Unprecedented numbers of African migrants, primarily from Cameroon, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are arriving at the U.S. southern border in search of asylum. Despite the long and perilous journey, many Africans fleeing persecution and violence see the treacherous route through South and Central America as one of their only viable options for a better life. Once they have crossed into the U.S., most African migrants make their way to cities with established immigrant communities such as Portland, Maine. While some find the influx of asylum-seekers as a strain on community resources, others feel that immigrants are the future of their cities, especially in places with an aging workforce. Unfortunately, with newly imposed restrictions put forth by the Trump administration requiring migrants to apply for refugee status in a third country through which they have traveled to the U.S. border, the asylum-seeking process for African migrants is likely to become even more protracted.
Kristen Motley
Joshua Ojeda Sanchez
Resources:
https://www.npr.org/2019/06/20/733682502/african-migrants-are-becoming-a-new-face-of-the-u-s-border-crisis https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/us/portland-maine-african-migrants.html https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/record-number-of-african-migrants-coming-to-mexican-border