Think global.
This fascinating infographic from our partners at HIAS encapsulates the scope of the worldwide refugee crisis.
Act local.
Here’s a snapshot of the refugee resettlement plight here in our Puget Sound region.
- Before being resettled by JFS, the Ali family spent 23 years in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, which is just above the 17 year average for most camp refugees.
- Kakuma is home to 125,000 refugees, almost the size of Bellevue (134,000).
- 65% of our JFS refugees were “urban refugees,” living on the fringes of major cities, biding time until they could return home or were accepted to another country. 19-year-old Adhraa spent 3 years living in limbo in Istanbul, waiting to resettle to the U.S.
- The total refugee population seeking refuge in Turkey (663,491) is greater than the population of Seattle (652,405).
By Margaret Hinson
Margaret joined Jewish Family Service Refugee & Immigrant Service Centers in 2007 as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. Seven challenging and incredibly enriching years later, Margaret now runs RISC and spends much of her time advocating at the local, state and federal levels to support policies that directly impact her clients, including livable wages, affordable healthcare, nutrition, transportation, immigration reform and education. Outside of work, Margaret loves to travel and spend as much time as possible backpacking and climbing in the wild.
