PRESS RELEASE
Attorney Cautions Malawians about Relying on Immigration Myths
Silver Spring, November 16th, 2015
Malawi Washington Association (MWA) hosted a free immigration workshop on Saturday, November 14th, 2015 aimed at educating the Malawian community with fact based information about immigration. The workshop, entitled “Navigating the immigration landscape as Africans” was held at St. Matthew Presbyterian Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. It was attended by Malawians and members of the larger African community who face similar immigration woes in their own communities as Malawians.
Attendees were a mixture of people that had been naturalized, green card holders, those on non-immigrant visas, and those who’s visas had expired. All of them came to the workshop to be better informed about the immigration process so that they could be better educated about immigration laws and not rely on misinformation and urban legends about such important matters as immigration.
Attorney at Law, Loide Jorge began the workshop by noting how much misinformation about immigration was in African communities. She noted that many people relied on friends, cousins, and other family who have no legal background to resolve their immigration issues when they should be talking to professional lawyers. Many only seeking legal help when it’s too late. This is because minor things such as age, criminal record, or marital status can affect similar cases in a dramatic way and people need to consult with lawyers beforehand. Jorge proceeded to provide some clarity to common myths in the African community about immigration for three major groups. She covered in depth information for non-immigrant visa holders (ie student, diplomatic, visitors etc…) and the options available to them. She provided information to those with green card holders about the work, living and criminal conditions attached to their Green Cards. She noted that, “…many people think once they get a green card, their done, but it doesn’t work that way because you can lose it”. Lastly, she provided advice for undocumented immigrants and the options available to them now, as well as how they can start to prepare for any pending reforms to immigration. This included the complications that some may arise with those resorting to green card marriages and the options that they have. In addition to the aforementioned topics, Jorge provided information about how to get low cost and free legal assistance in the DMV for those seeking it that cannot afford a lawyer. She noted that Africans underutilize the available resources and advised that “these services are not just for Latinos!”
Overall, the participants were pleased about the workshop and found it informative. They also felt it was a comfortable space in which they could ask questions or speak freely. One attendee from Zimbabwe noted that he had seen may lawyers over the years and this was the first time he had heard clear, honest and useful information about immigration with regard to his options. He noted that he wished that the Zimbabwean and South African community would follow suit and hold a similar event but encouraged MWA to continue to support the Malawian and African community in this way. Another participant from Zimbabwe noted that although he had his citizenship, he had come to get himself educated. He had hoped to see more Africans attend such events because he thought that regardless of their status, this was information every African should know. He exclaimed “this room should be packed!” and thanked Jorge for her pro-bono work.
In addition to practicing as an attorney for over ten years, acclaimed immigration attorney, Jorge, volunteers as an advocate for African immigrants in the DC area and volunteers her time for the DC office of African Affairs. Jorge has roots in neighboring Mozambique and is therefore well acquainted with Malawi. However, this was the first time that she had done a workshop for Malawians.
This was also the first time that MWA had held a dedicated two-hour workshop targeting the Malawian community. MWA holds an annual community panel discussion where topics of interest to the Malawi community are discussed. Often, time is limited to discuss certain issues at length. This type of workshop allowed for a more extensive discussion. Holding such an event was also aimed at fulfilling MWAs mission to promote the interests of Malawians in the USA. Sitinga Kachipande, President of MWA notes that, “there are so many myths in the Malawian community about immigration.” This was one way in which MWA board wanted to assist the community – by addressing issues people deal with every day. She noted that, “it’s important to know what your options are, even if you are using a lawyer. There may be a way people can do something about their own situations or that of a friend or relative but they need to understand the options and this starts with educating yourself and getting good and accurate legal advice.”
The event was sponsored by MWA and St. Matthew Presbyterian Church who sponsored the venue. MWA hopes to hold similar workshops in the future in order to empower the community with information that is pertinent to them as migrants.
