Dec 1: Refugees in North Carolina Flashcards
What are the circumstances under which evacuees from Afghanistan have settled in the United States? (What are the reasons behind their displacement? Remember Hassan Fazili and his family’s story in Midnight Traveler too)
In November 2021, thousands of Afghans evacuated their homes through Operation Allies Welcome in the aftermath of the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban taking over.
The very first large wave of Afghans coming into the US was in the 1980s after the Soviet Invasion. ←Thousands of Afghans were dispossessed and fleeing war.
US military has airlifted thousands of Afghan nationals who faced immediate threats due to their association with the U.S. military or government.
The Taliban is a threat to some people who have relations with the US government and military, so they get special visas and are put into US resettlement programs.
In Midnight Traveler, the Taliban put a bounty on his head due to his involvement in a documentary that shed light on the lives of Afghans and the challenges they faced. His family had a long, dangerous trip to Europe, fleeing their situation.
What are the challenges that refugees and evacuees from Afghanistan face when going through the refugee resettlement process?
Under the Trump administration, resettlement agencies lost funding, so they were unable to support the refugees. Many agencies were forced to shut down or heavily cut staff.
Language Barriers are a challenge.
They are expected to live independently within 90 days of being in the US.
They are given a limited amount of money and are expected to learn English, get a job, support their families, cope with trauma, etc.
Volunteers often treat them like children, which is frustrating.
What role do volunteers play in this resettlement? Why are volunteers needed in refugee resettlement?
Volunteers play a vital role in refugee resettlement by providing essential support to newly arrived families, such as helping them navigate their new communities, access resources, and learn English. Volunteers are needed because government resources alone are often insufficient to meet the full range of needs of refugee families, and they offer crucial emotional and social support during a challenging transition.
What are the main themes in research about the role of volunteers in refugee resettlement?
Volunteers are not equipped to deal with the situations. They are not trained enough.
Volunteer fatigue: A phenomenon created by a lack of training and support for volunteers who face many barriers (lack of funding and bureaucracy) to help refugees. Research also shows that volunteers often treat them like children
“The program demanded that sponsors rush to find individual, makeshift solutions to systemic social service gaps. As a result, sponsors were left with neither the ability nor the desire to reflect on how social structures affected the trajectories of the people they were trying to help.” (Elcioglu, 101)
