Cameroon is an independent country of approximately 28.3 million people located on the west coast of Africa. Cameroon borders the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. Since 2016, people in Cameroon have suffered through violent clashes between governmental security forces and separatist armed […]
Author: USCRI
Over 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans are Stripped of Protection
On March 25, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) categorically revoked humanitarian parole protections for individuals covered under the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parole program (CHNV parole). This announcement leaves over 530,000 CHNV humanitarian parolees without status in the United States and at risk of deportation, starting April 24. “Humanitarian parole” allows individuals outside […]
Shifts in Gender-Related Refugee Protection Eligibility Guidelines
Refugee and asylum eligibility is largely determined using the “refugee” definition from the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol (“Refugee Convention”), which defines a refugee as a person who, “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country […]
A Haunting Reality: My Visit to Kakuma Refugee Camp
I once believed that my work in Osire refugee camp in Namibia had prepared me for anything. But nothing could have readied me for the dark reality I encountered during my visit to Kakuma earlier this year. What I witnessed was not just hardship; it was a haunting reminder of the world’s failure to protect […]
Children in Migration Need Protection, Not Barriers
The international community once held a strong consensus that children are inherently entitled to protection, with the belief that their needs and rights should be prioritized above all else. No matter their country of origin, their religion, their identity, their legal or migratory status—they are children, first and foremost. This principle was enshrined in various […]
Fairness for Women in Gender-Related Refugee Cases
Of the over 120 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, 43.4 million people are refugees and 6.9 million people are asylum seekers. Women make up around half of each population, yet they face refugee and asylum processes that are not operating with a gender-neutral approach. Refugee and asylum eligibility is largely determined using the “refugee” definition […]
The Refugee Act of 1980: Needed Now More Than Ever
The Refugee Act of 1980 was born from bipartisan efforts to respond to the needs of victims of persecution, creating a pathway for them to become an American. A landmark piece of legislation, it fundamentally shaped U.S. refugee policy. The Act defined a refugee as someone with a ‘well-founded fear of persecution’ and established a […]
USCRI Tijuana – Reinstating Visitor’s Card for Humanitarian Reasons
In 2023, the National Institute of Migration took the decision to suspend the issuance of Visitor’s Cards for Humanitarian Reasons; this eventually resulted in a failure to comply with its legal obligations and, therefore, in the constant and repeated violation of the Human Rights of the applicants. This identification document is essential for the population […]
Updates from USCRI El Salvador
The Chalatenango office was able to place a young returnee in a job after completing a three-month agreement between USCRI and a well-known company in the restaurant sector. She now has a permanent job in a customer service position. In San Salvador, four women returnees have benefited from different projects, two young women started […]
IRAP and USCRI
A collaboration between USCRI and IRAP (International Refugee Assistance Project) began at the end of February with the objective of strengthening academic research on the relationship between climate change and forced migration. This collaboration will allow for the collection of qualitative and quantitative data on the impact of climate change on migratory travel in the […]
