The Journey
Leaving Home
Due to misinformation and the recent increase in fear-driven political rhetoric, many people are under the impression that displaced people immediately head for western countries to take advantage of the social programs primarily due to lack of desire to work.
The process of leaving can take many months or even years and the time between departure from home to reaching a host country can take anywhere between 5 to 40+ years.[33]
Immigrants work hard[12][13][14], will add to our population (thus raising GDP & funding social programs)[3][4][5][10][48][49], are more likely to start a business[6][50] (thus creating more jobs), less likely to use social benefits[5], and have a greater appreciation of the opportunities ahead of them because they had to fight even harder for it.
Making the Decision
In most cases, people are not happy to leave their home and only do so once they accept that it is the best option for their families' and their own future.
In many cases, they have to leave behind loved ones, often a spouse and/or their children, because the journey can be dangerous and difficult especially for women and children. It can be both safer and less challenging to have one family member attain asylum in a host country, then appeal for a family reunion, which can take years to process. This is often a male, though not always depending on the circumstances within the home country and various factors such as budget or ability to access other safe and lawful means of departure/entry.
Most of the displaced people I've interviewed miss elements of home - their families, friends, food, and culture, but the home they knew isn't the same due to war, conflict, and other changing conditions and they ultimately know it is neither in their best interests nor safe to return for them or for their families.
"Fearful that he would be recruited into the army, Numeir fled his home in Syria when he was just 15 years old. After many years apart, he finally reunited with his family in Germany." - UNHCR[40]
Preparations
At this point, the length of time and depth of preparation varies greatly depending on the circumstances at home. Many people have no choice but to flee as soon as possible without much more than the few items they can carry, but in some cases the preparation can involve family and other community members. The journey costs money, so some people may start selling their personal belongings (including heirlooms) and entire families (including relatives) will often contribute a majority of their life's savings to give one or a few family members their best chance at surviving the journey out.
They may have to wait months or years to reach their financial goal or find the opportune time to leave the country, either legally or, in many cases, by crossing the border often under threat of getting shot and killed by those working for the government or armed rebel groups, depending on the country of origin.
Crossing the Border
Crossing the border is usually dangerous and involves a high risk of getting shot, traveling on foot for extended periods during late hours of low activity while carrying personal items.
They may get shot at or attacked by border guards at either or both their home country, border guards in neighboring countries[34], armed rebel groups, and/or criminals who routinely target displaced people as they leave knowing that they likely are carrying all of their savings with them and have not depleted much of their funds at this point.
Waiting for Asylum
The goal for many at this point is to either wait at the nearest refugee camp or gain lawful entry into an urban area in a neighboring country where they may find sources of income as they wait months or years to save enough money for whatever next steps are required, for a petition to be granted, or some other process.
The 1951 UN Refugee Convention protects migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers by international law regardless of how they arrive in a country and protects them from being returned to countries where they risk persecution. However, many ignore this, as you will see in the next section.
Continue to the next section, Obstacles >
