Names and other identifying information have been changed to protect the individual’s privacy.

The Refugee Crisis

Trish Becker-Hafnor is a Colorado kid, who just completed her Masters in Social Work at the University of Washington. For two years, she lived and worked in a Burmese refugee camp in Thailand, coordinating a public health program, providing training, and fundraising for disaster relief. She has also worked in refugee mental health in the US, providing trauma-focused therapy for resettled refugees from around the world. She is passionate about social justice, positivity and the power of community to create change and will be sharing her expertise and experience on refugee issues with us during Forced to Flee.

This year’s “Forced to Flee” tour is dedicated to bringing awareness to refugee issues throughout the world and promoting activism among the Calling All Crows community. For the next five weeks, the Crows’ Nest blog will feature articles discussing the complex elements of the refugee experience, from conflicts affecting communities across the globe, to the challenges of living in a foreign country after resettlement. Please join CAC in our mission to create awareness by learning and sharing these blogs, joining us on the tour, and promoting justice and human rights for all.

Currently, there are over 51.2 million forcibly displaced people in countries throughout the world. The current conflict in Syria is the “biggest humanitarian emergency of our era,” and there is unprecedented need for global action to promote nonviolence and support for those who have been displaced. At this moment, nearly 16 million people wait in refugee camps around the world, 30 million seek refuge from violence within the borders of their own nations, and hundreds of thousands struggle to adapt to a life in a foreign country after being resettled. 

The statistics are staggering, but still must be placed within the context of the individual lives and experiences; collective stories of refuge and of resilience. Ahmed,* a policeman from Iraq who has lived in the US for five years, still jumps at the sound of passing trucks as it stirs vivid memories of being attacked in front of his home as his family watched from inside. Mu Paw, an 80-year-old widow in a rural Burmese village looks upon the ashes of what once was her home and all of her possessions, knowing that she has no resources to rebuild and no family to stand beside her amidst the rubble. And Esmeralda, a young female activist from Kenya spends her nights fearing footsteps beyond her locked door, as sexual violence plagues the unstable environments of war torn cities, refugee camps and border towns.

Calling All Crows encourages its supporters to become informed on the global refugee crisis, and to take action both locally and globally. The first step in activism is always to listen. We encourage you to seek out individuals in your local communities and learn about their experiences of being forced to flee. You can be involved, on a local level, by volunteering with resettlement organizations, refugee communities and ESL classes. You can continue to advocate for justice and human rights abroad with international human rights organizations, and by bringing awareness to your own networks. Finally, you can join Calling All Crows in our pre-show service projects and fundraising efforts for aid to Syrian refugees. Thank you, as always, for being a part of the movement.

For more information on the global refugee crisis, please visit www.unhcr.org. 

*Names and other identifying information have been changed to protect the individual’s privacy.