Coming to America: A Refugee's Story (Part 1)

Refugees are individuals who have fled their countries of origin and who meet the United Nations’ criteria of having a “well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, national­ity, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” The 2009 World Refugee Survey estimates that there are close to fourteen million refugees and asylees in the world today. In the hope of helping these vulnerable populations, the USCCB has for decades been actively involved in refugee resettlement and strives to do what she can to help provide them a new life in the process. Our series, Coming to America: A Refugee’s Story, will highlight the lives of refugees and asylees who now live in the United States and work here at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In their own words they will highlight some of the dangers they faced, the obstacles they overcame, and the opportunities they were given (and helped to make for themselves) along the way.

An interview with Angelos Agok, now the MRS Planning and Placement Coordinator for Processing Operations. (10 min.)