On July 25, USCRI hosted a webinar to discuss the role of refugee-led organizations in the Uganda refugee response. The webinar featured Refugee Led Organization Network of Uganda’s Jerry Lukendo Mbokani, Tomorrow Vijana’s Kubana Alexis, Youth Social Advocacy Team’s John Jal Dak, and Hodari Foundation’s Janvier Hafasha. It was moderated by USCRI Policy Analyst Daniel […]
Category: Headquarters
Not Invisible: Strengthening Protection for Children with Disabilities in Migration and Displacement
When air raid sirens sound, a deaf child cannot hear them. When a family migrates through the Darién Gap’s jungle terrain, a blind child cannot see the way. When war erupts and a family must flee, a child in a wheelchair is left behind. When a non-verbal child arrives in a refugee camp’s reception center, […]
What is Asylum?
Asylum is a form of protection granted to individuals who have fled their home country due to persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on specific grounds—race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Key Aspects of Asylum Protection from Persecution: Asylum seekers must demonstrate that they have suffered persecution […]
USCRI Commends TPS Extension and Redesignation for Haiti
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) commends today’s decision by the Biden administration to extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti for 18 months. The TPS extension will continue to protect current beneficiaries until February 3, 2026, and the TPS redesignation could safeguard an estimated 309,000 eligible Haitian nationals residing in […]
Call to Action: Submit Public Comments Speaking up for Asylum Seekers
Earlier this month, President Biden issued a Proclamation on “Securing the Border,” which effectively closed the southern U.S. border to asylum seekers and other migrants. The proclamation limits and suspends the entry of any noncitizen into the United States across the southern border—unless they meet an exception—and went into effect on June 5, 2024. Along with […]
World Refugee Day & International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
Written by: Rosalind Ghafar Rogers, PhD, LMHC, Clinical Behavioral Health Subject Matter Expert with USCRI’s Refugee Health Services in Arlington, VA June 20th is World Refugee Day and June 26th is the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. In recognition of both, USCRI celebrates the strength, resilience, and courage of millions […]
Violence in Myanmar Intensifying Humanitarian Needs
The following was written as a blog post for InterAction by USCRI policy analyst Aaron Nodjomian-Escajeda in his role as the co-chair for InterAction’s Myanmar Bangladesh Working Group. Since October 2023, resistance forces in Myanmar have gained territorial control across different parts of Myanmar. Expanded resistance has been accompanied by increased losses for the […]
Op-ed: Refugee Warehousing in 2024
Can you imagine being born in a refugee camp? Growing up and going to school in that camp? Marrying your spouse in the same camp? And then having your children born and raised there? This unimaginable scenario unfolds every day and has been happening for decades. Refugees around the world often end up languishing in […]
Looking Beyond Legal Complexities: A Discussion with USCRI Mexico Staff on the Impact of Changes to U.S. Border Policy on Asylum Seekers
Over the past two years, the Biden administration has made considerable changes to asylum and migrant processing at the southern U.S. border. Most recently, President Biden issued a Proclamation on “Securing the Border,” which effectively closed the U.S.-Mexico border to asylum seekers and other migrants. Along with the Proclamation, the Administration announced an interim final […]
USCRI’s Comment: Application of Certain Mandatory Bars in Fear Screenings
On May 13, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) entitled “Application of Certain Mandatory Bars in Fear Screenings.” If finalized, the NPRM would impact various populations that USCRI serves. The Proposed Rule allows Asylum Officers to apply certain asylum eligibility bars earlier in the process, making initial fear […]
