Will refugee ban impact Lake Wylie event? One organizer sees smooth sailing ahead

It’s one of the more colorful events on Lake Wylie each year. One of the more meaningful for volunteers, and one of the longest running.

And it’ll happen again this year, with refugees on the guest list.

“They'll still be one of the groups that we invite,” said Indian Land resident Charles “Bo” Ibach, past commander with the Charlotte Power Squadron.

Ibach’s group partners with Catawba Power Squadron each spring for a children’s outing on Lake Wylie. Up to 400 people show up for boat rides, games, fishing, swimming and food. They come from several counties. They come from adoption and foster care groups, youth clubs, after-school groups. For a good many years now, there’s been a contingent from Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency.

“Most of them are fleeing (their home) country or are exiled,” agency senior intern Enid Croom said at last year’s event, where she brought 30 children from some of the 100 countries her group serves. “They’re fleeing because it’s not safe. Some have lost family members because of political ideology, or just general violence.”

Refugees have been constant in the news lately, with President Donald Trump signing an executive order limiting access into the country by certain groups of people. A refugee admissions program is suspended 120 days, and immigration is suspended 90 days from several middle eastern and African countries.

Ibach said most of the refugees he and fellow boaters have hosted on Lake Wylie have been from the far east, but regardless, he isn’t expecting much to change for this year’s event May 20.

“It's not going to impact us,” he said. “When the event comes, the 90 days will be long gone. Do we take care of them? Absolutely, the best we can. Those people seem to enjoy the day as much as anyone."

The annual children’s outing has been held for more than 50 years. For the boating community, it’s helped put faces to the issue of refugees. Volunteers have shared their boats and meals. They little notice a difference between refugees and domestic orphans or other children who participate.

“We’re just out for a pleasurable day on the lake, for kids that otherwise may not get that opportunity,” said Ken Elkins, past commander of Charlotte Power Squadron. “It doesn't really matter. We're just there to give them a little glimpse of the lake that they may not otherwise see.”

Elkins said even if refugees from some countries couldn’t make the event, he expects others would. According to its website the refugee resettlement group is looking to settle 350 people this year including former residents of Iraq, Syria and Somalia. But also from Bhutan, Burma, Central America and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“I don't think it's going to dry up our source of local refugee children for the outing,” Elkins said. “We've got plenty of refugees in the country already.”

Paul Porcelli, employment director with the refugee agency, said the recent executive order is having positive and negative impacts for his group.

“It's definitely going to affect us, our agency,” he said. “Our pipeline is going to dry up (from some countries). We might lose staff if this continues on."

The nonprofit is federally funded. It has a dozen full-time employees and a growing number of volunteers. Porcelli got as many people wanting to volunteer the first weekend after the executive order as he sometimes gets in a year.

"What it does it puts the spotlight on us, and everybody wants to help," Porcelli said.

The refugee group works up to five years helping with employment, but only about four to six months per person on services from financial to medical to housing. A half dozen years ago, President Barack Obama put a six-month freeze in place, so the group has precedent for how to proceed.

"The difference is we didn't have a big uproar back then,” Porcelli said. “Now we do.”

Porcelli intends to keep working with Iran — Christians, not Muslims, come from that country through the stat department and then his office — along with Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

“We are very positive that these programs will continue at some point," Porcelli said.

One impact of meeting and interacting with refugees at past outings is, the children provide common ground even among differing political opinions. Ibach believes the immigration restrictions are “being sadly misrepresented,” and should be thought of as a stay or hold until more can be done to ensure the people coming into the country mean no harm to it. He doesn’t see it as a permanent ban.

“It's better to be safe than sorry,” Ibach said.

Elkins sees the order a little differently.

“It's unconstitutional and it’s also inhumane,” he said.

Yet despite their differences, both men are looking forward to seeing smiling faces in May.

"Everybody enjoys the heck out of that day,” Ibach said. “I wish I could make it go longer. I wish I could do it more frequently.”

Refugee children, once they get out on the lake, aren’t any more of a challenge than other attendees. One may want something different to eat, or another may be a little scared the first time a bowrider revs its engine. Same as children from other groups. By day’s end, volunteers say, it’s often difficult to tell the refugee children from any others.

“A smile is a smile,” Elkins said, “no matter what face it's on.”

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Will refugee ban impact Lake Wylie event? One organizer sees smooth sailing ahead."