Asylum-Seeking Children Arrive at US Border Unaccompanied 

As crime and violence has increased in Mexico and Central America, there has been a notable increase in asylum-seekers. More than ever, children are entering the United States with no trace of a guardian or parent. 

Painting of Migrant Child Arriving in 2018 at the U.S.-Mexico Border. Dan Lacey. CC BY-NC 2.0

Central America has been hit with ongoing gang violence, poverty, lack of opportunity and unemployment. The pandemic has worsened the situation for many, and in November 2020, hurricanes Eta and Iota displaced 3 million people. The dire need for lives to be improved has pushed Central Americans toward attempting to migrate to the U.S., no matter how high the stakes. Throughout the years, children have accompanied parents in their migration journeys. However, in 2019, children began arriving to the US border alone when the parents realized the U.S government was allowing unaccompanied children to stay if they had traveled alone.

A report conducted by UNICEF notes that children makeup  30% of all migrants and asylum-seekers in Central America and Mexico.  In addition, 15% of the children arriving (half) are not accompanied by any adult or family member. This makes it difficult for border patrol agents to get in contact with the child’s parents and/or guardian. Children as young as 6 years old have been taken into custody, demonstrating the families’ desperate need to remove the children from the living conditions they are in. Once in custody, the children are taken to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stations before they are transferred to an Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) shelter. CBP stations are often in filthy and overcrowded conditions unsuitable for children. Although there are standards to guide the treatment of unaccompanied children, little oversight exists to ensure they are treated humanely and cared for according to child-appropriate protocols while in CBP custody.

In an attempt to deter Central Americans from coming to the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) entered into an agreement in 2018 requiring these agencies to share information about individuals attempting to reunify with an unaccompanied child. The information was then used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and detain family members, ultimately creating a domino effect. Parents and loved ones of unaccompanied children lived under fear that stepping forward to sponsor the child would trigger their own detention and deportation. This agreement also dramatically prolonged lengths of stay for children in ORR custody. In March 2021, the Biden administration ended a large portion of the sponsor information sharing agreement, though it remains unclear how the prior agreement continues to taint or pause the reunification process for children’s caregivers. 

Children held in ORR custody usually trust case managers, clinicians, therapists or other adults with extensive personal information. Children often were unaware that these details could be shared with ICE. Once shared, children’s ORR records were used against them in their asylum applications. The story of teen Kevin Euceda published in 2020 is an example of how ORR therapy note records were used against children in immigration proceedings. Euceda was asked to speak freely about his life and told it would be kept confidential. Feeling like his therapist was a safe space to speak about his life, Euceda shared that MS-13 gang members forced him to run errands and sell drugs from the age of 12. When he was ordered to kill a stranger, Euceda ran. 

His therapists was expected to submit pages of notes over several sessions to his file, however , HHS officials shared the notes with lawyers and ICE without the knowledge of the teen or the therapists. The notes were used against Euceda in immigration court to paint him as a dangerous gang member who should be denied asylum. In sharing those therapy notes, the government did not break any laws.  But it did violate standard professional practices to keep confidentiality between Euceda and his therapists. 

After being detained for three years, Euceda  requested to be sent back to Honduras. He returned to his native country but crossed over to Guatemala to be reunited with his sister who resided there. A month later, he was found dead on the side of the road. 

Since President Biden took office, there has been a spike in unaccompanied migrant children. The increase in arrivals has left an unprepared administration to scramble for solutions and shelter. Children are being kept longer than the 72-hour limit set by the federal law. Identifying and vetting an appropriate family member or guardian for each child takes time, which increases when the child has no knowledge or information on his/her relatives who live in the U.S. There is an estimate of  9,980 children in U.S custody today.  

Get Involved: 

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is an organization that serves immigrant and asylum seeking children arriving in the U.S. They provide family reunification, foster care and advocacy. Learn more about Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service here. Support the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service here. 

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is an organization that helps bring high quality lawyers to represent children in immigration court, ensuring that every child does not appear in court alone. Learn more about KIND click here. To Support KIND click here.

Save the Children has been working directly with migrant children since 2019. The organization provides humanitarian aid to children and families that have recently arrived in the U.S. Children are given meals, clothing and shelters with child friendly spaces. Learn more about Save the Children click here. To support Save the Children click here 

Jennifer is a Communications Studies graduate based in Los Angeles. She grew up traveling with her dad and that is where her love for travel stems from. You can find her serving the community at her church, Fearless LA or planning her next trip overseas. She hopes to be involved in international humanitarian work one day.

What Happens to Afghan Refugees Once They Flee? 

People have been leaving Afghanistan for 40 years, hoping to escape conflict, violence, and poverty. The Taliban’s recent takeover has exacerbated the displacement and flight of Afghan people, but where do they go once they’ve left? 

Why are people fleeing Afghanistan? 

This year, 20 years after The Taliban was ousted from power in Afghanistan, the insurgent group regained control of the country. On August 15, Taliban forces took Kabul, the nation’s capital, with little resistance. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, and the government collapsed, securing The Taliban’s position of power. 

Following The Taliban’s seizure of Kabul and effective takeover of the country, tens of thousands of people fled Afghanistan, fearing their safety under Taliban rule. 

Amnesty International reports that at present, there are over 2.6 million registered refugees from Afghanistan worldwide and more who haven’t been registered or who are asylum seekers (meaning they haven’t yet been legally recognized as refugees). People began leaving Afghanistan forty years ago, seeking refuge from conflict, violence and poverty. However, the recent Taliban takeover has escalated the amount of violence faced by people in Afghanistan and raised human rights concerns, especially over the treatment of women and girls. 

