Know the Difference

The subject of immigration control in America is a widely spoken and debated subject and has been a major political strategy to gain votes for many years now. While it is a very important matter to tend to, the knowledge of migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers becomes lost in translation. America is globally known as the land of opportunity, and the opportunities sought after for a great number of people could solely mean the chance to live and escape persecution. When some learn of the citizenship status of others, there is an almost automatic assumption that they are immigrants who have not gone through their due process for residency or citizenship; and this is mainly due to the lack of knowledge. It is no secret that all around the world there is war, persecution, and civil unrest among many nations. Countries like Syria and South Sudan are of the more commonly known nations where citizens have been persecuted for reasons such as religious practice, political points of view, and even gender. Such people, who fear that if they stay in their country death is inevitable, are forced to relocate.

In 1949 during one of the greatest civil wars in Palestine, the UN Refugee Agency was established to help resettle citizens who were facing certain death. Migrants typically travel from place to place looking for better job opportunities and living conditions. Knowing that there is a somewhat strenuous process to gain sanctuary in the US, some people whose lives are in imminent danger, find their way here to live freely without the threat of death lurking over their shoulders. Such asylum-seekers may not have the safety and security to wait to go through the process of gaining access to the traditional way. In 2019, El Paso, TX saw an influx of migrant and asylum-seekers from Central America to the tune of roughly 8,000 in one week. Migrant shelters and detention camps were over-filled, and space was extremely limited. Now, in 2020, the conditions inside the shelters and camps have worsened, opportunities have dwindled and education within the system set up for said persons is not as readily available as it should be. There are three simple ways that we can improve this: promote gender-friendly programs, strengthen digital literacy, explore welcoming networks for immigrants. One Digital World is a platform of which all of the aforementioned are readily available. We provide technologically based opportunities to empower and educate people in such unique positions so that opportunities outside of shelters are available to them. Knowing that we live in a digitally dominated world, we can do more to help prepare people for permanent resettlement and integration back into society.