MANCHESTER, NH – The International Institute of New England (IINE) celebrated World Refugee Day on June 21. This event was held at a time when, over the past two months, the Trump administration has issued orders for the forced deportation of undocumented immigrants—an action that has raised serious concerns among immigrant communities.
The celebration took the form of a cultural and community exhibition organized for refugees and immigrants. Various organizations and companies participated in the event. The main goal was to bring together immigrants from different countries, share traditional foods, showcase diverse cultures, perform music and traditional dances, and enjoy poetry recitations. There were also fun activities and games arranged for children to ensure a joyful and family-friendly atmosphere.
Organizers emphasized that such events are essential for strengthening solidarity, promoting hope, and fostering a sense of inclusion among refugee and immigrant communities.
Photo Gallery by Romal Shinwary
“We are here to welcome refugees to the United States and we’re celebrating World Refugee day which is a day to show solidarity with refugees in a real tangible way – and one way is to celebrate refugees, hear their stories, remember their journeys and acknowledge how important they are to our entire region, especially the state of New Hampshire,” said Jeff Thielman, President & CEO, International Institute of New England.
“I think there are misconceptions that have been amplified in recent months, that people who come here to the United States are looking for a handout, looking to take something from Americans. That’s actually not true. People who come here to the United States as refugees and other classes of entrance to the country want to contribute, they want to give back, they want to get jobs, they want to build the economy, they want to set up lives here and they want to make the country better – just like all of our ancestors did,” said Thielman.
Theilman said in the current climate in New Hampshire the spirit of welcoming seems diminished.
“I think it’s important to note that a lot of people who are here right now are here lawfully, and who have every right to be in the United States, are are living in fear. They’re concerned about being picked up by ICE. They are concerned about things that they should not be concerned about because they’re lawfully here,” Theilman said.
“My message to refugees is you are welcome here, you are needed in the United States, you belong here and we want you to be happy and successful here. Our job is to help launch you. You know, when people come to the United States as refugees they get very little support from the government. They get a little bit of support from the community and groups like ours, and most of the work they do to integrate and be successful is work they do, and so we’re proud to accompany refugees here in New Hampshire.”
Henry Harris, Managing Director for the International Institute of New England, said refugees in New Hampshire help to fill in employment gaps.
“Refugees play a huge role in our employment. We’re an aging state, a lot of our youth are moving out of state and the rest of the population is nearing retirement age. Refugees fill a huge void in filling jobs and keeping businesses here in the state, so we’re very supportive of that,” said Harris.
The IINE contracts with organizations who help with teaching English, and skill building training so that new Americans can move into higher paying jobs – particularly in the healthcare industry, where there is a huge workforce crisis.
“We’re starting to see a lot of manufacturing companies come to us looking to tap into how we can support a career pathway for refugees in specified fields like advanced manufacturing,” Harris said.