An asylum seeker's journey - can you help?

Maura Snow is part of a team of immigration support people from the Merrimack Valley Project. We have been assisting an asylum seeker using the name Marius to protect him from people who still seek to do him harm. (The picture is blurry by design - a shot of him with the bandage used after head surgery was performed via the nasal passage.)

“Marius” left Togo in Africa in 2018. His parents were assassinated in a political action. Prior to leaving, he was kidnapped and beaten. He booked passage on a commercial freighter to South America and made his way north until he reached the U.S. border and, ultimately, Massachusetts.

Marius has been living and working in Massachusetts (a work permit has been granted for the lengthy wait for an asylum hearing).  Recently, he was temporarily disabled by the after-effects of the head trauma he received from the gang that kidnapped him in Africa. He has had surgery to correct the injury and is receiving excellent medical care. A full recovery is anticipated. He should be able to return to work this summer.

He has not been able to work since the injury became disabling. As a result, he needs assistance with rent money for approximately two or three months. His rent is $1,600 per month. We are also raising funds for legal fees related to his upcoming asylum hearing. Any funds received beyond our current needs will go to other immigrant support outreach in our area.