The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is joining other refugee resettlement and policy organizations to call for stronger protection pathways for climate-displaced persons, including through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. In a September 7 letter to President Biden, refugee resettlement and policy leaders urged the use of existing mechanisms to extend protections to […]
Tag: Policy And Advocacy
Take Action: Support the Afghan Adjustment Act
The Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA) is a bipartisan bill that would provide a pathway to permanent residency to Afghans who were evacuated to the United States following the fall of Kabul in August 2021. It would also strengthen our commitment to Afghans left behind in Afghanistan and those remaining in third countries. The AAA was […]
Country Conditions in Afghanistan Warrant TPS Redesignation, Extension
Two years ago this week, the U.S. government began Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) to resettle tens of thousands of Afghans across the United States. It also ended the non-combatant evacuation operation to airlift at-risk Afghans from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Country conditions in Afghanistan have deteriorated in the intervening two years of […]
Never Again and Never Forget the Rohingya Genocide
Today marks Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day. Six years ago, violence and persecution related to the so-called “clearance operation” by the Myanmar military in Rakhine State forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. During this time, numerous human rights abuses were committed against the Rohingya population. The events of 2017 follow decades of persecution […]
Policy Brief: At Home and Abroad, Afghans Need Protections Two Years After Taliban Takeover
To mark the two-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, policy analyst Daniel Salazar summarizes the successes and failures in U.S. policies to protect at-risk Afghans, including U.S. refugee admissions, special immigrant visas, the Afghan Adjustment Act proposed in Congress, asylum, re-parole, Temporary Protected Status, and Special Student Relief. Click here to read the full Policy […]
Climate of Coercion Webinar
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and the Human Security Initiative (HUMSI) hosted a webinar to discuss our recent joint report “Climate of Coercion: Environmental and Other Drivers of Cross-Border Displacement in Central America and Mexico.” Droughts, heat, and storms often force crops to fail and businesses […]
Part 4 of USCRI’s Series: In Search of Safety
“We really need to be listening to children. With all kids, regardless of circumstances, spend some time to really hear them and that will be the safety and stability that they need in order to get the help they deserve.” Marie Olenych, Director of Trafficking and Human Services, USCRI. On this week’s installment of USCRI’s […]
Far Too Socially Distant: Trafficking in Persons Policy Responses for Governments in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
There are few places on earth nor facets of human life that the COVID-19 pandemic has not touched. From the empty, ghost town-like streets of Toronto’s financial district to the shuttered kibbeling stands in the Grote Markt of Amsterdam to the world’s largest airport, Beijing Daxing International, now quiet with its few masked passengers moving […]
Out of the Cold: Forced Marriage Trafficking Victims Need to Be Included in U.S. Definition
The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) was passed into law in October 2000 by Congress and President Clinton. At the time, it was praised as a bipartisan solution to address human trafficking as a distinct crime. Prior to 2000, human trafficking crimes were prosecuted using several different federal and state statutes that […]
USCRI Announces A New “Know Your Rights” Toolkit
USCRI’s Know Your Rights toolkit includes a guide for survivors of trafficking and asylum seekers to help them navigate law and immigration enforcement. The contents include: General tips On the street At home In a vehicle If detained Cannabis (marijuana) There is also a handy wallet-sized version in English, Spanish, French, Russian and Ukrainian. Click […]
