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READ OUR OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE U.S. FY2026 REFUGEE ADMISSIONS CAP AND PRIORITIZATION
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH DISPLACEMENT, RESETTLEMENT, DEPORTATION, AND ICE #ANONYMOUSAMONGUS
Stories

Women

Christine Dolan, Paris, France
Christine Dolan  ·  United Kingdom

I Was Called the Sock Ambassador

There are many desperate people…
Brown Family
United States

Bikes for Refugees

“We’re your friends, so let’s break down the walls”
Kayra Martinez, Greece

The Art Creates Support for Families and Children

When I dropped off my first carload … I asked, “May I stay and help?”
Amina, Syria
Amina  ·  Syria

I Have Missed Three Years of Their Lives

My husband told me to go to Germany with our youngest son because I am a math teacher and can speak English, and because I am strong.
Saheba, Afghan from Iran
Iran

I Only Want to be Treated Like a Human Being

I just want to be free and to live in peace and safety.
Norina, Afghan from Iran
Norina  ·  Iran

Belonging: I Work Hard so I Can Succeed Here

I want my family to stay together here where we can be safe.
Roya, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Women Have No Rights There

I look forward to having a calm life filled with great achievements.
Mariam, Afghanistan
Mariam  ·  Afghanistan

The Journey: I Want to Go Back to School

I want to have a room with a bed and space to breathe.
Mohida, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Nine Months Pregnant, I Boarded a Plane

My husband is raising our three daughters and our son in a camp in Greece without me.
Henna, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Have Never Known Peace

We have had war in Afghanistan since before I was born
Morena, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Was Thinking of Suicide

I am a lonely woman with two children.
Omar, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

My Father Was a Member of the Taliban

Because I am almost fourteen and the oldest son, I am responsible for our family.
Heydi, West Africa
A West African Country

I Left Because of Religious Conflict

I wanted to stay in Africa, but I wanted my life to be secure, so I came to Europe.
Sanaz, Syria
Sanaz  ·  Syria

The Journey: We Awoke to Find Planes Bombing Above Us

Our life was very good. We were very comfortable and happy.
Radwa, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I've Been Deaf and Mute Since Birth

When I was old enough, I was forced to marry the head of our region.
Mina, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Just Want Him to be Safe

That’s why we came here—so they would not take him away from me.
Bahram, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

A Nonsense Custom

We can’t go back. It is not safe for women there.
Sophia Borletti, Paris
Italy

Hatred Can Be Turned Into Love

I graduate in June. I’m not going to leave working with refugees behind.
Fatima Dzhafarova, Paris
Russia

They Looked Different from Us

“I decided then and there I wanted to become involved in helping refugees.”
Avery Alley, Paris
United States

They Could Easily Become My Friends

… we were interacting with the refugees on a one-to-one basis
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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?

Support Monthly Give Once
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