As a medical student at the University of Utah, I pursued an elective rotation in refugee care, providing me with a snapshot into the lives of refugees in our community. It became evident that refugees in the United States face tremendous adversity, which has been worsened by the current administration whose policies systematically target refugees.
For personal context, I am a white man raised in Salt Lake City. I have been afforded countless privileges based on my demographic. It is through this lens that I offer my perspective.
A refugee by definition is someone who fled their country of origin and is unable to return due to persecution based on religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a social group. The national discussion is clouded with terms such as “migrants,” and “illegals,” but, to be clear, refugees are people facing persecution for embracing freedoms our nation was founded on, and they need help.
While working with refugees, I was struck by the horrifying trauma that so many endured. I heard stories about coming home to discover the bodies of loved ones, people disappearing or having explosives thrown into their homes.
Many refugees are also survivors of torture. Prevalence depends on country of origin, but on the high end are people from Ethiopia, Iraq, and Sudan of whom between 50% and 69% are victims of torture. Utah Health and Human Rights estimates that some 17,500 refugees in Utah are survivors of torture, almost one-third of the resettled population.
Unsurprisingly, trauma to this extent is associated with medical conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive disorder. National surveys estimate that refugees are 5.8 times more likely to suffer from PTSD than average Americans, and twice as likely to suffer from depression.
Many recent federal policies target this vulnerable population. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, there were 25.9 million refugees in 2018. The United States has resettled 3 million refugees since 1975 and, under President Trump the number of refugees targeted for resettlement has dropped from almost 100,000 people per year to a goal of 18,000 in 2020. The wealthiest country in the world with a population of 328 million, will now only accept 18,000 refugees.
Regarding legislation, there have been numerous travel bans, enactment of “Zero Tolerance” and “metering” policies, termination of the Flores agreement, a court settlement which protected the rights of immigrants, and new executive orders requiring states to opt-in for refugee resettlement. The systematic pattern makes the purpose clear.
My takeaways were as follows: Refugees are people just like us escaping dangerous situations. They are disproportionately survivors of torture and have health conditions that reflect their traumatic experiences. They struggle to get to the United States, and then continue to face systemic discrimination while learning a new language, finding stable housing and employment, and adapting to a new culture. So how can we help?
The first step is acting with empathy. There are over 60,000 refugees living in Utah. Reaching out to those around us and providing a connection may make a tremendous difference in someone’s life.
We can also support existing programs with financial contributions or volunteering. The International Rescue Committee and Catholic Community Services help refugees with resettlement, while Utah Health and Human Rights and the Utah Refugee Services Office provide mental health resources, case management and help finding housing and employment.
Finally, actively participate in the democratic process with refugees in mind. Let your elected officials know this issue matters, and cast your vote accordingly. Defending life, liberty, and happiness for all people is fundamentally American and together we can uphold this ideal.
Michael Prestgard-Duke, MD
Michael Prestgard-Duke, M.D., grew up in Salt Lake City, attended West High School and has degrees in biology and medicine from the University of Utah. He is now doing his residency in family medicine at Family Health Centers of San Diego.