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Asylum
As of May 2024, more than 120 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide. The Policy and Advocacy Division brings expertise from direct experience working with forced and voluntary migrants. In addition, we synthesize insights from USCRI’s programs with unaccompanied children, legal services, refugee resettlement, and victims of human trafficking to identify and create solutions for individuals whose protection needs fall outside legal definitions of refugee or asylee.
Read Our Latest Posts on Asylum
Lessons from Libya for Addressing Syrian Displacement
The First Libyan Civil War and the Syrian Civil War were part of the broader Arab Spring uprisings that began in late 2010 and spread across the Middle East and North Africa. Both civil wars began in 2011 and emerged from a wave of protests demanding democratic reforms and an end to authoritarian regimes. In […]
USCRI Know Your Rights and Safety Planning
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 non-U.S. citizens of their legal rights in various situations with law enforcement and immigration officers. The Know Your Rights guide contains information on your rights when […]
Island of Peace No More: Forced Migration from Ecuador
Cover photo: Fundación Municipal Bienal de Cuenca Ecuador, wedged between decades-long civil wars in Colombia and Peru, was once known as an island of peace in the Andes. In 2020, it had a homicide rate of 6.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the lowest in the region. Today, drug trafficking and associated gang violence have […]
Refugees
Thousands of refugee and immigrant children come to the United States alone or with their families each year, many having fled life-threatening dangers in their countries of origin. The Policy and Advocacy Division brings policy expertise to advocacy at the federal level, and translates what we see on the ground as a direct provider of services to unaccompanied child migrants through our shelter, implements what . In particular, USCRI engages in developing improved policy and advocating for vulnerable children in migration in the following areas: expanding legal protection for unaccompanied children, improving child welfare during and after government custody, extending post-release services and enlarging the number of child advocates, expanding of the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) program, enhancing screening for trafficking at U.S. borders, and increasing targeted programming for child migrants in Central America, among others.
Read Our Latest Posts on Refugees
50 Years After the Fall of Saigon: Refugee Stories From Vietnam
Photo credit: Les Bird, Along the Southern Boundary On April 30, 1975, Saigon fell. In the years that followed, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fled the country. Families were separated in the chaos. At least 800,000 took to the seas in search of safety. Many would spend weeks at sea, denied rescue by passing ships. […]
From Libya to Syria: Navigating Displacement Crises Post-Regime
Background The First Libyan Civil War and the Syrian Civil War were part of the broader Arab Spring uprisings that began in Tunisia in late 2010 and spread across the Middle East and North Africa. Both civil wars began in 2011 and emerged from a wave of protests demanding economic and social dignity, democracy, and […]
Situation Update: Sudan April 2025
The situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate as the country approaches two years in a civil war that has caused humanitarian catastrophe. War between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted on April 15, 2023. Both sides have committed atrocities. In January 2025, the U.S. Department of State determined that […]
Trafficking in Persons
In the United States, the scope of both domestic and foreign-national human trafficking is significant. Although the exact figures are unknown, most estimates converge on tens of thousands to low hundreds of thousands of new cases annually. As the national grantee of the Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (TVAP), USCRI is in a unique position to view trafficking issues across the United States and instigate policy changes based on the realities seen through the eyes of survivors. USCRI advocates for the following policy changes in the area of trafficking in persons: removing barriers in the certification process for survivors to receive benefits and services, an expedited visa process and work authorization for survivors, and increased funding for survivor services, among others.
