By: Mauricio
Omer is currently in the first year of completing a Masters of Global Affairs with a focus on global justice, human rights, and migration within the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. In the summer of 2022, Omer traveled with Summer Abroad to Berlin, Germany to take part in POL300Y0 Contested Boundaries: Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism in Germany and Europe. This experience, along with his own personal history, led Omer to develop a passion to work towards solving the issues faced by migrants around the world. Last week, I was lucky to have the chance to talk to Omer about his journey into graduate school, and how his experiences in Summer Abroad helped shape his interests.
During our conversation, Omer remarked that studying migration “has always been [his] goal." This initially stems from his background of coming to Canada as a refugee from Afghanistan. Once he entered U of T, he was able to dedicate himself more to the topic by taking multiple courses on migration studied during his undergraduate degree. One of the “most influential” courses that shaped his interest in migration was his Summer Abroad course. The course content, paired with the experiential learning that took place outside of the classroom, allowed Omer to gain deep insights into the complexities of migration.
He told me that his most memorable experience during the program was the four-day field trip to Belgium, where he attended talks at the European Commission in Brussels to learn more about the EU's approach to migration, refugees, and its challenges. Through his travels to multiple countries during the program, Omer had the opportunity to engage in a comparative analysis of various immigration politics. While visiting a migration museum in Antwerp, he was able to talk with experts in migration and hear touching stories about the risks that migrants take when uprooting their lives in search of a better future.
Omer also noticed the disparity that many migrants face in their new homes. He noted that “in Europe, you can clearly see the difference between a refugee and a regular citizen" Meanwhile, in Canada “people are more blended in, and you cannot tell the difference.” This disparity manifests in how migrants access meaningful employment as well. While in Berlin, he met “a Syrian refugee who pursued a master’s degree and was still looking for a job.” He saw that “there are so many reasons that refugees and migrants aren't given as many opportunities as the other citizens of their host country.” All of this has led Omer to recognize “the need for [him] and more people to study migration to solve these challenges.”
Coming back to Toronto, Omer has involved himself in several initiatives that aim to help migrants in Canada. He is a mentor within the Mentorship with the Afghan Youth Engagement and Development Initiative, which seeks to mentor refugees coming into Canada to help them navigate educational pathways. He helped his previous mentee enter the Academic Bridging Program at U of T, and they are now a student part of Woodsworth College. For the past seven months, Omer has been a youth worker with Access Alliance, a Toronto-based organization dedicated to improving the health outcomes for immigrants and refugees. He helps implement various language, art, and music classes that help newcomers integrate into Canada. Lastly, he often works with Ceasefire for the Children, a small non-profit that seeks to improve the lives of refugees on campus. This organization emerged after the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria to address the lack of broader institutional support for refugees on campus. Through this, Omer has taken part in panel discussions at U of T to discuss how the university can provide better opportunities for the university’s most precarious students.
His Summer Abroad experience continues to have more subtle effects on his education as well. He keeps in touch with his professor, Dr. Ahmed Allahwala, who he describes as “a good friend to everyone.” Within his graduate program, his experience allows him to better connect with his diverse set of peers by sharing stories of his travels and finding common ground with students from various cultures. Omer plans to continue exploring the world. He just returned from Mexico after having enjoyed some time off during reading week.