Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Burmese community in Buffalo is looking for answers to how a refugee died just days after he was left at a Tim Hortons by Customs and Border Protection after being picked up at the Erie County Holding Center.
As the family of 56-year-old Nurul Amin Shah Alam is calling for justice, local groups working with the Burmese population are hoping it sheds a light on the issues they face.
Steven Sanyu, President of Burmese Community Services, tells WBEN his organization aims to act as a bridge between the Burmese community and the rest of Western New York.
"Because we have the language barrier, the lack of knowledge and resources," Sanyu said when asked about why outreach services are critical. "That's why we share our history, the language, and people to the American Society."
That language barrier is the top concern he has for Burmese refugees resettling in Buffalo.
"I believe the language barrier, the communication gap between a non-english-speaker and law enforcement or whatever, that is a huge challenge. That's the No. 1 issue."
Sanyu says many refugees had spent years in refugee camps without schooling before being able to make it to America, making the gap in education another major factor in the ability to resettle here.
He says locally, the county, police, and courts are all aware of the barrier, and Social Services provides adequate resources. His goal with Burmese Community Services is to make refugees aware of those programs so they're utilized.