“Top Biden administration officials meet with Mexican president amid record migrant crossings”

“President Biden dispatched top officials to Mexico City this week as migrants are crossing the U.S. border in record numbers and Congress has been unable to reach a consensus on funding border security.”

“Israeli Raid on West Bank Refugee Camp Kills 6, Palestinians Say”

“An Israeli raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank has left six Palestinians dead, the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.”

“‘Getting a bike was a resurrection’: the project donating bicycles to refugees”

“Most people seeking asylum in the UK are not allowed to work and receive as little as £9.58 per week to live on. Transport poverty is a growing concern, with people lacking funds to get to appointments. The Bike Project provides a solution – and you can help.”

“Finland to close all but one Russia border crossing to stop asylum seekers”

“Helsinki accuses Moscow of guiding refugees across border in apparent act of revenge for it cooperating with US.”

“Dutch election candidates make migration a key campaign issue in the crowded Netherlands”

“The migration debate in the Netherlands echoes across Europe, where governments and the European Union are seeking ways to rein in migration.”

“Afghan human rights advocate helps Portuguese city embrace fellow refugees”

“Fundão is a shining example of how both refugees and the communities welcoming them can benefit from inclusive policies and practices, boosting the self-reliance of new arrivals and reinvigorating local economies.”

“Canada to ramp up verification of student admissions to curb immigration fraud”

“Canada will step up the verification of university acceptance letters as it seeks to prevent immigration by fraudsters who target international students, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said on Friday.”

“Sudanese youth and refugee volunteers team up to help people fleeing Khartoum”

“Since fighting between two rival military factions erupted in Khartoum on 15 April and quickly spread to other parts of the country, the conflict has forced more than 5.8 million people from their homes, including more than 1 million who have sought safety in neighboring countries.”

“About 200 Afghan refugees to relocate from Pakistan to UK on charter flights on Oct 26”

“After the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in August 2021, over 3,000 Afghans, including a majority of those who worked for the British army, were evacuated to Pakistan and promised residence in the European nation.”

“'They couldn't go back to a normal life': How a Ukrainian refugee crisis changed a Polish city”

“‘I have a house and I hope I will be able to come back. All my children hope they can come back,’ she said through a translator at a local aid agency. Rzeszów, where Polishak now lives, is the biggest city in the Podkarpackie region. The region has six border crossings with Ukraine and has become the main conduit for people fleeing the war with an estimated 5.7 million refugees having crossed the border since last year.”

“Five things to know about the crisis in Sudan”

“Despite repeated announcements of ceasefires, the intense fighting between two military factions that erupted in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, on 15 April and quickly spread to other parts of the country continues.

“For civilians caught in the crossfire, the consequences have been catastrophic. Over 5 million people have had to flee their homes to escape brutal violence, most health facilities are no longer functioning and hunger and disease are on the rise.”

“Refugees Flee to Armenia as Breakaway Enclave Comes Under Azerbaijan’s Control”

“More than 1,000 ethnic Armenians fleeing the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh crossed the border into Armenia on Sunday, days after a military offensive brought the enclave firmly back under Azerbaijan’s control.”

“Venezuelan Humanitarian and Refugee Crisis”

“‘With an exodus of more than 7.71 million people (as of August 2023), the refugee crisis in Venezuela is the largest-ever refugee crisis in Latin America and one of the largest in the world.”

“Approximately 6.53 million of the refugees are located in Latin America and the Caribbean. Those who fled the country continue to ‘face challenges accessing food, housing, and stable jobs’ in their new countries of residence. As a result of these challenges, some refugees choose to continue their migration to other countries, and some have chosen to return to Venezuela.”

“Morocco quake survivors face futures in encampments without plumbing, electricity”

“Survivors of the Morocco earthquake grapple with the prospect of long stays in tent cities. Many survivors of Morocco's recent earthquake are in mountain towns where they live in camps without plumbing or electricity.”

“Darfur’s New Generation, Once Full of Promise, Now Suffers ‘Fire of War’”

“More than 40 people were killed late last month as they took cover under a bridge in Nyala, and at least 40 died in air raids in the city this month, activists and medical workers said. The discovery of mass graves, including more than a dozen last week by the United Nations, has raised fears of a resurgence of ethnically motivated attacks in Darfur — and pushed the International Criminal Court to begin a new investigation into accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the region. Frantic and sometimes competing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict — by the United Nations, African countries, Saudi Arabia and the United States — have gone nowhere.”

