Dear colleagues, Since October 2023, resistance forces in Myanmar have gained territorial control across different parts of Myanmar. And Myanmar’s de facto authorities have routinely punished civilians they view as supporting that opposition. This escalating armed conflict has led to deepening humanitarian need, high poverty levels, violence against civilians, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and civilian […]
Category: Policy and Advocacy
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 […]
Refugee-Led Organizations: Support and Challenges in the Uganda Response
Refugee-led organizations, civil society groups formed and managed by refugees themselves, are a growing actor in displacement responses across the world. Ranging from large, professional networks to handfuls of volunteers, these groups channel their talent and past trauma into providing services, promoting livelihoods, and giving other essential support to their neighbors. But these groups face […]
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 […]
Refugee Warehousing
Definition: The practice of keeping refugees in protracted situations of restricted mobility, enforced idleness, and dependency. Background: When people are displaced across international borders, governments and the United Nations typically work to achieve one of three ‘durable solutions’ for refugees and others: Improving conditions in countries of origin so refugees can safely and voluntarily return […]
Displaced and Alone: Protections for Unaccompanied Children from Haiti
This month, the global community will mark World Refugee Day to honor and stand in solidarity with refugees and those forced to flee their homes. Over 110 million people are forcibly displaced around the world; 40 percent of those people are children. As conflicts and crises become increasingly protracted and new escalations of violence erupt, […]
Three Reasons to Prioritize Menstrual Health in Displacement Settings
When conflict, climate, or other extraordinary circumstances force people to flee, their access to resources and essential services cease; however, menstruation does not. Menstruation, commonly referred to as a period, is often stigmatized. Many find it awkward or unnecessary to talk about. Yet it is one of the most important conversations for the global […]
One Year After the Asylum Ban: More Barriers to Asylum Access
By the end of World War II, between 50-80 million people had been killed. An estimated 60 million more had been displaced, many of whom were attempting to seek refuge in other countries. To ensure that the consequences of World War II would never repeat, the United Nations (UN) drafted the Universal Declaration of Human […]
More Barriers to Asylum Access
Early this month, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways (CLP) rule, known as the asylum ban, the Biden administration announced actions to again reduce access to asylum in the United States. On May 13, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) […]
