Somali refugees watch US election closely
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Saturday October 31, 2020
Mother of five Maka Dalal Kabare is one of thousands of Somali refugees currently living in Kenya's capital Nairobi.
She was originally due to resettle in the United States. But herplans were derailedin early 2017 after US President Donald Trump signed an executive orderbanning refugees from seven Muslim majority countries— including Somalia —from entering the US.
"We fulfilled all the resettlement preconditions, but we were separated by the ban imposed by Trump," Kabare told DW. "I have nothing left, I was the leader of my family.
Some of her children made it into the US in early 2016 before the ban took full effect. Now all Kabare can do is wait to be reunited with them.
"Three of my children were flown to the US and they were resettled," she says. "My other two children have been stranded in Nairobi for the last four years. So far, we've been told nothing."
Said Abukar and his family were also supposed to resettle in the US, only narrowly missing out following the election of Trump.
"I succeeded, I passed the process," he told DW. "I was just waiting on the conclusion of my case, but then the election result ofPresident Trump camein and he announcedthis policy."
Patience wearing thin for refugee families
Refugees like Kabare have spent the last four years in limbo as a result of Trump's infamous decision, which came to be known as the "Muslim ban."
Some Somali refugees who were hoping to gain entry to the US have been living in camps in neighboring countries for up to 30 years. While many still dream of living in the US someday, for some, their patience is running out.
Sahra Ali Mohamed originally met all the conditions for resettlement in the US before the ban came into effect. Now she's asking the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, to relocate her and her family to another country. But the process is far from simple.
"So far, we have had no results," she told DW. "We are the people that Trump said cannot enter the US. We are not Kenyans. We are refugees from Somalia."
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has only added to the uncertainty for many refugees.
"You can feel the situation here is very difficult, and now the coronavirus has made everything more complicated," says Sahra Ali Mohamed. "We are unemployed. You can see we are refugees with no future. So we are requesting the UNHCR either reopen our case or transfer us to another country."
Trump and Biden present starkly different refugee policies
During his four years in office, Trump haslargely dismantled pre-existing lawsand policies concerning refugees and asylum seekers.
Before 2017, the US admitted more refugees annually than all other countries combined. Now that statistic has dropped by 80%, with Canada replacing the US as the top refuge for thosefleeing conflict and persecution.
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Saturday October 31, 2020
Mother of five Maka Dalal Kabare is one of thousands of Somali refugees currently living in Kenya's capital Nairobi.
She was originally due to resettle in the United States. But herplans were derailedin early 2017 after US President Donald Trump signed an executive orderbanning refugees from seven Muslim majority countries— including Somalia —from entering the US.
"We fulfilled all the resettlement preconditions, but we were separated by the ban imposed by Trump," Kabare told DW. "I have nothing left, I was the leader of my family.
Some of her children made it into the US in early 2016 before the ban took full effect. Now all Kabare can do is wait to be reunited with them.
"Three of my children were flown to the US and they were resettled," she says. "My other two children have been stranded in Nairobi for the last four years. So far, we've been told nothing."
Said Abukar and his family were also supposed to resettle in the US, only narrowly missing out following the election of Trump.
"I succeeded, I passed the process," he told DW. "I was just waiting on the conclusion of my case, but then the election result ofPresident Trump camein and he announcedthis policy."
Patience wearing thin for refugee families
Refugees like Kabare have spent the last four years in limbo as a result of Trump's infamous decision, which came to be known as the "Muslim ban."
Some Somali refugees who were hoping to gain entry to the US have been living in camps in neighboring countries for up to 30 years. While many still dream of living in the US someday, for some, their patience is running out.
Sahra Ali Mohamed originally met all the conditions for resettlement in the US before the ban came into effect. Now she's asking the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, to relocate her and her family to another country. But the process is far from simple.
"So far, we have had no results," she told DW. "We are the people that Trump said cannot enter the US. We are not Kenyans. We are refugees from Somalia."
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has only added to the uncertainty for many refugees.
"You can feel the situation here is very difficult, and now the coronavirus has made everything more complicated," says Sahra Ali Mohamed. "We are unemployed. You can see we are refugees with no future. So we are requesting the UNHCR either reopen our case or transfer us to another country."
Trump and Biden present starkly different refugee policies
During his four years in office, Trump haslargely dismantled pre-existing lawsand policies concerning refugees and asylum seekers.
Before 2017, the US admitted more refugees annually than all other countries combined. Now that statistic has dropped by 80%, with Canada replacing the US as the top refuge for thosefleeing conflict and persecution.
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Somali refugees watch US election closely
Refugees who were affected by US President Donald Trump's Muslim travel ban are closely following the US election. Many are hoping for a new life in the US — but their futures hang in the balance.