The public should be aware of bills in Congress because these proposed laws have the potential to impact everyday life significantly. By staying informed, citizens can understand how legislation might affect their communities, businesses, and personal lives. Tracking bills also empowers the public to hold their elected representatives accountable, ensuring that actions align with the […]
Category: Policy Briefs
Las Mariposas de la Frontera: One Asylum Seeker’s Search for Safety
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, on June 4, President Biden issued a Proclamation on “Securing the Border,” which built upon previous regulations to effectively close the U.S.-Mexico border to asylum seekers and other migrants. Along with […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Refugee Response in Uganda
Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country with more than 1.5 million refugees residing within its borders. The East African nation deploys one of the most progressive policy responses to cross-border displacement on the continent. But this response faces headwinds—from declines in international support to the rise of climate-related displacement. This brief provides an overview of […]
To Displace & Destroy: Sexual Violence in Haiti & the Darién Gap
Content sensitivities: the following policy brief contains detailed language about sexual violence. An estimated one in three women and girls globally will experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime. Gender-based violence (GBV), including sexual violence, is a widespread threat for women and girls in peacetime, but in times of conflict, crisis, and displacement, […]
Afghan Family Reunification
Two and a half years ago, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan separated countless Afghan families. Amid a rapid and frenetic evacuation effort, thousands of Afghans boarded planes leaving the Kabul airport—but untold spouses, children, parents, siblings, and other loved ones were left behind. In the months and years since, Afghan parolees have gradually received more […]
Myanmar’s Human Rights Crisis: In Freefall with Insufficient International Attention
Myanmar has long faced political uncertainty and turmoil. But the humanitarian crisis compounded in February 2021, when Myanmar’s military, the Tatmadaw, carried out a coup against the government—detaining civilian leaders, naming replacement ministers, and declaring a one-year state of emergency. Pro-democracy protests in major cities were met with force as the Tatmadaw immediately cracked down […]
The Supplemental: Refugee-Related Considerations as Congress Navigates the Latest Funding Fight
On February 4, U.S. Senate leadership and a group of Senators released a legislative deal to provide additional, or supplemental, funding to a variety of U.S. government priorities. The proposal sparked immediate controversy for its vast changes to U.S. immigration and border policy. Early on February 13, a majority of the Senate passed a version […]
