Somalian Refugee Shafi Osman speaks in a video about his experience coming to the United States.

As the Biden administration works to bring back the United States’ refugee resettlement numbers from the current historic low, we can look to the experiences of people who have gone through the process for insights and recommendations on what’s working and how things can be improved. Three refugees who settled through the International Rescue Committee in Washington spoke with Prism to share their visions for a better process. These are their stories. 

Videos produced by Dakoit Pictures

Shafi Osman

Originally from Somalia, Shafi Osman resettled in the United States as a refugee in 2016. In this video, he shares his experience with the resettlement process and his ideas about what needs to change. 

YouTube video

Jean Pascal

Jean Pascal, originally from Burundi, resettled in the United States as a refugee after spending more than 20 years waiting in Tanzania and Malawi. In this video, he describes the process and how it can be made better for refugees.

YouTube video

Henry Tshishiku

Now resettled in the United States after leaving the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Henry Tshishiku talks about his family’s journey and the challenges within the existing resettlement system. 

YouTube video

To learn more about refugee resettlement, check out the rest of Prism’s series on Reimagining Refugee Resettlement.

From Bollywood to Nigeria, Ambika has been creating, teaching and writing at the intersection of storytelling and social good for two decades. She believes in working with local teams, developing work...