What it means to be a refugee

The word refugee conjures up different images for different people. However, because its use is so widespread its true meaning is lost on us. We are desensitized to the fact that every refugee has a compelling story of untold hardship that is indelibly theirs, the trauma from which they will perhaps never overcome. This came home to me when a member of my staff, who has a joyful disposition, shared with me the poignant story of her partner and his experiences growing up in a refugee camp till he was a teenager and before making the treacherous trip by boat to Canada . His first exposure to an educational institution was in Canada and to his credit he learnt English, mastered high school Math and Physics and then went on complete a graduate degree in Engineering. However, she said, he has had to give up his private sector job in recent times due to inexplicable pains he is experiencing all over his body. Finally, the diagnosis is repetitive strain injury, coupled with trauma from past experiences fraught with tragedy, over the loss of a parent to starvation in the camp, and the strain of adapting to a new world. These stories abound. I now think about the many people whose paths have crossed mine and who have lived the refugee experience. Those who have shared their stories have stunned me with their composure and resilience. What we forget though is that they bear their pain within them, even when they are brave on the outside. They need a lifetime of compassion. Yet in this country most continue to be poor and exploited. Canada may have a great human rights record for accepting refugees. However, we do question the authenticity of the thousands who make the treacherous journey here. With all the barriers that we place before them, we don’t ease their transition. Lets not turn our back on those who come to our shores for help, or second guess their motives. And the next time we meet someone who tells us they came here as a refugee, lets stop and take heed that they have a lifetime of experience, while we may have only scratched the surface.