Violence, war, hunger, extreme poverty and climate change are among the many causes for displacement; over 82 million people worldwide are currently displaced from their homes.
Transportation plays an integral part in the lives of migrant and refugee families, offering access to affordable transport so they can find work further from home and escape poverty.
Lack of Education
Refugees and migrants flee their homeland due to war, poverty, famine or persecution, seeking a better life for themselves and their families in another country. Unfortunately, once established they face many issues which are difficult to overcome such as racism; discrimination; substandard living and working conditions; lack of affordable, safe health care coverage; economic concerns as well as being isolated from their communities.
Language barriers also impede their ability to access social services and employment opportunities. Many refugees and migrants do not speak English well, making daily communication challenging; even though ESL classes might be offered, finding time may be hard with busy work schedules and caring for children.
Cultural differences can have a dramatic effect on all aspects of their lives. Their traditions, food and mannerisms may differ significantly from that of the local culture; this puts their children at an disadvantage and increases the risk of bullying at school.
Resettlement presents many stressors to mental health. This may include employment-related concerns, poverty issues, limited transportation options and isolation due to cultural changes as well as a decrease in resilience leading to higher risks of mental disorders.
Lack of Employment
Every person needs a sustainable source of income in order to live. For refugees and migrants transitioning into new countries, this is especially essential in terms of finding work that pays enough to cover expenses - which can often prove challenging due to cultural or language barriers preventing advancement opportunities in current positions or career paths.
Refugees often struggle to secure jobs that match their skillset. Doctors from their home countries who fled quickly often end up working as orderlies or aids. This is often because their licensing processes in their new countries were never completed prior to leaving home.
Employers prefer applicants with US education and experience. Engineers therefore often work as taxi drivers or security guards - jobs "that Americans don't want."
Refugees often struggle to secure affordable housing due to legal documentation requirements and landlords taking advantage of refugees by charging more than the home is worth.
Refugees and migrants remain optimistic despite these difficulties, knowing that eventually they will find employment that matches their skillset and determination to succeed. Many rely on family and friends for support until programs like Employment Assistance for Migrants come online in America to assist with employment, language skills training and housing programs; alternatively mentors may provide invaluable guidance about working in their new homeland country's workplace. It's crucial that refugees and migrants build strong networks within their communities so they have access to job openings or resources needed.
Lack of Language Skills
Refugees and migrants rely heavily on communicating in English in order to live fulfilling lives, yet lacking it may cause significant obstacles in daily activities from employment searches and doctor appointments to school attendance or going on field trips. Unfortunately, refugees and migrants often struggle with learning English when resources or time prevent classes from being available to them.
Prevailing thought suggests that individuals migrating for economic reasons tend to invest more in destination-language acquisition than those moving for reasons other than economic success (Chiswick 1999). Economic migrants also appear to exhibit greater motivational features that drive them than do migrants relocating for family or humanitarian concerns (Chiswick 1999).
But these assumptions could be incorrect: refugees often must leave their countries due to life-threatening circumstances and, on average, possess lower educational qualifications (Brucker, Kosyakova and Vallizadeh 2020). Their selection criteria also make it likely that they have limited opportunities for learning the destination language than do other migrants.
Longitudinal data indicates that efficiency, incentives and exposure are the cornerstones of language fluency. Longitudinal studies reveal that exposure is the main driver of destination-language proficiency; refugee-specific institutional settings and day-to-day living conditions may restrict opportunities for them to self-select into informal contexts where exposure occurs naturally; additionally completing formal language courses often takes seven months on average to increase proficiency by one point compared to three months or so for newcomers with similar goals.
Lack of Housing
Refugees and migrants who arrive in new countries face many concerns, with finding suitable housing often being among them. Due to financial restrictions, refugees sometimes must share housing arrangements with other families which can put undue strain on children and cause additional issues.
Refugees and migrants facing limited job prospects face a critical shortage of affordable housing solutions. People from these populations often leave their home countries due to poverty, war, hunger, gang violence, natural disasters and environmental degradation; which in turn often leads to employment difficulties that compound poverty issues further.
Refugees often face transportation barriers when arriving to a new country, making their commute even harder than normal if they don't speak the native tongue well enough to understand directions or use public transit systems effectively.
Many refugees and migrants struggle to locate safe and suitable schools for their children, creating a serious challenge for parents who wish for them to receive an education that provides opportunities for success.
There are ways for refugees and migrants to overcome these challenges. One approach would be providing more comprehensive orientation programs that meet the long-term needs of displaced people instead of simply at their arrival into new locations. Such programs should be culturally informed, include mental health services as part of a holistic package, as well as being easily accessible in their native languages or through interpreters.
Raising Children in a New Culture
Cultural differences in their new homes can be challenging for refugees and migrants, whose traditions may not be recognized by their peers and who often face prejudice and discrimination. Furthermore, family structures may change significantly as children must take responsibility for younger siblings while parents struggle financially to maintain financial security.
Families of immigrants and refugees face many difficulties finding jobs that provide enough income to provide a decent quality of life. According to one study, refugees and migrants reported being stuck in low-paying, entry level positions without any opportunity for advancement or promotion - this leads to stress, tension in relationships and feeling powerless to provide for their family's needs.
Refugees and migrants frequently lack access to transportation. This impacts all aspects of their lives - from work to accessing medical services and housing. Focus group participants reported having to choose between sharing a car with family or using public transit - an option which may be unsafe for women.
Transportation restrictions may impede immigrants and refugees in accessing educational and social opportunities, according to one Somali parent in Minneapolis who explained her children were unable to take tutoring classes after-school or attend presentations on immigration law due to no reliable means of transporting them there.
Immigrant and refugee families remain resilient despite the difficulties they encounter, striving to ensure that their children meet academic success and the American dream while feeling safe and secure. It's our duty as listeners and interpreters to listen carefully and understand these families' challenges so we can assist them along their path to success.
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