What are the prevailing conditions in Central America that drive people out?
It’s a fundamental question that has to be asked – and answered – before the details of comprehensive immigration reform and sound asylum policy can be agreed upon and implemented.
As Miriam Valverde, writing for the Poynter Institute’s PolitiFact publication, questions, “Why would moms, dads, teens and kids take the risks they do, leaving behind their families and traditions, embarking on a journey that typically requires walking nights and days through the desert without water, swimming against strong river currents without a life vest, or hiding in the back of a tightly packed tractor-trailer for hours without enough air to breathe.”
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As an immigrant advocate, it’s difficult to not become calloused by the news about immigration.
Open the newspaper, surf the internet, hang out on social media, and you’ll find loads of negative stories about the plight of immigrants.
Children separated from their parents. Families forced to leave their home countries. Individuals relegated to migrant camps and makeshift homes, wondering where their next meal will come from.
But there are, now and then, articles that share the work of individuals who exemplify the meaning of a Good Samaritan.
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Every year, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Refugee Agency, honors groups, organizations, and individuals that go above and beyond the call of duty to protect refugees, displaced and stateless people.
For the first time in the history of the UNCHR, all five winners, selected from more than 200 nominees, are women. Each one exemplifies the meaning of global citizenship, individuals making a difference in the world for refugees of the world.
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In 2016, Deng Thiak Adut was selected to open the World Summit On Migration Control. Since that time, Adut has remained one of the world’s leading authorities on the plight of refugees.
As a former refugee, Adut brings a unique voice to discussions on the problems and solutions for refugees seeking a safe home far away from their place of birth.
Born in South Sudan, Adut was kidnapped from his family at the age of six. He was forced to become a child soldier and shot in the back at the age of 12. Later he was rescued by the United Nations and smuggled to freedom.
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