The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, amended by the 1967 Protocol, defines a “refugee” as any person who “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing […]
Category: USCRI Programs
Standing with Refugee Children
What does it mean to become a refugee before you’ve even had the chance to grow up? From Syria to Sudan, Myanmar to Afghanistan, children around the world are being displaced at unprecedented levels. Some are too young to understand why they’re running; others carry memories of war, persecution, or violence no child should ever […]
Invisible Hands: Confronting Child Labor in Global Supply Chains on World Day Against Child Labor 2025
The açaí in your health bowl, the cocoa in your chocolate, the coffee in your latte, the copper in your phone—what do they have in common? Child labor. For millions of children, they represent long days of hazardous work instead of school, play, or rest. On World Day Against Child Labor 2025, we pause to recognize […]
When the Law is Not Enough: The Persecution of LGBTQ+ Colombians
June is Pride Month in commemoration of the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, an uprising against the state-sponsored persecution of queer-and-trans people. Today, more than fifty years later, queer-and-trans people remain persecuted. On paper, Colombia has some of the strongest protections in the Americas for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LBGTQ+) individuals. But it […]
Supporting Relationships: Refugees and Host Communities
Cover Image Source: SuSanA Secretariat A refugee camp is a temporary settlement for the protection and aid of displaced populations. For refugees, a refugee camp can be an immediate safe haven. Host countries and international organizations establish refugee camps for a number of reasons. Refugee camps can be a politically expedient method of influx management, a […]
Administration Revokes Protections for Venezuelans
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is dismayed by the Administration’s revocation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela. Just weeks ago, on January 10, 2025, an extension for TPS was announced, and on January 17, 2025, it was published to the Federal Register—only to be abruptly rescinded. TPS is a lifesaving humanitarian […]
Defining “Refugees”—An Exclusionary Legacy
International organizations were born in the aftermath of devastating world wars. Nations set up international institutions and covenants, seeking to never repeat the devastation arising out of those wars. But first, they had to tackle an unprecedented mass displacement crisis. Due to warfare, destruction, and persecution, millions of people were driven out of their homes. […]
Termination of Protection Endangers Afghan Allies
The May 12 announcement from the Administration to terminate protections for Afghans is a betrayal of those who put their lives on the line to defend the United States and a failure to recognize the dire conditions in Afghanistan that threaten the lives of many. On May 13, the Administration published an official notice to […]
Toward a Shared Future: Advancing Refugee Integration in Kenya
In March 2025, Kenya took a bold step toward transforming the future of refugees and host communities by launching the Shirika Plan—a groundbreaking initiative aimed at fostering the socioeconomic inclusion of refugees and shifting from a model of aid dependency to one rooted in long-term development. The Shirika Plan for Refugees and Host Communities marks […]
U.S. Border Patrol Found Responsible for the Fatal Abuse of Anastasio Hernández Rojas
In a landmark decision, a human rights body has held U.S. Border Patrol culpable for the death and torture of a migrant in custody. The case, Anastasio Hernández Rojas and Family v. United States, is a resounding defense of the dignity and rights of asylum seekers and migrants who experience abuse at the hands of […]
