Eiad Alhamed: Dat Refugee

It was my pleasure and privilege to speak with Eiad Alhamed during the last full week of April. I've known him since my first semester at MIIS, when we worked together on an unpredictably difficult report on the economic outlook for Eiad's home country, Syria. Dwarfing the unpredictable difficulty of evaluating the economy of his home country, however, is Eiad's chaotic relationship with the U.S. immigration system as a Syrian refugee. Eiad has been sharing his experience and perspective with his YouTube channel, 'Dose Refugees, humanizing the people who share his lot as refugees from violence trying to find their way in a world that rarely welcomes them with open arms. Eiad's perspective is a sobering one; in the Syrian civil war, he's seen what happens when tyranny reaches its peak level of oppression. He's lost family and friends to the conflict. And he's risen to the challenge of obtaining a dual degree at MIIS, all the while navigating the U.S. immigration system during a particularly tumultuous era in immigration politics. Though you may not like or agree with everything we say in our conversation, you will be better off for having heard it. Promise.