Read Our Latest Posts on Trafficking
Moving Away from the Red Flag Framework to Combat Trafficking
Moving Away from the Red Flag Framework to Combat Trafficking This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA). The law established comprehensive measures in three primary areas to combat human trafficking: prevention efforts, protection for survivors, and prosecution of traffickers. In 2010, anti-trafficking efforts expanded to fostering partnerships […]
Decoding the Data Surrounding Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a widespread public health issue that impacts regions, countries, communities, families, and individuals. While the public has become more aware of human trafficking over the past 25 years, the true magnitude of this crime remains unknown. Global estimates of individuals in human trafficking situations range from 27 to 50 million. The discrepancy […]
Violence in Myanmar Intensifying Humanitarian Needs
The following was written as a blog post for InterAction by USCRI policy analyst Aaron Nodjomian-Escajeda in his role as the co-chair for InterAction’s Myanmar Bangladesh Working Group. Since October 2023, resistance forces in Myanmar have gained territorial control across different parts of Myanmar. Expanded resistance has been accompanied by increased losses for the […]
Child Migration
Thousands of refugee and immigrant children come to the United States alone or with their families each year, many having fled life-threatening dangers in their countries of origin. The Policy and Advocacy Division brings policy expertise to advocacy at the federal level, and translates what we see on the ground as a direct provider of services to unaccompanied child migrants through our shelter, implements what . In particular, USCRI engages in developing improved policy and advocating for vulnerable children in migration in the following areas: expanding legal protection for unaccompanied children, improving child welfare during and after government custody, extending post-release services and enlarging the number of child advocates, expanding of the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) program, enhancing screening for trafficking at U.S. borders, and increasing targeted programming for child migrants in Central America, among others.
Read Our Latest Posts on Child Migration
Webinar: Addressing the Needs of Unaccompanied & Separated Children in Displacement Settings
Unaccompanied and separated children are among the most vulnerable populations affected by conflict and humanitarian crises. They face heightened risks of violence, exploitation, and neglect, with significant barriers to accessing essential services and protection mechanisms. In East Africa and surrounding subregions, children have been forced to migrate as violence, unrest, and climate shocks worsen. To […]
When Home is Gone: Unaccompanied & Separated Children in East Africa
Imagine you are a child, living in armed conflict when suddenly explosions fill your community and destruction surrounds you—you flee—and as people scatter, screaming and running for safety, you lose sight of your parents in the chaos. Home is gone and so is your family. Imagine you are a child, and severe drought has gripped […]
United Voices: Answering the Call of Immigrant Children & Youth
Without the inclusion of children and youth in our present, there can be no sustainable future or peace. They are the next generation; not only will they inherit the consequences of our decisions, but they already bear the greatest burdens of our inaction. Children and youth are grappling with a lack of safety and stability […]
Climate Migration
In recent years, the changing world environment has exacerbated migration pressures worldwide. With global climate change, desertification, and rising oceans, the concept of “environmental refugees” has gained prominence in policy discussions and public consciousness. Environmental refugees are those migrants forced to leave their homes due to environmental disruption that jeopardizes their existence and quality of life. As a signing member of InterAction’s Global Compact on Environmental Refugees, USCRI’s Policy and Advocacy Division develops innovative policy around this more novel area of environmental-refugee advocacy to ensure that these vulnerable refugees access the rights afforded to them under international law.
Read Our Latest Posts on Climate Migration
What is Climate Migration?
In 2024, extreme weather events forced more than 800,000 people from their homes—the highest year on record. Climate-related environmental disasters are becoming only more common. Despite this mounting crisis, there remains no reliable humanitarian immigration pathway for people seeking safety from environmental disaster. People forced to move because of climate-related environmental disasters lack legal […]
United Nations to Conservationists: ‘Stop Displacing Indigenous Peoples’
By Alexia Gardner Photo credit: Alex Reep Before becoming a crown jewel of the conservation movement, most U.S. national parks were home to thriving Indigenous communities. The Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot lived in Acadia, while the Hopi and Navajo tribes were amongst those who called Zion their home. The founding of the National […]
Webinar: Mobility and Climate Change
To adapt to a changing environment, increasing numbers of people will be on the move. But current legal frameworks have significant protection gaps. While international refugee law has the potential to be a crucial mechanism in responding to climate displacement, it will not protect all climate-displaced individuals. There are few pathways for climate-displaced people to seek safety outside of […]
