|
 |
|
|
By Amy Lecza
New Hampshire Herald
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bhutanes Refugees - NH plays host to a good number of them
|
|
|
|
New Hampshire, and most of New England, has a reputation for lacking in diversity. However, in
recent years, the picture has changed. Of recent NH has witnessed an influx of citizens from other
countries. While some are immigrants, others are refugees escaping nations in turmoil.
Lutheran Social Services (LSS), based out of Concord, works with refugees from all over the world.
They’ve worked tirelessly for the last thirteen years to resettle over 2,000 refugees to New
Hampshire. Refugees have come from places as close as Central America and as far as Southeast
Asia. In the 90’s, when LSS was founded, the majority of the refugees needing resettlement were
Eastern Europeans: Yugoslavians, Bosnians, Croatians, and Serbs.
In the early to mid 2000’s, more advocacy for African refugees within the US refugee network
showed in an increase in Sudanese, Liberian, Somalian, Rwandan, Congolese, and Burundian
refugees. In the last few years, almost 100% of LSS’s cases are refugees from Bhutan, a Central
Asian country in conflict. LSS helps intact families, single people, and single parents with children
live safely in New Hampshire. Most Bhutanese refugees are intact families, meaning that the family
is not divorced or separated and there are two present parents.
The process of resettlement from another country is a long but rewarding journey. The United
Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) monitors the worldwide refugee situation.
Currently, there are approximately 80,000 refugees overseas waiting to be relocated in America.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees, (UNHCR) is mandated by the government to
come up with safe and durable living solutions for refugees, either to be relocated within a safe area
in their home country, or to be resettled in another. The United States is just one of about 20
countries that take in refugees annually. The UNHCR makes referrals to the US Citizenship and
Immigration Services, where the refugees are divided by world regions and relocated to individual
states. The state department has a contract with ten national agencies, and LSS is connected with
three.
Once the refugees are assigned to the Lutheran Social Services, or the International Institute of NH,
they are provided with care givers who help them make a smooth transition into their new lives.
The agencies pick them up from the airport, help secure housing, and furnish the homes and
apartments by donations. They also help families register with medical providers, English classes,
and school and provide a series of orientations so they can help refugees understand what services
they are eligible for.
With extended case management, they can take nutrition, parenting, and money-management
classes through UNH Cooperative Extension. They often take field trips to the fire department,
police station, library, parks, and banks to get to know the community and the laws. Another
benefit of these trips is an opportunity to show refugees that officers in uniform are not to be
feared. Often, in their home countries, people in uniform were oppressive and dangerous, but the
agencies help them to change their view of our public officers.
People often group refugees and immigrants together as one, but in reality their differences are
immense. Immigrants choose to come to America to settle, while refugees are relocated within the
US by the government. LSS is a private non-profit organization, but it works alongside our
government. This means that all of the refugees that are being relocated are here legally, and are
eligible for services and benefits that most immigrants are not. Refugees have the opportunity to
take advantage of programs such as food stamps and Medicaid, but they have a responsibility to be
self-sufficient as soon as possible after their arrival. LSS takes them to the social security office
personally so they can start work. “Basically, we’re trying to give them all the resources and
information to have a strong foundation.” says Amy Marchildon, a caseworker at Lutheran Social
Services.
Refugees impact our society daily. Thanks to the employment services at LSS, most refugees are
able to get entry-level jobs in restaurants, retail, housekeeping, or agriculture. LSS also provide a
vocational English and job-readiness program geared toward the hospitality industry. Many
refugees come to America with very high level skills and background, such as law, medicine, or
accounting, but a language barrier prevents them from getting a job in their former field. Most
relocated refugees hold down as many as three jobs at a time. Refugees are able to apply for
citizenship after five years in America. Most are exemplary citizens, working hard to raise their
families in a safe place. The rising crime rate in the Southern and Central NH areas isn’t related
to the greater refugee population in these cities.
“I’m not suggesting that refugees haven’t gotten into trouble with the law, because
there have been a handful that have.” says Marchildon. “By and large the majority
of refugees are here to start their lives over again; they want nothing more than to
live in peace and be safe, and to work hard and to create an opportunity for their
children to have a better life than they did.”
But their problems are many. For the past few weeks, Manchester Mayor, Ted
Gatsas has spent time listening to the many problems that these refugees go
through. Some of their stories are heart wrenching. Once identified as refugees,
landlords treat them with reckless abandon, they said. Repairs are scarcely done on
their apartments. Most of
them have no jobs and the agencies that sponsored them here have cut off most
assistance.
There is also the language problem. And it impacts on their ability to secure jobs. In
our next edition, we do an exclusive on the many problems facing refugees in NH.
Watch out.
|
|
|
|
Comment on this this story
|
|
|
|
|