“Records show California prisons are reporting U.S. citizens to ICE, ACLU says”

“The advocacy group says California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation staff routinely assume people in their custody are deportable immigrants — even when their own records indicate they are U.S. citizens or immigrants who should not be deported.”

“Syrian refugees hesitate to move as Lebanon insists on their deportation”

“The displaced people are afraid of the security situation in their home country, the lack of job opportunities, the high cost of living, the collapse of the Syrian currency, and the absence of essential services.”

“Government's own experts found 'barbaric' and 'negligent' conditions in ICE detention”

“In Michigan, a man in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was sent into a jail's general population unit with an open wound from surgery, no bandages and no follow-up medical appointment scheduled, even though he still had surgical drains in place.”

“These findings are all part of a trove of more than 1,600 pages of previously secret inspection reports written by experts hired by the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. In examining more than two dozen facilities across 16 states from 2017 to 2019, these expert inspectors found "negligent" medical care (including mental health care), "unsafe and filthy" conditions, racist abuse of detainees, inappropriate pepper-spraying of mentally ill detainees and other problems that, in some cases, contributed to detainee deaths.”

“Iranian Mothers Choose Exile for the Sake of Their Daughters”

“The Islamic Republic — the theocracy that arose after Iran’s 1979 revolution — was never hospitable to women who rebelled against its strict religious codes for dress and behavior. But their perils were amplified by a revolt that began last September, set off by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, while she was in the custody of the country’s morality police.”

“Some mothers concluded that it would be better to risk their lives fleeing Iran to spare their daughters a lifetime under the authoritarian regime. These are the stories of three women who made that difficult choice.”

“Hotels occupied by resettled Afghans being cleared for small boat arrivals”

“Hotel rooms occupied by Afghan interpreters and soldiers who served with the British army are being cleared to house people who came across the Channel in small boats, the Guardian has learned.”

“Suella Braverman, the home secretary, has sent letters threatening to remove Afghans from hotels across the UK next month. But the Guardian has been told that many of those rooms will still be paid for by the UK taxpayer and are part of a 5,000-bed “buffer” for any surge in the number of people arriving by small boats this summer and autumn.”

“UNHCR warns of mounting violence against women and girls in eastern DRC”

“Shockingly, the latest data reveals that out of the more than 10,000 people that accessed gender-based violence (GBV) services in North Kivu in the first quarter of the year, 66 per cent of these cases were rape.”

“This, however, reflects only the tip of the iceberg for a number of reasons. Many survivors may be unable to reach life-saving GBV services or report abuse, out of fear of stigmatization by their communities or retaliation by perpetrators. Access to the displaced also remains a significant challenge both in terms of security and logistics.”

“Steep Rise in Numbers of Sudanese Refugees Fleeing Violence”

“Fierce fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) first broke out on April 15 and has descended into a brutal conflict, characterized by reports of sexual and genocidal violence and civilian casualties, and triggering an exodus of refugees.”

“Several testimonies and emails reviewed by CNN show that the American embassy in Khartoum destroyed the passports when it evacuated the country on April 22, citing standard procedure to prevent the documents from falling into the wrong hands.”

“What Links Meloni, Mussolini and Mediterranean Refugee Deaths?”

“Naturally, Italian government efforts to effectively criminalise migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean have only contributed to the lethality of the panorama and the re-victimisation of refugees.”

“In addition to promising to deport half a million refugees and migrants in a “mass cleaning” of Italy that would be undertaken “street by street”, Salvini warned that the country was “under attack” from Muslims and proposed a Mussolini-esque census of Italy’s Roma community for the purpose of expelling non-Italian members.”

“Florida Immigrants Detail Their Exit Following DeSantis Immigration Law: 'I had to leave'”

“They left without saying goodbye to their acquaintances and left their belongings behind”

“We are used to working here without anyone scaring us," she said. Now, “when I see police I am afraid that they will stop us, detain us and call the immigration authorities.”