The United Nations Refugee Agency predicts that up to half a million people could flee Afghanistan by the end of the year. As many as 125,000 people fled between August 16 and 26 during a multinational evacuation effort led by the U.S. military. However, more Afghans are still displaced and trying to escape Taliban rule. 

What happens to Afghan refugees once they leave the country? 

If Afghans can make it out of the country, what happens next varies. Those leaving via land borders often live in temporary refugee camps, like the ones set up by Iran and Tajikistan. 

Pakistan and Iran have been the countries to take in the largest numbers of Afghan refugees in the past. However, this time, officials from both countries have said that they cannot take another large influx of refugees. Instead, they will be expected to stay in camps on the borders until they  return to Afghanistan. 

On August 16, the UNHRC issued a non-return advisory, meaning that no country can deport people to Afghanistan right now. 

Some governments, such as Austria, Poland, Turkey and Switzerland, have made clear that they will not welcome any Afghan refugees and are upping border security to guard against anyone entering their countries illegally. However, other governments, such as France, Germany, Canada, Australia, the U.K. and the U.S., have pledged to host Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers.

United States

Axios reports that an expected 37,000 Afghan refugees will soon be entering the U.S., likely the first group of several. They will be sent to 46 states, excluding Hawaii, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming, with California and Texas receiving the most people. 

More than half of the Afghan refugees who have already arrived in the U.S. helped the U.S. officals and their families, some of whom hold Special Immigrant Visas. This next wave of 37,000 also includes many people regarded as U.S. allies, who either have an SIV or have applied for one. 

Those refugees who are not eligible for an SIV can apply for other types of relief, such as asylum or a temporary visa. In additoin, they can still enter the U.S., even without a valid visa, if they have applied for humanitarian parole, which allows those facing an emergency or urgent humanitarian crisis to enter the country for a temporary period. 

All Afghan refugees are eligible to apply for humanitarian parole and asylum, and they can also apply for a U.S. visa. However, those who have applied for either but have not yet completed the lengthy screening and interview process to receive clearance are being sent to third-party countries before they can enter the United States. Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia and Uganda have agreed to temporarily host smaller numbers of refugees ultimately destined for the U.S. 

When Afghan refugees arrive in the U.S., legal residents or U.S. citizens are tested for COVID-19 and then released to go to their destinations. Those who are not will be sent to military bases for processing, which includes a health screening and services such as help to apply for work authorization. After processing, these refugees are connected with a refugee resettlement agency. 

Resettlement agencies, like RAICES in Texas, are funded by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Resettlement agencies, using a $1200-per-person stiped, set up housing, including utilities and furniture, for the refugees, and enroll children in school and sign families up for social services programs such as Medicaid. The agencies also provide job skills training and help refugees with their job searches; they also help refugees adjust to their new homes through cultural orientation programs. In addition, some refugees qualify for monthly cash assistance, which the resettlement agencies also provide. 

United Kingdom 

The Home Office, the U.K.’s lead immigration department, has announced that any Afghans that worked for the U.K. government or British military can stay in the U.K. permanently. There are currently over 8000 Afghan refugees in the U.K., and many of those who were initially only granted temporary residency can now upgrade their immigration status and find permanent housing and jobs. 

Right now, manyf Afghan refugees in the U.K. are living in hotels, but the government hopes to have them resettled more permanently soon. The government has developed two resettlement plans for Afghan refugees—the one currently in progress is known as Operation Warm Welcome, which provides support similar to that of U.S. resettlement agencies such as enrolling kids in school, registering refugees for healthcare and helping them to find housing. The second plan, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, is a longer-term plan, aiming to take in an additional 20,000 refugees over the next few years. 

The refugees who are not currently eligible for permanent residency  can apply for a five-year visa; after the visa is up they can apply for permanent residence.

France

Between August 16 and 27, France evacuated over 2500 Afghans from Kabul, mainly activists. Many of these refugees left families behind in Afghanistan and now worry that they will be unable to reunite. France is notoriously slow at approving family reunification applications, with Afghans having to wait an average of three years before bringing their relatives. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has expressed concerns about a large influx of immigrants, saying that though France will continue to protect those who are most threatened under Taliban rule, “irregular migratory flows” need to be stemmed. 

According to the European Resettlement Network, refugees who can enter France are granted a temporary, six-month leave to work and receive certain social services benefits. After that, all refugees are required to lodge an asylum claim, which, when approved, grants them official refugee status. After gaining refugee status, refugees may apply for French citizenship. 

Challenges 

Whether refugees are in camps or have found refuge in other countries, they often face challenges like unsanitary conditions, a lack of food and housing, and harassment from people around them. Though people leaving Afghanistan are safe from the more immediate dangers of conflict and violence, just leaving the country does not ensure their long-term well being. 

Organizations like Refugees International and Amnesty International have put forth recommendations on how countries can best respond to the Afghan refugee crisis and better help refugees. 

To Get Involved: 

To learn how to support Women for Women International’s emergency relief fund, click here. 

To get involved with the International Rescue Organization, click here. 

To learn more about Afghan Aid, an organization that has been working in Afghanistan for nearly 40 years, click here. 

Ways to help Afghan refugees are different depending on where you live, so consider looking into local and national organizations as well. 

Rachel Lynch

Rachel is a student at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY currently taking a semester off. She plans to study Writing and Child Development. Rachel loves to travel and is inspired by the places she’s been and everywhere she wants to go. She hopes to educate people on social justice issues and the history and culture of travel destinations through her writing.