The other refugee children

It's a humanitarian crisis that has riveted the international community: refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, and elsewhere seeking asylum from civil war and violence. Images of the small, drowned body of Aylan Kurdi ignited our consciences and challenged world leaders to begin addressing the needs of these refugees.

The surge of unaccompanied minors into countries like Sweden mirrors the marked increase of Central American children entering the United States in 2014, fleeing violence at home. In both cases, refugees are caught between carnage in their home countries and treacherous journeys to nations that claim to be unequipped to care for them. Politicians and pundits decry the inrush of refugees, characterizing them as illegal immigrants who will threaten the sanctity of our borders, overload our public service system, and bring crime and disorder to our neighborhoods.

The majority of these Central American families are in fact led by single mothers traveling with dependent children. They yearn for safer lives, education, and hope.  And unlike the refugees in Europe, most have extended family with whom they plan to live.