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SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH DISPLACEMENT, RESETTLEMENT, DEPORTATION, AND ICE #ANONYMOUSAMONGUS
January 9, 2021

Is She Still a Refugee?

Is She Still a Refugee
Gatherings of Friends

My friends who came to Italy seeking refuge are my best life teachers. They keep my problems in perspective. They came here as refugees fleeing war, violence, and poverty. They are strong, thankful, and wise. One dear friend boarded a boat with her husband and infant daughter in the dark of night when she was terrified of water. Another friend lived on the streets of Rome for a week before finding someone that would give him a chance to work. Another friend arrived in Italy running for his life. Have these friends found refuge? Are they still refugees? They are learning the local language, they work, they serve in their communities and church congregations. What do you think? What comes to mind when someone says the word “refugee”? To me, the title refugee, is a badge of honor like prisoner of war or a Holocaust survivor. It says something about a person’s life experience and personal strength to survive.

This blog gives us a space to share what we are learning from our friends who are or have been refugees and the situations they face through our eyes. I’ve lived in Italy for nine years. I don’t know everything there is to know about the refugee situation here. Instead of letting what I don’t know paralyze my writing, I will write what I am learning. You might be reading this because you have friends who have come to your country seeking refuge. Are they still refugees?


Other Posts

Introducing Rhenald Idubor as new Italy Community Program Coordinator

Their Story is Our Story is delighted to have Rhenald Idubor working in the role of Community Programs Coordinator in Italy. Rhenald's own first-hand refugee experiences lend tremendous insight and strength to this work of changing perceptions through stories and welcome through action. We invite you to get to know Rhenald a little better.

February 15, 2022
What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2024, more than 123.2 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced from their homes due to war, persecution, or human rights abuses.

An increase of 7.2 million over 2023, that’s more than 19,619 people every day — roughly one person every 4.4 seconds.

They arrive in refugee camps and other countries, like the US, seeking the one thing they’ve lost: safety.

Fleeing political imprisonment, ethnic violence, religious persecution, gang threats, or war crimes, they come with what little they managed to carry:

Legal papers – if they’re lucky.

A single backpack.

Sometimes a child’s hand in theirs.

They also carry the weight of what they left behind: fractured families, homes they’ll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

They carry loss most of us can’t imagine – but also the truth of what they’ve endured.

At TSOS, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares their experience of forced displacement, they reclaim their voice. And when we amplify that voice – through film, photography, writing, and advocacy – the world listens. Hearts soften. Communities open. Policy begins to shift.

That shift matters. Because when neighbors understand instead of fear…

when lawmakers see people, not politics…

when a teacher knows what her student has survived…

Rebuilding life from the ashes becomes possible.

We’re fighting an uphill battle. In today’s political climate, refugee stories are often twisted or ignored. They’re reduced to statistics, portrayed as national threats, or used to score political points.

The truth – the human, nuanced truth – gets lost, and when it does, we lose compassion.

We are here to share their truth anyway.

At TSOS, we don’t answer to headlines or algorithms. We are guided by a simple conviction: every person deserves to be seen, heard, and welcomed.

Our work is powered by the people we meet — refugees and asylum seekers rebuilding after loss, allies offering sanctuary, and communities daring to extend belonging.

Your support helps us share their stories — and ensure they’re heard where they matter most.

“What ultimately persuaded the judge wasn’t a legal argument. It was her story.”

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, TSOS

Will you help us keep telling the truth?

No donation is too small — and it only takes a minute of your time.

Why give monthly?

We value every gift, but recurring contributions allow us to plan ahead and invest more deeply in:

  • New refugee storytelling and advocacy projects
  • Resources to train and equip forcibly displaced people to share their own stories
  • Public education that challenges fear with empathy
  • Local efforts that help communities welcome and integrate newcomers

As our thank-you, monthly supporters receive fewer fundraising messages — and more stories of the impact they’re making possible.

You don’t have to be displaced to stand with those who are.

Can you give today — and help carry these stories forward?

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