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Somalia Refugee Crisis in America

Mulky Abdi

Javier Campos, MSW

ETHS 2410

Research paper

November 28, 2017

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The African American immigrant or Somalia how everyone recognize it. I think most of society

dont know why this people fleeing their own country and why are they seeking settlement in

America or Europa? This question no one answer so one of the New York author (Ben,

Rawlence) went there for 5 years visited there and called worlds largest refugee champ that

made up mud and sticks and described the size of New Orleans but the champ called Dadaab

where Somalia people settle its located in Kenya. It was established for temporary refugee

fleeing from Somalia civil war but today becomes a home for million people. Its shocking how

world allows all those people to stay in this place which is very hot most of the time and there

are out of work and unable to leave so to spend their whole live in this place. Most of them dont

know where to go anymore while others just go to Europe for life or die in the boats that blown

in the ocean. It wasnt supposed to be this way because they were expecting a short term haven

where internal community could house them and feed displaced people until they can find

solution or the UN can help them. The united nation was hoping this people to return to their

origin country but it wasnt the way they expected. Meanwhile they settled to stay there and was

expecting for Europe and USA will help. There nearly 400,000 Somalia refugee living in the

champ none of those outcome likely also theyre the 14 million refugees who are the united

nation call protracted situations, the global displaced now they are estimated 60 million.

Rich nations are accepting fewer through the united nations resettlement program many

of those refugee are facing balked integrating at the refugee camps like those champs in Pakistan

and Kenya, most of the refugees are forced to pursuing illegal journey to go to Europa but these

the risk of total because the camp is becoming permanent. But I believe that no one wants to talk

about it. But in Kenya their government forbids them the permanent structures. It heart break to
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see the times of rainy season they build homes that made of red mud over frames of thorns.

Water still comes from temporary tap standard and their toilets are still holes in the ground. But

their social life doesnt stand still. Many of those host countries like Kenya doesnt allow

refugees to work so the united nation could ship over 5,000 tons of food each month, mainly and

bean, to this inhospitable stretch of desert, but currently united nation has by 30 percent of the

budget. But the numbers of refugee are growing up but theres no sigh, even the whole

generations are growing up. As refugee population spiral higher, host nations like Kenya is one

of stricter encampment policies last year police rounded up thousand refugees found outside

designated camp and incarcerated them in the national stadium and periodically attempts to force

people back to their origin country. Than only hope they once had was the third generation that is

now begging life at Dabaab may well spend their whole life in the camp. But only hope if they

win one of the fiercely contested slots at secondary school, they could gain diplomas and degree

online or through the mail, but theres no viable path to a free future elsewhere. The world reject

them even today they were died for feminine and drought. Most are kids, there was no medical

care. To leave that camp there require movement pass, just like under apartheid. Acquiring one

usually involves a bribe, thus member of third generation that is now beginning life in this camp.

But there was never a job just a volunteer aid for the agencies and hospital. These are pay a

fraction of what Kenyan staff member receive for doing the same job. Same may expect that in

such circumstances, talent would curdle into bitterness, but most strike thing about Dabaab is

that the miserable conditions do not seem to have engendered radicalization. Many of them are

frustrated, but until know the isolation of the camp and united nations mantras on rights and

gender balance have fostered a subdued but tolerant society in which women are more

emancipated than their sisters back in Somalia. This is the ultimate life of the camp, how to
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located hope for the future in desperate situation that appears permanent. People are trying life in

Dabaab and other camps is a daily exercise in their manufacturing home. But many the fiction of

temporariness no longer holds and we are seeing the result of that realization washing up on

Europes beaches. The rich world is silent and not offering help, while refugee and immigrant

wait to try to enter Europe illegally, or the detention center that know commonly in Europe,

Australia and united states. In the united states refugees wait many years to grant entry. It also

allows proper and legal response for refugee and asylum seeker freedom movement with their

host nation.

According to the united nation more than 30,000 human beings are forced to leave their

original countries are refugee. But where are the majority of this people coming from, what are

they running from? And where are they ending up? With no functioning government, and clan

war that lasted for decades, and deadly terrorist group commanding swathes of the country,

Somalia has been often described as a failed state. In 1991 collapse of the Somalia government

and the resulting civil war in hundreds of thousands of refugees. About 500,000 Somalia refugee

fled to Kenya, while nearly 250,000 went to Ethiopia. Most of those went in Kenya settled in the

expansive Dabaab refugee camp which was designed to handle 160,000 refugees. There also

about 100,000 more Somalia refugee in kokum camp as well as 30,000 urban refugees in

Kenyas capital Nairobi. In addition, the international supports weak government that was

recently installed in Somalia. So both Kenya and Ethiopia considering a viable solution.

