Nearly a year and a half ago, I researched and wrote a piece on sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) in refugee camps called “The U.N. Must Put an End to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Refugee Camps.” In it, I implored the international community — the United Nations in particular — to take aggressive steps to address this crisis by restructuring refugee camps, putting more women and refugees in leadership roles, and providing psychological resources for victims.
Despite my hopes for improvements, it seems that these issues have worsened. Humanitarian organizations and governments continue to provide inadequate protection or support for refugee women and often ignore the horrific conditions under which they are living. New conflicts have arisen, including the Russia-Ukraine war and Venezuela’s economic collapse, that have caused millions of individuals to flee their homes. From our own homes, we watch on screens as scores of people are injured, maimed, or killed trying to make it across borders.
The Biden administration has scrambled to account for the waves of refugees at our southern border. New York City, in particular, has seen the arrival of more than 50,000 migrants, as it is one of the few cities in the country with a legal right to shelter. Because of this, New York is now facing the same question I pondered last year: How do we create safe, temporary shelter for migrants? After reading about what was happening in New York City, I decided to revisit my original article to examine how these same issues affect us and what we can do to help.
City Hall’s response, led by Mayor Eric Adams, was to declare a state of emergency in October 2022. Later, in March of this year, he announced his “Road Forward” plan — to provide support for federal work authorization, a 24-hour help center, and other resources — along with the creation of the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations (OASO). The hope is that these efforts will help the migrants already in and coming to New York.
Unfortunately, there have been many issues with the temporary shelter provided by the City. For example, some have cited unsafe and, at times, inhumane treatment, including rotting food or lack of nutritional food. Several people have come forward claiming that both they and their children became sick or lost weight after consuming meals the City provided. In response to these allegations, the mayor’s administration placed the blame on the migrants and implied they simply didn’t like the food.
Currently, parents and students across the City are protesting the use of public school gymnasiums as temporary shelters. Some protestors claim it’s cruel for so many people to share a small space with a lack of food-prep facilities, while others want the gyms back for their children’s activities. New York Representatives Dan Goldman and Jamaal Bowman have called for colleges and universities in the City to open their dorm rooms as shelters while students are out for the summer. Local lawmakers are struggling with the influx of migrants in the City, and with more expected to arrive after Title 42’s expiration on May 11, it’s hard to see any hope of improvement.
All of this doesn’t include the dozens of individuals who were turned away from City shelters because they could not provide the proper paperwork to qualify. If there is one thing this country can promise, it is that it will prioritize bureaucracy over basic human rights.
Reexamining my old research and comparing it with the new problems we face today was, I admit, a bit overwhelming. Yet it confirmed for me that the only way to solve this problem is through community, not more government programs with impassable barriers. The strength we have individually is amplified by those around us. Trusting in ourselves and our communities will solve more issues than government programs.
Look at one of the original solutions for SGBV violence in refugee camps: putting refugee women in positions of authority. The loss of autonomy and visibility in refugee camps created a difficult environment to advocate for better conditions and resources, and women knew that if they reported what happened to them, either nothing would be done or they could face repercussions from their abusers. Now, with the leadership of other refugee women, several barriers to reporting are torn down, allowing the survivors to seek justice for themselves. One such case, “Refugee women and girls: Key to the global compact on refugees,” is an ongoing 3.5-year project that uses reciprocal research methodology, developed by Eileen Pittaway and Linda Bartolomei, to include women and girls in solution-making processes. Part of the project seeks to end SGBV violence in camps by ensuring confidentiality and informed consent in anonymous reporting. The leadership of refugee women has been integral to the implementation of this project.
The same solution can apply to New York. Why must people be faced with endless paperwork they cannot complete and bureaucrats who cannot speak their language and whose main priority is not to help them but to shove them aside so they can attend to other matters? What we need are community leaders who can provide the necessary safe spaces and resources to provide temporary homes for all who need them.
Maya Gilbert ’22 graduated with a double major in political science and human rights. Currently, she is the media relations coordinator for the College.