In an earlier brief, we discussed the common pushpull model of migration. To recap, push factors and pull factors are approximations—part of a cognitive model of how migration operates—to describe the reasons that individuals might emigrate (push factors) and the reasons why individuals might settle in a particular location (pull factors). However, the push-pull model […]
Author: USCRI
Casting a Wide Net: Climate Change, Migration, and the Hidden Victims of the Fishing Industry
At the end of January, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled for the first time that countries may not deport refugees who face climate change-induced conditions that put their lives at risk, or place them in danger of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.1 While the landmark judgment is not binding, it does emphasize that […]
When You Cease to Exist: The State of Statelessness in the Former Soviet Union
3“I was born in a country that doesn’t exist anymore.” This was something our Russian language professor said to my class on the first day of Russian 101 my freshman year of college. For Americans, this concept is foreign and hard to wrap our heads around. Our history as a country is shorter than most, […]
Understanding Migration: Why “Push Factors” and “Pull Factors” Do Not Explain Very Much
Five years ago, Michael Clemens and Justin Sandefur, in an interesting essay for Foreign Affairs, wrote that “in many crises, assistance in the original country of origin largely cannot deter departure” of migrants. Elsewhere they wrote, “What each rich country can do is alter what pulls people to that country specifically, once they have decided […]
International Student Policies: A Failing Grade for the United States
Amid the chaos of the pandemic, the Administration has systematically pushed the walls in on the immigration space, even for those seeking a temporary stay in the United States. These bans include those placed on skilled foreign employees in the H-1B, J, and L visa categories, as well as temporary visitors in the B-1 and […]
World Refugee Day 2020 In the Time of COVID-19
Message from USCRI President and CEO Eskinder Negash This year’s celebration of World Refugee Day on June 20th takes place during a global health pandemic and civil unrest in many parts of the world, including the U.S. Yet, we cannot turn our attention away from the over 70 million displaced people worldwide–26 million of whom are […]
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Declares June Immigration Heritage Month
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared June, “Immigration Heritage Month.” By taking time out from managing a public health crisis, Governor Whitmer is making a powerful statement about the immense contributions immigrants have made to the State of Michigan and to the United States in general. “Governor Whitmer and her staff have supported USCRI’s work […]
There Are No Strangers at Our Passover Table This Year
By Eskinder Negash Chag Pesach Sameach. For all faiths, holidays are a constant reminder of our past history and traditions. This Passover season is another reminder of the spiritual link of the Jewish people to the universal refugee migration experience. The rituals of the Passover seder are replete with the symbols of persecution, flight and […]
USCRI Advocates to Protect Unaccompanied Children at our Border
A recent New York Times article tells the story of just one of the hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children being turned away at our border. Gerson is ten years old. Let that sink in. His mother so feared for his safety in Honduras that she put him in a makeshift raft to cross the Rio Grande, […]
Human Trafficking Awareness Month Kick-off
As a society, we often believe that trafficking only takes place in sordid hotel rooms or the backend of a massage parlor. While this can be true, the broader truth is that human trafficking largely happens in plain sight. It’s in our restaurants, nail salons, construction sites, and private homes. It’s right in front of […]
