April 27, 2020 – On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued an interim final rule[1] (Rule) directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “to suspend the introduction of persons from designated countries or places, if required, in the interest of public health.” On the same day, the […]
Refugees International
Posted inOp-Ed
Yael Schacher: Remain in Mexico: A Year of Deliberate Endangerment and Evasion
February 7, 2020 – Two weeks ago, I traveled to the U.S. southern border for the tenth time in the last year to monitor the implementation of the Trump administration’s Remain in Mexico policy. The policy, which is a year old today, requires that asylum seekers wait in Mexico while they pursue their cases in […]
Posted inUS
End Inhumane Detention of Asylum Seekers Now, Says Refugees International
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2019 — Like many around the world and in the United States, Refugees International is shocked and gravely concerned by numerous recent revelations, frequently from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) itself, of inhumane detention conditions for asylum seekers, including children. A recent report by the DHS’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) documented […]
Posted inWorld
Forced into Illegality: Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants in Trinidad and Tobago
Jan. 28, 2019 – The Americas are facing their largest displacement crisis in modern history. Three million Venezuelans − about 10 percent of the population − have fled their homes to escape political repression, extreme food and medicine shortages, a lack of social services, and general economic collapse. International attention has largely focused on how […]
Posted inUS
Refugees International Calls on Trump to End Human Rights Abuses against Vulnerable Asylum Seekers at U.S. Southern Border
WASHINGTON, August 8, 2018—Upon return from a field mission to the border between the United States and Mexico, Refugees International (RI) President Eric Schwartz decried human rights abuses against highly vulnerable asylum seekers from the Northern Triangle of Central America. Schwartz, a former White House official and former assistant secretary of state for population, refugees, […]
Posted inUS
Trump Executive Order Fails to End Abuses at U.S. Border, Says Refugees International
June 21, 2018 – U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order (EO) on June 20, entitled “Affording Congress an Opportunity to Address Family Separation.” In that executive order, the president announced an intention to alter the policy of separating adult asylum seekers from their children by incarcerating adults and children together while the adults […]
Posted inUS
Report Card: The Trump Administration’s Performance on Refugee and Humanitarian Protection
June 20, 2018 – As we mark World Refugee Day 2018 on June 20, governments confront humanitarian challenges of enormous proportion, with more than 68 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) around the world. The U.S. government has long played a key role in helping meet the needs of refugees and IDPs. Thus, it […]
Posted inUS
Report: Meeting the Urgent Needs of Hurricane Maria Survivors in Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON, DC, Dec. 18, 2017 – Almost three months after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the citizens of the U.S. territory continue to face enormous challenges in accessing electricity, potable water, and federal assistance in repairing or rebuilding their homes. In response to this crisis, Refugees International (RI), a wholly independent, non-partisan advocacy group, conducted its […]
Posted inWorld
World Leaders Must Act on Rohingya Crisis
Washington, D.C. September 5, 2017 – Refugees International is outraged by the deplorable actions of the Myanmar military over the past several days. Well over 100,000 Rohingya from Rakhine State have been driven from their homes, and hundreds have reportedly been killed. Untold numbers are experiencing enormous deprivation and suffering as international humanitarian access is […]
Posted inWorld
RI Report Details “Hell” for Refugees and Migrants in Libya
Washington, D.C. June 1, 2017 – Whether in search of work or in transit as they seek safety or a better life in Europe, refugees and migrants in Libya face unspeakable abuses that include arbitrary detention, torture, rape, forced labor, kidnapping, slavery, and even death. A new report from Refugees International, “Hell on Earth”: Abuses Against […]
Posted inWorld
Refugees International: Many around the world will die as a result of Trump’s budget cuts
WASHINGTON, DC, May 22, 2017 – In a letter to President Donald Trump released today, Refugees International (RI) called on the President to delay his planned May 23 budget presentation, or at least elements related to U.S. humanitarian assistance, in view of detailed and credible reports received by Refugees International of massive planned cuts in […]
Posted inWorld
New Refugees International Report on Local Groups Delivering Humanitarian Aid inside Syria
March 15, 2017 – Refugees International (RI) released a new report today, “Aid Inside Syria: Time to Go Small in a Bigger Way,” which advocates for better support to small but effective Syrian aid groups getting much needed assistance to civilians in the war-torn country. The RI report finds that a number of the Syrian non-governmental […]