By Violet Ikong
Since Peter Aringu’s family moved to the U.S. in January 2024, one of their favorite activities has been taking long walks to admire the natural scenery of Omaha, the Nebraska city where they now live. Aringu says this helps his family heal from the mental distress caused by memories of forced displacement, and the endless search for safety in Uganda, where they previously lived as refugees.
The family’s journey began in August 2016 when they fled their home country, South Sudan, because Peter Aringu, who was an activist at the time, was threatened for refusing to support the agenda of certain politicians. The family made their way to a refugee camp in Uganda, but found they still were not safe – Aringu was repeatedly attacked by hired thugs, once his location of refuge was discovered.
“There were attempts on my life from South Sudanese in Uganda. Some of them thought I was involved in some sort of political mobilization, to enable me to run for an elective position in the future,” he recalled.
In 2021, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) decided to confine Aringu and his family to a secret safe place, and resettle the family in a third country, because the attacks against him were continuing.
Resettlement is intended to protect refugees like Aringu, whose life, liberty, safety, health, or other fundamental rights are at risk in their country of refuge and home country. The program enables the refugees to get international protection, permanent residence status, and an opportunity to become naturalized citizens of the resettlement country.
The number of people globally in need of resettlement is staggering. Midyear trends from the UNHCR in 2023 showed that 2 million people were in need of resettlement globally, and this year the UNHCR estimates that 2.4 million people will require resettlement. The U.S. resettled 31,900 people in 2023.
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The process
The resettlement process can take up to two years or more, and involves multiple interviews, medical examinations, and cross checks to verify that the information provided in each stage of the vetting process is consistent and accurate. Then all the information gathered from the different stages of the application process is submitted to a resettlement country for consideration.
The UNHCR initiates and facilitates the initial process for resettlement, but each resettlement location has a country-specific evaluation process, and they also have the final say on whether or not a particular refugee can be resettled in that country.
Many refugees get anxious while awaiting the outcome of the country-specific evaluation. “The period of waiting was stressful, especially thinking about the possibility of my application being rejected after everything that I had gone through,” said Ahmed*, who was resettled in Canada about eight years ago.
Even when Ahmed’s application finally got approved, his emotions were complicated. “A lot of things were playing in the background of my head. Leaving everything behind to start afresh, and hoping for a better tomorrow,” he said.
For Peter Aringu, the waiting period gave him time to continue to run his nonprofit – the South Sudanese Refugees Association (SSRUA), which he founded in late 2016 to provide livelihood support as well as to unite South Sudanese refugees in Uganda with members of their host communities. Although his confinement in a hiding place prevented him from physically running the organization, Aringu continued to facilitate its programs and activities virtually.
So, when his family’s resettlement was approved late last year, Aringu had mixed emotions. “I was worried because in Uganda, it was easy to run the organization [SSRUA], even though [I couldn’t do it] in person. I could look out for my people and support them to address pressing needs, so I thought about who would help them since I was leaving,” he said.
On the other hand, he was excited at the idea of his family finally enjoying freedom and protection, and living the American dream. “I thought about my children and how they would have access to education and it excited me. I also knew that I would be safe, and I would be able to work and support my family [also refugees] back home, because America is a country that gives people rights and opportunities to actualize their dreams,” he said.
Goodbyes and new beginnings
Once the U.S. government approved Aringu’s family’s resettlement, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) arranged their travel plans. And before the family departed Uganda, Aringu had pre-departure meetings with the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, William Popp, and Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
On January 30, 2024, Peter Aringu, together with his wife and their 11 children, waved goodbye to Uganda and boarded a flight to the U.S. to start a new life. Upon their arrival in Nebraska on February 2, they were received by Lutheran Family Services, a faith-based organization that facilitates several programs, including welcoming refugees and immigrants by providing them with career, housing, legal, and translation support.
The organization hosted the family in a hotel for three days before taking them to their new home in Omaha. Aringu had two initial fears when his family moved into their new home: living in a neighborhood without friends, and being victims of racism. However, both fears have vanished due to the warm reception his family has received since they moved to Omaha.
“I have no relatives here in Nebraska, but there are fellow South Sudanese and other Africans who live around and some of them have been following my work with SSRUA back home. The day after we arrived, neighbors came to receive us and gave us congratulatory messages. My family didn’t have to buy household utensils because we got so many of them as gifts, in addition to a personal computer which I also got since I didn’t have any then,” Aringu said, beaming with happiness.
And concerning his worry about racism, his closest friend in the U.S., Carlos, with whom he now shares a strong bond, is an American. “The day after we arrived, I stepped out to enjoy the snow and [Carlos] came to me and introduced himself. He also welcomed me to America. Since then, I’ve not seen him as just someone from America or a different country, but as a brother. He doesn’t go a day without calling to check up on me or asking if I’m interested in going out, and he drives me in his car when we step out together,” Aringu said.
Meanwhile, his family is still adjusting to life in America, which is enormously different from life in South Sudan and in the refugee camp in Uganda. They’re taking it one day at a time, as they continue to seek healing from past trauma. Aringu believes this healing would not have been possible without the resettlement program.
“I’m thankful to the UNHCR and the government of Uganda for protecting me while I was still in Uganda. I also appreciate the IOM and the U.S. government for welcoming my family into the U.S. to settle here, because without a resettlement program in place, our lives would still be in danger, and we would still be in confinement,” Aringu said.
