Work Groups
Advocacy
The Advocacy Workgroup educates non-traditional partners, local governments, and other stakeholders about SEMIRC and the experiences of refugees and immigrants and activate them as advocacy partners, broadening pro-refugee and immigrant voices.
Community Engagement
The Community Engagement workgroup strengthens the connections between SEMIRC and refugee and immigrant communities by establishing an ambassador network, increasing more formal and frequent opportunities to participate in decision-making processes, and coordinating with the Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Coalition and the State Ethnic Commissions.
Cultural Orientation
The Cultural Orientation Workgroup provides programming to support refugees and immigrants navigating new systems and to service providers in order to expand their capacity to provide culturally appropriate care to refugee and immigrant communities.
Housing
The Housing Workgroup expands access for refugees and immigrants to affordable and appropriate housing by engaging landlords and property managers to create a bank of newcomer-friendly rental opportunities, engaging other housing entities to expand access to rental subsidies, homeownership supports, and other housing programs, and supporting the Newcomer Rental Subsidy program.
Michigan Refugee Film Festival
Special Projects
Funding for New Americans Coalition.
The Funding for New Americans Coalition, born out of the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative, is a statewide advocacy coalition whose goal is to secure funding in the State budget for newcomer services. The Coalition which launched in 2023 secured $3 million in its first year. This funding will be distributed to organizations across the state to build capacity and outreach and provide legal services to newcomer clients. If your organization is interested in joining the Coalition, please complete this form.
The Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative hosted the first annual Michigan Refugee Film Festival in 2023 in partnership with the Detroit Institute of Arts and the College for Creative Studies. The first iteration of this event showcased three films: two documentaries and an animated children’s film that explored the experiences of refugees at various stages of their journeys from their home countries to their countries of resettlement and beyond. We were also joined by two of the films’ directors who shared about the experiences making their films and what they learned about the refugee experience in the process. Follow the Michigan Refugee Film Festival on Instagram @mirefugeefilmfest to keep up to date on future screenings.
