Refugee Advocacy Training

On Saturday March 4th, 2017, the group Central Ohio Solidarity With Refugees & Immigrants hosted a workshop to educate people on the process of becoming a refugee. It was only a two-hour class, but I learned so much about the legal process and key statistics regarding refugees.

The event leaders started by making sure everyone understood the difference between key terms like refugee, immigrant, and asylum seeker. Then we went through the process of becoming a refugee, including vetting procedures and what kind of aid host countries give. Then we discussed the advantages to having refugees in the community, including the statistics on their substantial economic contributions. I was very surprised to learn that refugees and immigrants are twice as likely to start businesses as non-immigrant and refugee residents of Franklin County. We also went over myths about refugees, including that they are a huge economic burden and that they are terrorists.

We also discussed ways that we can all advocate for refugees, like by calling our senators and representatives, combating myths and ignorance, and getting involved with different organizations. The workshop was incredibly motivating and educational, and I left feeling better prepared to discuss refugee and immigration policy in our country.