by Katie Patrick
In the past month, Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska has welcomed a family of 10 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a family of seven and a family of six from Syria, a young woman from Burma, a family of four from South Sudan, and a family of six from Afghanistan. It’s been an incredible month!
The family from Congo has a message for us, but before I get to their story, I thought it would be good to have a quick recap of what refugee resettlement looks like in the U.S.
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program was established in 1980. Of course, refugees and other displaced persons sought refuge in the U.S. long before then, but the more formalized program that we know today began in 1980. When refugees flee their home country for fear of persecution based on race, religion, national origin, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, they are registered by the United Nations within the country to which they fled. In almost all cases the United Nations, with the support of countless non-governmental organizations, sets up refugee camps in neighboring countries where refugees can seek shelter.
This second country of residence for a refugee is known as a host country. (Interesting fact: 86% of the world’s 26.4 million refugees reside in developing countries.) It is the goal of the United Nations—and the desire of many refugees—to return to their home country once it is safe. However, in many cases this is not possible and refugees will live for years—decades even—in refugee camps.
Or, they will be resettled in a new, often faraway country altogether, such as the United States. This is often an exciting and terrifying opportunity for many refugees. They are thrilled at the opportunity to—quite frankly—leave the refugee camp where there are often severe limitations on the freedom of movement, the ability to work, and inadequate educational opportunities for children (for example, 100 students per teacher in an outdoor tent).
At the same time, giving up hope on ever returning to your home country can be devastating. This is the reality of millions of refugees every year. Now, this brings me to the story of one of our recent refugee arrivals.
Last week, I picked up the dad, mom, and little boy of the family and took them grocery shopping at Super Saver. When I picked them up, the mom was talking on the phone. While I didn’t understand the Swahili, it was clear she was ecstatic. After we were in the car for a while, I asked the dad who she was speaking to. He told me the story.
Twenty-one years ago, when his wife was just a young girl, she was at home with her family when government soldiers burst into their home, killing her father and brother. She and her sister ran out of the house into the bush in one direction, while her mother ran in another direction and her other brother in yet another direction. The soldiers descended on the city and nearby villages. It was chaos. The woman and her sister ended up in a refugee camp in Zambia.
A couple years later, this woman was alone at the camp after her sister died from the effects of the violence and brutality committed against her by the soldiers. She soon met and married her husband and they created a life for themselves in the camp. They have 10 children and one in heaven. A few months ago they received word at the refugee camp that they had been selected to resettle in the U.S.
The woman had hoped like many refugees to one day return to her home country—Congo. She also hoped to find and be reunited with her mother and her brother and other family and friends, and leaving Africa also meant leaving that hope behind. What kept her focused was knowing that she and her husband would be better able to provide a good life for their children—and that was enough.
The internet is a funny thing. I’m reliant—admittedly, sometimes dependent—on my phone, computer, etc. I also understand how limited the internet is in other parts of the world, especially Africa. With that being said, one of the first things we do as refugee case managers is connect families to the internet in their home. This helps with schoolwork, applying for jobs, studying for the driver’s test, etc. And so they connect their phones to the wireless router and encounter internet speeds they never knew possible.
That’s what happened that week for the Congolese family. The mom was able to connect with her past. She found long lost friends on the internet, mostly through Facebook, and with each contact she reconnected with it brought her closer and closer to… Yes! Her brother and her mother. They were alive and living in the Congo.
So that morning, for the first time in 21 years, this woman was talking on the phone to her mom. Just imagine that for a moment. And now let’s pray.
Let’s pray for the millions of families that have been separated by war. Let’s pray for all the moms and dads, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters who live each and every day not knowing, but hoping, that the other is alive and well.
Let’s also pray that all refugees who have lost loved ones feel the warmth of God’s presence and His healing power. Amen.
