In June 2023, 600 people drowned in Greek waters after the fishing boat Adriana sank. Those 600 people had been fleeing their home countries in search of safety in Europe, but the Greek and Italian authorities aware of the sinking ship did not respond to the calls and pleas for help. The account of the […]
Category: USCRI Programs
USCRI Calls on Congress to Prioritize Human Rights Amidst Budgetary Negotiations
Current negotiations surrounding President Biden’s proposed budget have included suggested rollbacks of critical asylum protections, such as raising the credible fear standard, increasing immigration detention, and removing the long-standing, Congressionally-created parole authority. Negotiations over the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget in September included similar anti-asylum proposals that would endanger families and children fleeing violence and persecution. […]
International Volunteer Day 2023 “If Everyone Did”
International Volunteer Day is an annual celebration of volunteers worldwide. This year’s theme is “If Everyone Did”, where we are invited to imagine the power of 8 billion volunteers working together to foster inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable communities. This year, we want to highlight two incredible volunteers from our Raleigh, North Carolina office, Marci Curtis […]
Policy Brief: Let us not Forget that Asylum is a Human Right
In anticipation of Human Rights Day on December 10, Policy Analyst Aaron Nodjomian-Escajeda discusses the United States’ responsibility in upholding the rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as an original contributor and emphasizes that the right to asylum, which is currently under attack in the United States and abroad, is a fundamental […]
The 2023 Global Refugee Forum
From December 13 to 15, the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) will be held in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the largest international gathering on refugees and forcibly displaced persons, bringing together national governments, refugees, local authorities, international organizations, civil society, and members of the private sector. This is only the second GRF ever hosted. The first […]
Climate Displaced Persons Act Would Create Vital New Humanitarian Pathway
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is pleased that the Climate Displaced Persons Act is being reintroduced in the 118th Congress by Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Rep. Nydia Velázquez of New York. Climate-related events like storms, floods, and droughts are increasingly forcing people from their homes across the world. However, many […]
November 16: International Day for Tolerance
By: Rosalind Ghafar Rogers, PhD, LMHC, Clinical Behavioral Health Subject Matter Expert with USCRI’s Refugee Health Services in Arlington, VA Societies are more diverse than ever, but intolerance is growing around the globe. Our world is currently steeped in conflict, oppression, violence, and war, all of which inflict incalculable suffering on innocent people. Sectarian […]
Learning is a Lifeline: Access to Education for Refugee Children in Kenya
Across the globe conflicts are becoming increasingly protracted, new escalations of violence are occurring, climate disasters are more frequent, and humanitarian crises are worsening. Such realities are displacing more children than ever before and for longer periods of time. Many children are now spending their entire childhoods displaced, and for some, their entire childhoods in […]
Pakistan Must End Campaign Targeting Afghan Refugees
Millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan are at risk under a Pakistan government decree for Afghan nationals to repatriate to Afghanistan. Vulnerable Afghans face an unthinkable choice— stay in Pakistan with dwindling opportunities in an increasingly hostile environment, or return to Afghanistan, where they face persecution and other harm under the Taliban’s repressive rule. This […]
Practice Guidance on the Debt Bondage Repair Act
Traffickers often use financial means, such as control over finances, access to money, or amount of debt, to coerce their victims. Traffickers also may accrue significant debt in their victims’ names or force them to incur the debt themselves, resulting in poor credit. USCRI believes that survivors should have access to services to help them [...]