Those who are seeking to gain a greater understanding of the Syrian refugee crisis need to hear the story of Sana Mustafa who's currently living right here in Dutchess County.

Sana grew up in Syria during a time of political upheaval. Her father did not agree with the the injustices he observed in the country or the policies put in place by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. So he openly spoke out and the family became politically active. During the 2011 revolution, authorities raided the family home and took Sana's father away. With their safety in jeopardy, the rest of the Mustafa family had no choice but to flee the country. Sana happened to be visiting America during the arrest, for what she believed was a few weeks. With no home to return to, Sana is now here as a refugee.

Elite Daily recently featured Sana's story, putting a local face on the Syrian refugee crisis.

With her mother and sisters seeking asylum in Turkey, Sana is currently still living in Dutchess County . She arrived penniless with no family or friends to turn to. Luckily, Sana eventually found herself at Bard College as part of a program set up by Jim Ketterer, the Dean of International Studies. Ketterer was looking to bring in Syrian students fleeing the civil war. Sana was referred to the school informally by someone at the U.S. State Department and has been a student there since 2013.

In her spare time, Sana speaks out for the 4.6 million Syrian refugees who have been forced to relocate around the world. She has spoken at the U.N. and a will be appearing at a program in Sweden next month to empower women living in the Middle East.

Currently, there are less than 3,000 refugees living in America. Elite Daily reports that although the government has pledged to place 10,000 refugees within a year, only a little over 1,000 have been resettled so far. Sana's father has been missing for over 900 days and it is unknown whether he is still imprisoned or if he's been killed by authorities. Her mother and sisters are still held up in Turkey and waiting word to see if they will be allowed to reunite the family back here in America.

Regardless of your political views, Sana's story is one that needs to be heard for anyone who who really wants to understand the refugee crisis and why many believe our country should do more to help.

 

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