At the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, 145 countries agreed to respect the rights of refugees – today’s asylum seekers – while the merits of their legal claims were considered. Surviving persecution, violence, and war, they arrive with few resources: nearly half have an income of $0. AsylumWorks provides them and their families with holistic services that complement the work of immigration legal providers – an approach that has been shown to dramatically improve legal outcomes. Before the pandemic, most clients were on track to become self-sufficient. By April, 70% had lost their jobs and were again in need. To complement the core work, a “friendly neighbor” initiative matches clients with supportive volunteers, and an emergency food and medicine fund helps out. But more help is needed. We are all learning what isolation and loneliness feel like: asylum seekers know it only too well.
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