Also the UN is providing returnee with transportation, basic household items and three month of

food rations which the U.N. high commissioner for refugee hopes to increase to 12 months

supplies. (Grandi) says we dont want to help people go back and then become internally

displaced. Between 1991 and 2015 the share of Somalia migrants living aboard grow 136
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percent. In 1990, the total number of people born in Somalia but living outside the country was

850,000 by 2015, that number more than doubled to two million.

According to the U.N. in April 2016, Somalia government reported that between 200and

300 Somalis drowned in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to illegally cross into Europe.

Somalia information minister (Mohamed Abdi) said that the boat may have been carrying about

500 people, but there is no clear number since they are not traveling legally.

In 1991 when Somalia president said barre was overthrown, which led to an era of

conflict that has never been resolved, then state becomes one the empire of pirates hijacking and

Al-Qaida bomber. The US is home to about 7 percent of worlds Somalia migrant. In 1990 the

total number of migrants living in the U.S. was around 2,500 but the number had grown to

150,000 by 2015. Between 2001 and 2015 the U.S. admitted more than 90,000 refugees from

Somalia.

In 2013 a tripartite agreement was to signed between UNHCR, Kenya and Somalia to

help Somalia refugee voluntarily return home. Since 2014 only 14,000 have returned and another

8,000 are on the waiting list to do so. Kenyan identified nine areas in Somalia to resettle Somalia

refugees Kenya ministry representative said that this is the time for Somalia refugees to safety

return to home the U.S asked Kenya to ensure the return is voluntary and humane. Living

conditions in Kenyas dusty and arid refugee are difficult, most people still reside in tent and

shelters that were intended to be temporary. A minority of children suffer due to the hazard and

camp resident are prohibited from leaving to begin new lives by migrating into Kenya cities.

U.N High commissioner stated that U.N officials receive donors commitment that

represent barely half of the camps basic needs. He said they have a little hope to same how

escape to a better future. He added that its indeed hard to imagine that things could get much
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worse at Dabaab. The fallowing in may Kenyan authorities confirmed their intention to close

refugee camp that has been home to almost 200,00 refugees throughout the region, but justify the

closing of the camp primarily by growing security concerns with the encouragement and support

from the unites states. The terrorist group has been responsible for a number of spectacular and

deadly attacks on Kenyan Soil. This allegation has been disputed by the human rights advocates.

officials have not provided credible evidence linking Somali refugee to any terrorist in Kenya.

Human rights watch officials said that the government raised the prospect of clearing out its

refugee site since in 2015 is a part of a desperate ploy which same diplomat believe that is to

squeeze more cash out of donor states. They already shut down on governments department of

refugee affairs, and everyday theres refugee that continue to enter Kenya and they are not being

officially registered. For instant Kenyan officially insisted that they can carry out Novembers

vast repatriation in a humane manner and are urging U.N officials to assist them to that end. But

few humanitarian and human rights advocates believe that such large number of people can be

repatriated without the creation of vast regional and personal chaos. Only few refugee

anticipating the end of Kenyan patient with the camps have so far voluntarily returned their

home countries. UNHCR is working to ensure that those return to Somalia should be protected

and also those who remain. The high commissioner vision was to focus to find those Somalia for

durable solution. An estimated 1.2 million refugees from Somalia is nowhere to return. And

believes that they need an advocate and protection to maintain asylum. He also believed that the

world has abandoned Somalia. They might imagine the whole principle of burden sharing is no

longer real when it comes to the Somalia situations.

As I interview Aden batar for immigration and refugee resettlement director says that U.S

is turning its back on refugee and is not leading resettling them. This was his among concern
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raised by batar. Earlier this year he was awarded by The Gandhi Alliance for peace. Himself and

wife with two kids fled from Somalia when the civil war broke out and settled in Utah for 1994.

He has been working (CCS) resettlement program since 1996 Batar become the director in 2001.

During his tenure at CCS he has been helping thousands of refugees to begin new lives in Utah

and now has about 60,000 refuges around the world. He said his goal was to help them become

self-reliant, productive member of society. He said refugee pay it back. He added we make this a

better place to live. But during the fiscal year that ended sept 30 the U.S has only accepted

52,000 compared with 85,000 the previous year. He said that if the united state doesnt lead on

this issue we might see other countries reduce refugee arrivals. He also believed that what the

Trump administration doesnt understand is that to the rest of the world, we are not meeting our

commitment. He fears was that the countries I already explained above had a huge refugee in the

Dabaab camp but he feared that they will send them back to home of origin and into harms way.

Presently, the united nation estimated that 65 million people have been displaced from

their homes and an about 22 million are in the refugee camps. So the U.N hoped to resettle 1.2

million last years but only about 200,00 found new homes, also batar noted that people leaves

stranded in camps under poor living conditions or in war torn zone with little food or water.