“As Assad’s Isolation Lifts, Syrian Refugees Fear Pressure to Return Home”

“More than six million Syrians fled during the conflict that began in 2011, most settling in neighboring states like Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. For many, the restoration of normal diplomatic relations with the Syrian government holds out the terrifying prospect of losing safe havens and being forced to abandon the new lives they have painstakingly built.”

“Syrians Lose Hope for Loved Ones After Greece Boat Tragedy”

“The boat capsized in the Ionian Sea in the early hours of June 14. At least 82 are confirmed dead and, so far, only 104 survivors have been found. The fate of hundreds is yet unknown. Most of those who boarded the boat were men. Reports suggest no women or children are likely to have survived since they were held below deck, perhaps in an attempt to protect them from adverse weather conditions.”

“Afghan Refugees in Essex Told Hotel Accommodation Will End”

“There are 76 Afghan families in the county, with an average of five to six people in each, in need of permanent accommodation, according to figures from Essex County Council and Southend City Council.”

“Some families have 10 or 12 members and charities, councils and the Home Office have had to look for properties with up to five or six bedrooms. A charity that works with the refugees feared that half of the 410 people at risk of losing their accommodation could end up homeless.”

“Women’s civil society organizations meet to strengthen refugee response in Slovakia”

“Heorhii Markov, Assistant Director of Gender Stream, a Ukrainian CSO working on LGBTQIA+ and refugee rights, said: ‘There is a huge gap in data when it comes to the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals affected by the ongoing war – whether they are in Ukraine, Slovakia, Poland or Germany. We need to start listening to the LGBTQIA+ individuals about their needs, concerns and plans for the future.’”

“Millions of Syrian refugees face fight to reclaim homes, says human rights group”

“As many as 14 million Syrians face a near insurmountable barrier to returning to their homes after the government passed laws giving the state power to seize their land and property, according to a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights.”

“New York City Asks for Relief From Its Right-to-Shelter Mandate”

“Mayor Eric Adams asked a judge for permission on Tuesday to relieve New York City of its unique and longstanding obligation to provide shelter for anyone who asks, asserting that the immense influx of asylum seekers has overwhelmed its ability to accommodate all those in need.”

“GOP lawmakers revive DeSantis’ immigration crackdown — with some compromises”

“…an immigration bill that would require most Florida hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status…

The question on the admission form would be followed by a statement indicating the patient’s response would not impact their care or result in them being reported to immigration authorities. Tipton, a nurse practitioner, worries undocumented immigrants won’t believe it.”

“Biden Opens a New Back Door on Immigration”

“The measures, introduced over the past year to offer refuge to people fleeing Ukraine, Haiti and Latin America, offer immigrants the opportunity to fly to the United States and quickly secure work authorization, provided they have a private sponsor to take responsibility for them…

All told, these temporary humanitarian programs could become the largest expansion of legal immigration in decades.”

“Lawsuit over Florida migrant relocation program dismissed”

“A group of immigrant advocacy organizations that sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after the state paid to put migrants on a flight to Martha’s Vineyard have voluntarily dropped the lawsuit…

The notice didn’t detail reasons, but the lawsuit was based on a now-moot part of the Florida state budget… Facing a series of lawsuits over the program, the legislature earlier this year passed a new law that repealed the section of the budget that paid for the flights and created a new program, CBS News Miami reported.”

“The Ukrainian language classes helping Britons talk to refugees”

“More than 167,000 Ukrainian refugees have fled to the UK since war broke out, with many housed by British families who do not speak their native tongue. The University of Sheffield has launched a new language course aimed at helping hosts communicate with their guests…

While several of the students taking the class are hosting refugees, others have have different motivations for being here…

Dr Laurent Semichon, director of the university's Modern Languages Teaching Centre, says he hopes the classes will "bring people together".

‘This initiative is not just about language, it is also about creating a space where participants can share their experience and learn more about Ukrainian culture,’ he adds.”

Opinion: “The Dangerous Race to Put More Children to Work”

“The real target of these rollbacks (on work permit requirements, labor laws, etc.) is not after-school jobs at the corner hardware store; they will have a much bigger effect on a labor force that includes many unaccompanied migrant children who work long hours to make or package products sold by big companies like General Mills, J. Crew, Target, Whole Foods and PepsiCo. As a recent New York Times investigation documented, children are being widely employed across the country in exhausting and often dangerous jobs working for some of the biggest names in American retailing and manufacturing. (Several of those companies later told The Times that they would investigate any illegal practices and try to end them.)

