DENVER — We are taking a closer look at a group of immigrants arriving to Denver along with the hundreds of those coming from Hispanic communities.
Newcomers from from Africa are trying to escape what they call civil unrest in their home countries.
A Denver-area organization is trying to help but with so many people in need, now it's running low on resources.
Denver's Center for Immigrants and Immigration Services reached out to Denver 7 with a hope of bringing light to the more than 500 Africans who have recently arrived in the Mile High Citty.
Just like those arriving from Central and South America and Mexico, African immigrants are searching for a better life, but they're running into roadblocks getting to that point.
"I'm from Mauritania, my parent from Mauritania but in my country is a lot of discrimination and segregation in my country we live at the south all the people in the south have problem, " Aliou Sow said.
Immigrants like Sow have called Denver home for the past ten months. He shared that his time in Colorado has not been easy, but he is continuing to be optimistic.
"I want to get my freedom to work... for my kids that way or need that way I live there and then come to this country," Sow said.
The Center for Immigrants in Denver said these Africans are arriving on the same buses that other immigrants are arriving on. The organization added, when the immigrants arrive, they assume they have asylum based on paperwork they received at the border.
But that is simply not the case.
"They don't have any funding, they do not understand the system. And so they are here thinking that after you receive piece of paper from immigration, at the southern border, that means that you are an immigrant," Executive Director of the Center for Immigrants Frederick Jayweh said.
As hundreds of men and women wait for their next steps. they are remaining prayerful that life will get better themselves and family back home.
"Now I'm going to see if I can get better. The way is not easy, but it's obligation for us," Sow said.
If you would like to help the Center for Immigrants you can find a link here to their website, or you can reach out to the director of social service at rachel@centerforimmigrants.org.
