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** July 2023 Newsletter
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FOR OVER 110 YEARS, ADVANCING THE RIGHTS AND LIVES OF REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS

HOPES FOR FREEDOM

Participants in USCRI Vermont’s annual World Refugee Day event playing games

Dear Friends,

As always, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants is grateful for the generous support of our donors and volunteers. Without you, we would not be able to provide vital programs to our new community members and support them on their journey.

This time of year, the importance of freedom is fresh in our minds. The freedom of movement, education, employment, and to be one’s true, authentic self are all close to the heart of our vision for our collective future. Yet, as important as this idea is to the aspirations of this country, we still have a long way to go before we see true freedom at home, or abroad.

In these past few months, we have seen significant hopeful news. From the announcement of re-parole for Afghans and the reintroduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act, to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extensions for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, the U.S. government has made important strides to ensuring those fleeing their home countries are able to remain safely in the U.S.

However, this news comes at the same time as UNHCR’s announcement that an unprecedented 108.4 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations.

These new protections, while important, are not enough to ensure the freedom and safety of those seeking refuge in the U.S. More must be done, from passing to Afghan Adjustment Act, to redesignating, not just extending, TPS, there is much more to be done until we can see our visions for the future become reality.

We hope you will continue to join us in our mission to protect the rights, lives, and freedoms of refugees and immigrants everywhere.

Thank you once again for your support.

Sincerely,



Eskinder Negash
President and CEO
USCRI

STATE OF MIGRATION EAST AND HORN OF AFRICA

Thank you to Amy Pope, Tsion Tadesse, Yemisrach Benalfew, Elizabeth Campbell, Joseph Sany, Andrew Cheatham, and Mohammed Abdiker for your insightful discussion.

On July 11, 2023, USCRI had the honor of joining the International Organization for Migration ([link removed]) (IOM), theEast Africa Community ([link removed]) (EAC), and theIntergovernmental Authority on Development ([link removed]) (IGAD) at the United State Institute of Peace ([link removed]) (USIP) for a discussion of the inauguralState of Migration in East and Horn of Africa Report. ([link removed])

This report focuses on the role of regional integration in advancing safe, orderly, and regular human mobility in the East and Horn of Africa region (EHoA) with a look towards policy and action. As one of the first comprehensive reports on this region, this represents an important turning point in how we think about migration and the opportunities it presents for the EHoA region.

“Our hope is that after 70 years of refugee warehousing in Somalia, in Eritrea, and in other places, it is about time we take this report and we support this report. The ideas in this report are something worth considering and supporting. I think this is the right time, with new leadership we believe we can change this dynamic and give refugees the right to work, the right to move, the right to own property, and to have the dignity that they deserve as human beings,” said USCRI President and CEO Eskinder Negash, in an introductory speech for the event.

Click here to watch a recording of the event and read the full report. ([link removed])

RE-PAROLE FOR AFGHANS

The flag of Afghanistan

On June 9, 2023, U.S. government announced the launch of the re-parole application process for Afghan humanitarian parolees.

Parole is a life-saving process which enabled the rapid entry and admission of tens of thousands of Afghans during and after the 2021 evacuation of Afghanistan. About 77,000 Afghans were paroled into the United States as a part of the evacuation beginning in July 2021. For many, the end of their two-year parole is approaching, meaning the lapse of their work authorization. The announcement of re-parole means many will be able to remain in the U.S. for another two years.

“While we recognize re-parole as an important achievement, Congress and this administration can still do more to offer continuous protections to Afghans,” USCRI President and CEO Eskinder Negash said. “The bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act ([link removed]) (AAA) would allow Afghans to pursue lawful permanent resident status in a streamlined and efficient manner,” said Negash “It is not too late for Congress to pass AAA, to put Afghans on the path to permanency, and to respond to other challenges obstructing the continued relocation of our Afghan allies.”

Click here to read our full statement. ([link removed])

TPS EXTENSIONS

#TPS ([link removed]) is vital to ensuring those fleeing temporary danger can find safety and remain with their families and communities.
Watch this video to learn more. pic.twitter.com/zjXUz2eF6e ([link removed])
— USCRI (@USCRIdc) May 5, 2023 ([link removed])

“The extension of TPS for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua is a welcomed but overdue action from the Biden Administration to protect those who have fled immense violence, climate disasters, and other extraordinary circumstances and found refuge in the United States,” said USCRI President and CEO Eskinder Negash. “However, we are concerned that the decision falls short of a redesignation of TPS for these four countries, which would qualify more recent arrivals to apply for TPS as extraordinary conditions continue to prevent safe return. We cannot rest on a premise of protection for some and not protection for all.” said USCRI President and CEO Eskinder Negash.

Read our statement on the recent TPS extension. ([link removed])

Forced Displacement Reaches Record Levels

The UN High Commission for Refugees published their Global Trends in Forced Displacement 2022 ([link removed]) report ([link removed]) , ([link removed]) which found that 108.4 million people were displaced worldwide by war, persecution, violence, and human rights abuses at the end of 2022.

“Another record-breaking milestone in forced displacement is a heartbreaking and sobering reminder of the challenges facing the world’s most vulnerable populations,” USCRI President and CEO Eskinder Negash ([link removed]) said. “The global community must scale up its efforts to address root causes of displacement, ensure adherence to international humanitarian law, and expand durable solutions for displaced people everywhere.”

Read our full statement. ([link removed])

WORLD REFUGEE DAY

Artwork by participants in USCRI Vermont’s annual World Refugee Day event

“When it feels like the rest of the world has turned its back on you, people need a beacon of light to navigate the darkness, and we can be that. "One People, One World."” - Kelly Peckinpaugh, USCRI

Click here to read what our staff have to say about the importance of welcoming refugees. ([link removed])

This year, the theme of World Refugee Day was “Hope Away from Home”, which called on us to find ways to ensure refugees are included in their new communities and given opportunities to thrive. The decision to flee and the transition to a new country are never easy. For many, the circumstances which forced them from their homes can feel like a shadow over them, but the support of their host community can bring light back to their lives.

“Despite the heaviness of the darkest shadow of the Talban over my family, there was a little but hopeful light that without doubt would make my daughters’ future bright.” - Mohammad Razi Ahmadi

We have the opportunity to be a light for those coming to our communities in search of safety and inclusion, through your support we can ensure refugees have the resources they need to become integrated, self-sufficient members of their new communities.

Click here to see how you can help welcome refugees in your community. ([link removed])

We are grateful to Mohammad Razi Ahmadi for sharing his story of hope after fleeing Afghanistan, click here to read his story. ([link removed])

OUR LATEST POLICY & ADVOCACY REPORT

Monday, July 3, 2023, was the hottest day on record. This milestone, measured by the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction, lasted only one day— with Tuesday, July 4,surpassing it ([link removed]) for the highest average global air temperature recorded. The World Meteorological Organization labeled ([link removed]) the first week of July as the “hottest week on record” alongside “unprecedented sea surface temperatures and record low Antarctic sea ice.” Consecutive days of record-breaking heat prompted renewed alarm about the current pace of climate change, which United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres this month called “out of control ([link removed]) .”

Read our latest Policy & Advocacy report on climate-related displacement and potential protections in U.S. policy. ([link removed])
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DONATE NOW ([link removed])

We ask you to help us support our new community members with a donation. Your support makes it possible for us to provide essential services such as transportation, emergency housing, food, and medical assistance.

Together, we can make a difference.
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USCRI, founded in 1911, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit international organization committed to working on behalf of refugees and immigrants and their transition to a dignified life.
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U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
2231 Crystal Drive, Suite 350, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 310-1130
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

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