Fleeing persecution and violence, refugee children and youth face heightened challenges upon their arrival to the United States due to trauma, cultural adjustment, and limited, disjointed, or unspecialized support. Meanwhile, severe cuts in federal funding have significantly reduced the capacity of refugee resettlement providers, shifting responsibility for supporting refugee children and youth onto schools, [...]
Education is a basic human right. Education plays an invaluable role in life, empowerment, and livelihoods, yet so many displaced children and young adults are forced to put their education on pause. When fleeing from disaster or conflict, school books are left behind. Upon arriving in displacement camps, the need for food and shelter take [...]
By: Victoria Walker, USCRI Policy Analyst Now in its fifth year, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to have profound humanitarian consequences, inflicting grave harm on civilians, displacing millions of people, and placing sustained pressure on essential services and infrastructure. Across Ukraine, civilians face ongoing risks from missile and drone attacks, damage to homes and [...]
Since our last newsletter: The policy team has drawn attention to the importance of lifesaving assistance and the brave humanitarians who provide it on World Humanitarian Day, and lifted up the story of a former refugee and human rights advocate Yasin Arfat on Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day. We also published a new From the Archives piece [...]
Since our last newsletter: The policy team has updated our Third Country Deportations tracker, published an overview of Afghan refugee experiences in Iran in the context of the U.S.-Iran war, and highlighted refugee back-to-school experiences in Kenya. We also published an Anti-Trafficking State of Play of 2026, mapping how federal cuts to prosecution, protection, and [...]
By: Cheryl Zhang, USCRI Policy and Advocacy Intern (Summer 2026) In the weeks following the end of July 2026, the media has been flooded with pictures and videos of tens of thousands of migrants swimming from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on the North African coast. However, the accompanying narratives of “invasion” are not only unfounded, but alarmist, harmful, and politically polarized. They are part of a broader effort to use [...]
By: USCRI Policy & Advocacy Intern (Summer 2026) Edited by William Evans, Policy Analyst In February 2026, when the U.S.-Iran War first broke out, military and geopolitical dimensions of the conflict immediately became the center of international attention. Public debate and discussion revolved around the issue of strategic considerations, stability, and possible escalation into wider [...]
Today, USCRI is proud to launch Their Future, Their Voice: Centering Displaced Children in Global Protection and Policy, a new report elevating the perspectives, experiences, and leadership of children and young people living through displacement. READ THE REPORT At a time when displacement remains at historic levels and pathways to safety are shrinking, children continue […]
Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwestern Kenya is home to over 300,000 refugees. For the unaccompanied girls living there, daily life means navigating hunger, exploitation, and the near-constant threat of child marriage and violence. Drastic cuts to humanitarian funding have stripped away basic services, leaving some of the most vulnerable children without food, school supplies, or menstrual hygiene products. USCRI Kenya's Keep [...]
Since our last newsletter, the Policy & Advocacy team has continued to spotlight urgent refugee and immigration issues through research, advocacy, and public engagement. The team collaborated with USCRI’s Refugee Health team to emphasize the importance of strong health coverage through Refugee Medical Assistance. We issued a statement urging DHS to withdraw a proposed rule that would effectively halt asylum seekers’ access to work permits. The […]
