What is a Refugee?
A refugee is a person who leaves their country because of a fear of persecution. Refugees come from many backgrounds and countries and go through a complex process in order to be relocated.
What is it like being a refugee?
Most of us will never understand the struggles refugees endure or the sacrifices they have made to come to America but we can learn more about their experiences.
Read about individual experiences on the UNHCR website.
Who Relocates Refugees?
The United Nations High Comission for Refugees helps refugees to make better lives for themselves and their families.
Where do refugees come from?
Refugees come from any country where people suffered or feared persecution.
Some of the refugees Iskashitaa works with come from the countries described below.
Iraq
Over 4 million people were displaced and about 2 million live in neighboring countries.
Iraq became a battleground for forces vying for power after the US- led invasion of 2003.
Iraq has the world's third largest reserves of crude oil but attacks, corruption and smuggling have crippled exports.
Iraqis who worked with the US government often have to leave the country.
Somalia
Somalia has been without an effective central government since President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.
A third of Somalia's population depends on food aid and there has not been an effective government since1991.
Somalia has had its worst drought in six decades, which left millions on the verge of starvation and thousands have fled.
Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo Kinshasa)
Congo is struggling to recover from war between 1998 and 2003.
Former rebels joined a power-sharing government while the Eastern regions are plagued by army and militia violence.
Fishing-rights fight has resulted in ethnic and economic tension, in north-west.
Ugandan rebels in north-east part of the country. Have been active, raping and killing Rwandan rebels, Hutu and Tutsi rebels, in North and South Kivu
Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville)
Militia and civil wars have plagued the country. In 1997 Brazzaville had a civil war from ethnic and political tensions, fueled in part by off-shore oil wealth.
Remnants from civil war, called Ninjas, still in southern Pool region, resort to banditry
IMF debt relief was delayed in 2005 following corruption allegations.
Burundi
Relative peace is being seen after a 12-year ethnic-based civil war. Some partly attribute peace to international mediation and support.
The government and the last active rebel group signed a cease fire in May 2008.
Burundi is attempting to rebuild its shattered economy and forge national unity.
Half the population lives below the poverty line. Coffee and tea account for most of the foreign currency earnings.
Eritrea
Eritrea emerged from its long war of independence in 1993 only to plunge once again into military conflict, first with Yemen and then,move devastatingly, with its old adversary, Ethiopia.
The government has been accused of repression and of hindering the development of democracy.
In 2009, the United Nations imposed sanctions on Eritrea after accusing it of backing anti-Ethiopian Islamist insurgents in Somalia.
Bhutan
Many of the Bhutanese refugees are ethnic Nepalis from southern Bhutan. They retain their Nepali language,culture and religion.
In 1980s, the Bhutanese king and one of the majority groups became worried about the growing ethnic Nepali population.
The Bhutanese government created eligibility requirements that disenfranchised many ethnic Nepalis, depriving them of citizenship and civil rights.
In 1990, the government announced that any ethnic Nepalis who could not prove citizenship since 1958 had to leave the country; many fled to Nepal and Indian state of West Bengal where they have primarily resided in 6 refugee camps for the last 18 years.