The Senate is expected to vote on a bill on Thursday May 23, 2024 that would significantly limit access to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. This bill has been touted as “the toughest bipartisan border bill in a generation.” The proposed changes would constitute the most anti-immigrant and anti-asylum legislation in nearly a century and would […]
Category: Policy and Advocacy
U.S. Must Take Lead in Aiding Climate Migrants
By Eskinder Negash Special to The Seattle Times Two weeks after he took office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to study the relationship between climate and immigration. Later in 2021, the White House produced a landmark report on climate change and migration — laying out how storms, wildfires, droughts and floods can force people […]
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 […]
Starvation and Suicide: Refugees in Kenya Camps
The extreme cuts to food rations in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement in Kenya have led to deadly protests, suicides, and an inhumane situation for refugees seeking safety and protection. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is deeply disturbed by reports it received on the current situation in the camp, which has […]
USCRI Know Your Rights: A Guide for Survivors of Human Trafficking, Asylum Seekers, Parolees, and Immigrants
Regardless of immigration status, all individuals in the United States have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. The following guide is to inform survivors of human trafficking, asylum seekers, parolees, and other immigrants of their legal rights in various situations with law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The contents include: Your Rights […]
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, […]
The Situation in Sudan After One Year of Conflict
One year ago, Sudan erupted into widescale conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. Since then, the country has spiraled into an unmitigated catastrophe, one that has now displaced more people within its borders than any other crisis in the world. This report provides an overview of country conditions in Sudan […]
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 […]
