What is a Refugee and Why Should You Care?

If you’ve been paying attention to the news for the past few years, you’ve probably heard a lot about refugees. These news reports may inspire strong feelings in you. Maybe you’re afraid that terrorists or other criminals will sneak into the U.S. disguised as refugees.  Maybe you’re confused and don’t even know exactly what a refugee is.  Maybe you just don’t understand what refugees have to do with you. I hope this blog post will clear some things up, set your mind at ease, and help you understand how your life and refugees’ lives are intertwined.  

What is a Refugee?

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), “Refugees are people who  have fled war, violence, conflict, or persecution and have crossed international borders to find safety in another country.”  In other words, a refugee is someone who leaves their home because of danger and looks for a safer country to live in. 

Refugees are not terrorists.

 The intense scrutiny that the U.S. government gives refugees makes it impossible for terrorists to come to the U.S. disguised as refugees.  As the UNHCR explains, each refugee awaiting admission to the U.S. must be screened by eight federal agencies, checked against six security databases, and interviewed three times by Homeland Security.  (UNHCR, “Refugees in America”).  Only the people who meet these high security standards are allowed to resettle in the U.S.

Refugees are not illegal immigrants.

 An immigrant voluntarily leaves home and chooses which county they want to settle in. In contrast, a refugee is forced to leave home and is placed in a host country chosen by the UN. 

As discussed above, a refugee can only settle in their host country after getting permission from the government of that country. (UNHCR “Refugees in America”). So all refugees in the U.S. are legal residents who are not here by choice.

Why should I care?

You should care because the scope of the suffering is greater than ever.

The UNHCR stated in 2018 that the global population of refugees was higher than it had ever been and that the number of refugees under their protection doubled from 10.5 million in 2012 to 20.4 million in 2018 (UNHCR, “Global Trends”).  Right now, there are 26.3 refugees in the world, and 1% of the world’s population has had to flee their homes due to violence.  

You should care because President Biden has committed to admitting more refugees to the United States.

In May, President Biden committed to allowing 62,500 refugees to settle in the U.S. during the fiscal year 2021.  Journalist Nicole Narea explains that the real number settled this year will probably be significantly less due to the pandemic.  Still, Biden’s decision means that more refugees will become our neighbors.  We’ll see them in the carpool lane at school, in the checkout lines at the grocery store, and in our apartment complexes and subdivisions. When refugees are across the street instead of “over there,” we’ll have both the opportunity and obligation to help them.

You should care because you can make a difference.

One of our seamstresses and her husband both have stories that demonstrate the difference having American friends can make in refugees’ lives. Our seamstress loves to wear makeup but doesn’t know words like “mascara” or “eye shadow.”   She is also unfamiliar with the layout of American stores since she only shopped for makeup in Afghanistan.  Simply having an English-speaking American friend to guide her at the beauty shop allows her to pick out makeup that increases her self-confidence.   That’s no small matter when you’ve had to run for your life.

Her husband remembers that when he first came to America, the person from the resettlement agency only showed him one grocery store.  This grocery store was far away from his new home.  He would have to get on a bus whenever he needed to buy something.  He found out one year later that there was a Publix right next to where he lived, but he wasted a lot of time because he had no American friend to show him where this Publix was.

Ultimately, it’s small acts of kindness that help refugees feel at home in their new country.  No special skills or fancy degrees are required to touch someone’s life.

What you can do next

Sometimes the first step to helping refugees is simply getting to know them.  You can do that on Friday June 18th when Peace of Thread celebrates World Refugee Day.  We’ll be at the playground area in Stone Mountain Park from 5:00 to 8:30 PM.  Come eat, laugh, and hear our artisans’ stories.  Bring your own dish-and your own story-to share.  Kids are welcome!

You can also support Peace of Thread’s work with refugees by clicking on the banner that says, “Double your impact-Give Toward World Refugee Day.”  We’re raising money to hire another trainer and two part-time artisans!

And as always, you can buy purses, wallets, and more at our online store.  Each handmade item is one-of-a-kind, just like our women!