The grassroots groups helping asylum-seekers on the border

A German organization called Uber den Tellerrand brings together refugees and locals for a meal handmade by those who migrated from Syria and Iraq. The meal brings people together over a delicious meal, offers authentic food from those countries, and allows those cooking to feel like they are giving back to the community. Another initiative to aid the resettlement process is a program called Start with a Friend (SWAF) pairs locals and newcomers to develop friendships and help refugees better learn the language along the way.

A small Turkish city named Gaziantep, only 60 miles from war-torn Aleppo, is a role model when it comes to taking in and integrating migrants fleeing violence in Syria. Gaziantep has already taken in 500,00 refugees (growing their population by 30%), piped in extra water from 80 miles away, built 50,000 new homes, and started integrating Syrian and Turkish children in schools. Government officials say that there has not been any significant crises yet and the Turkish people are welcoming newcomers with open arms.

Volunteers all over Canada are working hard to implement the Canadian government's mission to resettle 12,000 Yazidi refugees. A large part of the plan focuses on mental health support for this heavily-traumatized population and relies on trained interpreters to be able to communicate with them sensitively and appropriately so they open up to the idea of psychotherapy. The program has proven successful in that Canada now houses 50 Yazidi families, many of which go on to help other Yazidis settle in.

The Poetry Project provides a platform for young refugees to create poetry, share their stories, and learn about German culture. The initiative started with weekly meetings for 7 young refugees to workshop poetry about the refugee experience, including leaving loved ones, why they left, and how they feel in their new home country. Their live performances have won prizes and their audiences respond emotionally. The group’s success allowed it to expand to more participants and reach a wider audience. The experience helped some participants integrate more smoothly into German society, where they have thrived.

In a time when many Western countries are closing their doors to refugees, Colombia has been particularly welcoming to migrants and refugees. The country has enacted a series of laws that make it easier for incoming Venezuelans to find work and become a Colombian citizen. One policy, called Permiso Especial de Permanencia, or PEP, provides legal status to Venezuelans who entered the country without a visa. Nearly 600,000 Venezuelans had been granted PEP as of October 2019.

Underground poetry nights build bridges between Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Burmese writers in Myanmar. Over video, Rohingya poets who fled persecution in Myanmar can connect with people from their home country and share their art. The events are covert because it's dangerous to support Rohingya in Myanmar, but the event is empowering contributors through collaboration and shared activism. There are about 150 Rohingya poets in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

World Relief Durham hosts a summer program for kids. Like other summer programs, it is meant to reduce summer learning loss—but this is specifically for children from forcibly displaced families. The kids face unique challenges in school and in society, often having been witness to traumatic experiences, so in this program they take lessons, play games, and work with community volunteers to let them just be kids. The program started with 25 participants in 2017 and grew to serve 150 children in 2019.

For migrant detainees in San Diego County's Otay Mesa Detention Center, a recent letter writing campaign from participants at nearby San Diego State University has brought a small form of hope and courage. The university library released hundreds of letters between detainees and university participants, which served to humanize the immigration debate. “In the U.S. our tendency is to really dehumanize migrants,” said Kate Swanson, another geography professor at San Diego State. “We put them in these concrete boxes. This helps them become visible.”

A small Mexican town called Pijijiapan is embracing the recent migrant crisis with open arms. When they heard that a caravan of migrants was passing through soon, the entire community pitched in to welcome them with fresh food, medicine, clothes, toys, and kindness. Residents say that they are motivated by the Catholic idea of charity and that they understand the circumstances that many migrants are fleeing.

Bavaria has integrated thousands of refugees into the public sphere by helping them learn German, find housing, and maintain employment through apprenticeship programs and other volunteer-run organizations in the community. Now, with Bavaria as an unlikely example, the Czech Republic looks to these program models in the wake of its own refugee crisis.