In case you haven't been on Facebook in a while or have yet to discover the greatness of Humans of New York, photographer Brandon Stanton has recently traveled to Turkey to meet refugee families from Syria and Iraq that were displaced from their countries' respective wars and are waiting to be relocated to the United States. The stories Brandon shared with his millions of followers across the world were harrowing, disturbing, and absolutely heartbreaking. It was hard for me to get through a story without tearing up and when there were multiple photos in a series for a person or family, I would spend the day refreshing my Facebook feed.
This man lost many of his family members from an anti-government missile, including his brother, wife, and daughter. He is a scientist and graduated at the top of his university class. Now in Turkey, he can't work because he isn't Turkish; his kids aren't going to school, he can barely pay rent, and he has cancer. But all he wants to do is come to the United States so he can work again and give back to society something that is useful.
The man on the left was distraught as his father, on the right, was taken by soldiers for 11 days. He was abused and tortured before he was released alone to find his way home in the cold. The son knew it was time to leave when his own son got struck by a motorcycle and there were no doctors left at the hospital to help.
The most striking story of all was that of a young woman named Aya. HONY did an 11 part series for her story, and Brandon even went on CNN to spread the word about Aya. I must encourage readers to go to HONY's page to read her whole story, because a summary just won't do it justice. This girl has seen unimaginable things and been through hell. Despite doing all she can and all of the good things she has done, Aya and her family have been denied refugee status in the United States. The HONY page has started a petition for the government to reconsider and welcome her.
This special project that HONY has taken on is so important to the refugee crisis that is going on. Many Americans are afraid to allow Syrian refugees into the country. They are coming from a war torn country, so it's understandable to be cautious. But the refugees want her to escape war, not start another one on American soil.
Most refugees, like those featured in the HONY series, are good people looking for a better life and desire to contribute to American society. And becoming a refugee isn't an easy process. According to a CNN article, those looking to gain refugee status must first apply for it through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. And the refugee process takes longer than many know. The article said, "The average processing time for refugee applications is 18 to 24 months, but Syrian applications can take significantly longer because of security concerns and difficulties in verifying their information." Also, more than half of the Syrian refugees that have already been admitted are children — children seeking better opportunities and education.
The refugee crisis and dilemma won't go away any time soon, especially with the presidential election coming up. But, be careful with what you see and read in the news about refugees. Doing your homework is essential for important issues like this.