Batar also serves on the board for center for research on migration and refugee integration, and

Utah refugee services, among others. He said it can be overwhelming for people who are here to

escape war and tragedy. He added there is peace people here are kind to them, but their

abundance, he also said that its wonderful, but its an adjustment. He added that refuges want

peace and said that peace is important to them he said that unless you have through what these

people have been through, you have no idea what a blessing it is to be here. Each year catholic

community services settles

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Refugees in Salt Lake country which included a large number of children without the parents.

He added either their parents were killed or neglected, or abandoned or trafficked. There are 10

programs around united states that will take these children and were one of them. They have

refugee foster care children. He called Utah as a caring community that filled with compassion

and willing to give and work on behalf of suffering refugee.

The UNCHR estimated the budget for the Somalia refugee in 2017 was 396.8 million to

address the increasing needs of people of concern, UNCHR has established a supplementary

budget for the requirements presented in this appeal, amounting to 90.9 million the total revised

2017 requirement for Somalia situation, including additional requirement, now amount to 487.75

million including 5.9 million in support costs for additional requirements. Government, UNHCR,

other UN agencies, humanitarian and development partners, and the private sector will work to

foster economic, self-reliance for refugee and host communities, and contribute to their socio-

economic integration and growth. Also batar said when they arrived here the parish of catholic

community, LDS and other private sectors will help with the transportation, renter subside and

clothes as well as other doctors who are from interfaith group donated their time to serve those

refugees in for medical services. He also added Utah government help with food program for

families as 3 to 6 month. But now the new administration is banned for any entry for Somalia

refugee. He added that the president called for security concern and I want American first.

Trump original ban for 120 days was expired but the administration is looking new restriction.

He hopes that the court lifts this ban and opens up to help those refugee coming from conflicted

war torn country. He said its very sobering and very unfortunate. But trump has already

reduced the number of refugee the US will take from 110,000 to 45,000 but even reduced

number may not be realized due to enhanced vetting, outlined in the executive order.
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References

Smart, Christopher. Trump's Newest Directive Could Cut Refugee Arrivals to a Trickle

(Salt Lake Tribune). Usanewswires.com, Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Nov. 2017,

usanewswires.com/id/17463098497.

Chelsea, nelson. The African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation Volunteer

Opportunities - Volunteer Match. Volunteer Match - Where Volunteering Begins, United Way

of Salt Lake, 30 Nov. 2017, www.volunteermatch.org/search/org76756.jsp.

Jarvik, Elaine. 'Here Is Better,' Refugee from Somalia Says of Salt Lake.

DeseretNews.com, Deseret News, 30 Nov. 2017,

www.deseretnews.com/article/595070310/Here-is-better-refugee-from-Somalia-says-of-Salt-

Lake.html.

Christopher Smart October 09, 2017, Smart, and csmart@sltrib.com. U.S. Turning Its

Back on Refugee Leadership, Says Utah's Gandhi Peace Prize Winner. The Salt Lake Tribune,

30 Nov. 2017, www.sltrib.com/news/2017/10/09/us-shirking-on-refugee-resettlement-utah-

resettlement-director-says/.

Pflanz, Mike. Solving Somalia's Refugee Situation for Good, Together. UNHCR, 30

Nov. 2017, www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2016/11/58c694ee4/solving-somalias-refugee-situation-

for-good-together.html.

Rawlence, Ben. Opinion | The Other Refugee Crisis. The New York Times, The New

York Times, 30 Nov. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2015/10/10/opinion/the-other-refugee-crisis.html

Refugeecouncilusa. Tag: Somalia Refugee Crisis. The Refugee Council, 30 Nov. 2017,

www.refugeecouncilusa.org/tag/somalia-refugee-crisis
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Reflection of the learning outcome

In this class I have learned a lot of thing about African American suffering on social justice. I

also concentrate on more important issues, ethical models, personal ethics and value of ethical

dilemma and corporate social responsibility. First of all, ethical models utilitarianism favors me a

lot and it helps me a lot when I face an ethical dilemma and need to make decision, it also helps

me how my personal ethics and values were formed and shaped, like my family and culture. As

an African American myself I focus my attention on corporate social responsibility. I compared

American values and ethics with African value and ethics. There exits quite a lot ethical

theories/models however same of these ethical theories such as moral rights, theory of justice

and utilitarianism exert notable influence on most of us in current life. These theory treats people

imperially and fairly based on legal rules. Also strength of justice it can motivated and urge

people to help those in need. We people should take the reasonability of the whole society. For

this course it has helped me to make a good decision which will benefit me and the whole

society. I have learned more about other background and their ethical values.