Asylum seekers face hard winter in motels
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This month’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion article was published in the online publication of Amjambo Africa on December 30, 2021, and is written by Kathreen Harrison.
Families fleeing persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations in their home countries continue to arrive in Maine. The families are mostly young, with children in tow. The adults all want to work. Most come from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, and Afghanistan. The majority traveled for months to find safety – some for years.
On arrival in Maine, they are housed in motels in Cumberland and York counties, because the pandemic has made crowded shelter life unsafe.At present, there are approximately 1,000 asylum seekers living in the motels, according to Fatima Saidi of Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC). They are seeking asylum in the U.S. – a place to begin new lives – though a few hope to continue on to Canada, where word-of-mouth indicates that the immigration system is fairer in some ways.
⇒ To participate or find out more, contact: fsaidi@maineimmigrantrights.org.
