By Hewan Deyass
Trinity Times Correspondent

Krystal Gordon doesn’t just do coursework as an international graduate student from Jamaica at Trinity Washington University, she actively labors to help immigrants and refugees who just arrived in Metropolitan Washington.

Gordon – who is also president of Trinity’s International Students Association – is very aware that by the end of 2022 there were 108.4 million refugees worldwide.

Her volunteer work at the Immigrant & Refugee Outreach Center in McLean, Virginia, is her way of welcoming people forced to leave their country to escape war, persecution or natural disasters and help them create a better life.

June 20 was designated internationally as World Refugee Day in 2001 by the United Nations to shine a lighton the plight of refugees and to educate the public about the importance of creating a safe space for them.

Trinity leaders are urging students at the university to take a moment on World Refugee Day to learn why people become refugees, discover how more migrants can be welcomed into their country, what it takes to help them successfully establish new lives and how to advocate for their rights.

A refugee is defined as “someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence,” according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Immigration opponents often claim refugees are too costly to accept into their countries, fearing their basic needs will suck up resources needed for their own citizens, while the reality is most of them are motivated to become productive inhabitants in their adopted homelands, said James Stocker, associate professor of Global Affairs at Trinity.

“They simply want to improve their lives,” Stocker told Trinity Times while imploring students to learn about the day-to-day struggles’ refugees face.

World Refugee Day “is often hidden,” but learning about the plight of refugees and how they can benefit the societies of the countries to which they immigrate is “very important,” he said.

Of the 108.4 million refugees recorded worldwide in 2022, 43.3 million are children, 48% of those children continue to be out of school, 76% are hosted by low and middle-income countries (including Sudan, Bangladesh and Ethiopia), 4.4 million are considered stateless (meaning the person is not considered a citizen of any country), 5.4 million are asylum seekers, 1.9 million have been born as refugees, Turkey has beenhosting the most refugees for nine years in a row and currently has 4 million refugees residing in the country,the Russian invasion of Ukraine created more than 8 million Ukrainian refugees, and more than 90% of refugees do not have their basic needs met, according to UNHCR.

Individuals, especially students, often believe their voices will fall on deaf ears when it comes to advocating for change in policy on global issues like the worldwide refugee crisis, but Trinity leaders say history suggests they may have more power than they realize. 

Students played a vital role in many human rights movements, and they continue to do the same now, said Trinity President Patricia McGuire.

“Students bring a sense of urgency, moral clarity, and resilience to some of the most important issues of our society,” McGuire said. “Students can go to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers directly. Students can engage in dialogues with NGOs (non-governmental organizations), State Department officials, and other organizations dedicated to helping refugees.”

Trinity Washington University is home to many immigrant and refugee students and that is a great example to share with policymakers to shed light on how they become valuable members of any society, she said.

“Telling the story of Trinity’s diversity through telling the story of our immigrant and refugee students is a way to make the philosophy of diversity become real,” McGuire said, “especially for people who live in homogeneous communities who have not experienced the power of the diverse community to give meaning and purpose to all.”

There are many ways students can be involved in supporting refugees, Stocker said.

“Students can advocate, educate, volunteer, and even write to policymakers to encourage them to be more welcoming,” he said. 

Volunteering is how Gordon decided to make a difference in the global refugee crisis.

“I don’t have money to give,” she said. “What I do have is my time.” 

Part of Gordon’s volunteer experience includes helping refugee families with job searches, educating them about how to use credit cards, opening bank accounts, and more. 

“We do not have to have everything figured out to help others in need,” she said, while encouraging other Trinity students to find a way to be involved in refugee aid. Though one day is not enough to tell the stories of every refugee, Trinity leaders believe World Refugee Day can be a start in helping the broader public understand these migrants are worth welcoming and celebrating.