With 1.6 million refugees residing in its territory, the Republic of Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country. Instability in neighboring countries, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, has created a protracted refugee situation in Uganda. With few refugees resettled in third countries and mass repatriation unlikely, hundreds of thousands of […]
Category: Policy Reports
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 […]
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 […]
USCRI Update: Country Conditions in Haiti
On February 29, 2024, a surge in gang violence erupted in Haiti, primarily in the capital of Port-au-Prince, that today continues to spiral the nation into a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian and protection crisis. This new wave of attacks perpetrated by armed gangs in Port-au-Prince marked an unprecedented level of violence that had been intensifying since […]
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, […]
Stolen in Plain Sight: Losing Track of Forced Labor in the United States
A study¹ on forced labor by the International Labour Organization (ILO) found that profits from forced labor amount to $236 billion annually. If this number represented a country, it would be among the top third wealthiest nations in the world—on par with Qatar, wealthier than Greece, and more than two times wealthier than Kenya. This figure […]
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 […]
Steps Forward. Steps Back: A Year’s Efforts to Combat the Labor Exploitation of Unaccompanied Children
This February marked one year since the New York Times published a report detailing the exploitation of hundreds of unaccompanied children for their labor across the United States. Despite the increased attention and advocacy on the issue through the year, cases of child labor have increased and unaccompanied children continue to be exploited. Child Labor […]
Trafficking Survivors Lost in the Funding Debate’s Asylum Stipulations
In October 2023, the Biden Administration requested emergency supplemental funding for short-term foreign aid, including support to Ukraine. This request came near the end of the month, as budget talks to fund the federal government and avoid a government shutdown recommenced with the first funding bill, or continuing resolution (CR), of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 […]
