B Stands for Beijing 

Good afternoon, 

The 2022 Winter Olympics are getting started in Beijing. The games bring together some of the best athletes in the world to compete. However, this year’s games, in addition to facing COVID-19 restrictions, are entangled in significant controversy over China’s human rights abuses.  

The international community has long been concerned about China’s treatment of the Uyghurs, a mostly Muslim ethnic group mainly in the western Xinjiang province. Millions of Uyghurs have been imprisoned for years in Chinese ‘re-education camps,’ facing forced labor, abuse and torture. Women have also been subjected to systematic sexual abuse and forced sterilizations. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has declared the actions as genocide and crimes against humanity.  

Uyghurs hoping to escape to other countries do not have a clear path to resettlement. China has pressured neighboring countries to return Uyghurs who have illegally left the country. Uyghurs also have a difficult time reaching the U.S., which, disappointingly, resettled zero Uyghur refugees during the 2021 fiscal year. Approximately 800 Uyghurs already in the United States are awaiting an asylum decision and are caught in a case backlog with a wait time of approximately four and half years.  

With the prominence of the Olympics and the leadup to the Games, more people have become aware of the situation facing the Uyghur people. Several countries, including the United States, are diplomatically boycotting the games and sending no government officials to Beijing. The U.S., U.K., Canada and European Union have also imposed sanctions on high-ranking Chinese officials. 

The Biden administration has declared the Uyghurs as a priority group for refugee resettlement in 2022. Resettlement agencies, however, are still recovering from the previous years’ COVID-19 challenges and record low admission numbers. In Congress, the House of Representatives will soon vote on the America COMPETES Act. One provision in this legislation would give Uyghurs who have fled China direct access to the refugee resettlement program. Additionally, Hong Kongers who are currently in the U.S. would receive Temporary Protected Status (TPS). 

There is much work to be done to improve the situation of Uyghurs both inside and outside of China. Given the complex geopolitics at play in the region, there is no single solution to stop China’s abuses. Immigration solutions are but one important part of the puzzle. I hope you’ll continue to join the National Immigration Forum in pushing for immigration policies that benefit us all. 

Stay healthy and hopeful, 

Nora 

P.S. In case you missed it, the Forum recently teamed up with Refugee Council USA for a Facebook Live to discuss the Biden Administration’s work regarding immigration this past year. Click here to watch the recording. 

Nora Coyne 
Senior Field and Constituencies Associate  
National Immigration Forum