Movement of refugees and undocumented immigrants is a constant topic in the news these days. Whether it is Syrian refugees entering eastern Europe or Latin American immigrants crossing the U.S. border, million of migrants worldwide leave their homelands every year seeking better opportunities. The ease of access to smartphones has created an important lifeline for many migrants, and a growing cottage industry for developers creating technologies that support immigrant needs.
Here are some of the tools:
Google has an open-source website based in Google Docs where users can find information for housing, medical facilities, currency exchange outlets and other essential emergency contacts. To accommodate the influx of Arabic speaking refugees coming into Germany, Google has also updated its Translate service to include signs and other visual communications both online and offline.
I Am Getting Arrested is an app that helps users by sending out a message with geo-location to notify those who may be able to help during an arrest.
DACA Scholars is an app that provides scholarship information and immigration news to undocumented students, or Dreamers, in the United States.
Derechos Herencia is a controversial app that tells undocumented immigrants everything about what their rights are under U.S. law in both English and Spanish.
The German government is developing apps that provide German language instruction to Arabic speaking Syrians.
InfoAid updates users in various languages on important border crossing and departure times in Hungary.
Best Time To Cross The Border assists users with current wait times to enter the U.S. from either Mexico or Canada and identifies the closest port of entry.
German startups are creating job opportunities for Syrian refugees by first teaching them coding skills.
A Syrian refugee in Turkey created an app where users can get updates, residency information, registration requirements for students at universities, and job openings in their host countries.
Do you know of other tech innovations for refugees and undocumented immigrants? Email us at info(at)globalwireonline(dot)org.
Comments are closed.