Resettling refugees more effective as a community effort

A new approach to refugee resettlement has shown promising results. A community network comes together and chooses to “sponsor” a refugee family by providing “financial, emotional, and practical support as they build new lives in a new country.”

Refugees and survivors of the 1947 India-Pakistan partition reconnect to their homes through virtual reality footage of their homes and villages. The initiative, Project Dastaan, seeks to provide emotional closure to people who had to flee their homes in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It also allows the children and grandchildren of survivors to gain a better understanding of their own histories and the trauma experienced by their loved ones. The digital experiences aim to raise awareness of the impact of the conflict and promote peace between the countries.

Poland has successfully accepted and integrated more than 7 million Ukrainian refugees. Public and political will enabled a mass mobilization to welcome the newcomers with transportation, shelter, food, education, and an opportunity to work.

Refugees are accessing services that enable them to set up and run small businesses through the help of an initiative in Cleveland. The MED program has helped launch 30 entrepreneurs through training, technical help, and $50,000 in startup capital and loans.

Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban were given a warm welcome at the American Air Base in Germany despite logistical challenges. The new arrivals have stepped up to help one another with everything from teaching to haircuts.

AMURTEL Greece offers support for immigrant women from pregnancy until their babies are two years old. AMURTEL offers one-on-one appointments with midwives and infant feeding consultants, group classes, and peer-to-peer support groups with people from similar origins. Midwives can visit mothers in their homes or refugee camps. Breastfeeding support is an important focus of the organization, since many new mothers who would breastfeed in their home countries feel discouraged to do so by Western doctors.

Asylum-seekers detained in Lithuanian refugee camps are exhibiting and selling their artwork with the support of Sienos Group, a volunteer-based initiative that coordinates showings and raises funds for art materials and supplies. Detainees have earned up to 100 euros for their pieces and say the ability to create and share their art while in the camps gives them a sense of purpose, empowers them to believe in their potential, and helps combat stigma against migrants in the country.

Volunteers with the Embassy Church visit detainees once a week upon request, with about 15 to 20 volunteers spending time with people during four one-hour shifts. As they built relationships with the detainees, volunteers fundraised to hire immigration lawyers and help people through the asylum process.

Grants for women living in refugee camps have helped recipients start businesses and learn new skills, allowing them to improve their quality of life. Additionally, the women created an informal cooperative and take turns investing a percentage of proceeds from each successful business into another member’s business.

To help migrants in Germany acclimate and find stability in a new culture, Wohnbrücke Hamburg trains volunteers to act as mediators between landlords and refugees in search of housing. Between 2015 and 2021, the organization helped more than 3,000 refugees move out of camps and into homes, while roughly 1,000 volunteers have been trained to guide refugees through the housing process and offer social and cultural support.