Hundreds of children described in the Times report were working in violation of federal labor standards…

Many of the minors crossed unaccompanied from Latin American countries and may not know when their employment violates the law…”

“U.S. and Canada reach a deal to close a popular but unofficial border crossing”

“Starting early Saturday morning, migrants who cross into Canada between official ports of entry will be quickly returned to the U.S., Trudeau said at a joint press conference in Ottawa…

The U.S. and Canada have long had what's known as a Safe Third Country Agreement in place that allows them to turn back migrants if they cross through official ports of entry. But Canada has seen a dramatic uptick in traffic at unofficial crossings…

As part of the deal, Canada has also agreed to provide "access to legal pathways" for an additional 15,000 migrants per year from Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Department of Homeland Security.”

“US and Canada reach a deal on decades-old asylum agreement”

“The US and Canada have struck a deal on changes to a decades-old asylum agreement that would restrict certain migrants from seeking protections in Canada, two Canadian officials told CNN, marking a significant change in how Canada accepts asylum seekers.”

“Dozens missing in latest shipwreck off Tunisia”

“The Italian coastguard said on Thursday that it had rescued about 750 refugees in two operations off southern Italy, hours after at least five people died and 33 went missing in an attempted sea crossing from Tunisia.”

Update: “Tunisia migrants: At least 29 die off coast” - “At least 29 migrants have died after at least two boats sank off Tunisia's coast within hours of each other, officials say.”

“What to know about Ramadan and how refugees celebrate”

“Many refugee and displaced families will observe the holy month separated from those they love and their communities, far from their homes. While Ramadan is a time for celebration, for refugees, it is bittersweet as it is a reminder of a life that was lost.

‘Ramadan is a month of giving and good deeds,’ says Ibrahim, a Syrian refugee now living in Lebanon with his children. ‘Refugees who live in such difficult situations are eligible for Zakat, for help. They deserve support.’

Nearly 60 percent of all refugees and forcibly displaced people globally are from Muslim-majority countries – millions will be celebrating the holy month while facing poverty, hardship and uncertainty.”

“Border crossings from Canada into New York, Vermont and N.H. are up tenfold. Local cops want help.”

“On the snowy border between New York and Canada, the local sheriff’s office is calling for the U.S. Border Patrol to put more manpower behind what the locals call a growing crisis: The number of illegal border crossings in the area over the last five months is nearly 10 times what it was over the same time last year, and the border crossers are in danger of freezing to death…

The migrants are mainly from Mexico, and they can travel to Canada without visas before they cross illegally into the U.S., often to reunite with their families.”

“Italian Govt to Simplify Rules for Working & Residing in Italy for Foreigners”

“Amongst the main changes introduced, will be the extension of the duration of renewed residence permits for purposes of permanent work, self-employment, as well as family reunification, which will now be valid for a period of three years. Up until now, such permits had a validity period of two years.”

“Biden administration considering reviving detention of migrant families who cross border illegally”

“The Biden administration is considering reinstating the policy of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally, a practice President Joe Biden had ended when he came into office, two administration officials said.

It is one of several options administration officials are mulling as they prepare for the end of Title 42, the public health order that allows border agents to immediately turn away certain migrants who crossed the southern border illegally.”

“On Ukraine anniversary, EU pledges more support for refugees”

“More than 8 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the war, according to the United Nations refugee agency, and nearly 5 million have registered for EU temporary protection or similar national protection schemes in Europe.

Bartosz Grodecki, the Polish deputy interior minister, whose country has taken in the most refugees traveling westward since the start of the war, said his government was prepared to receive more people who could be displaced by a widely anticipated spring offensive by Russian forces in Ukraine.”

“U.S. has admitted 271,000 Ukrainian refugees since Russian invasion, far above Biden’s goal of 100,000”

“Just over two-fifths, or more than 117,000, of those who were admitted came via the Biden administration’s “Uniting for Ukraine” program, which allows Americans to sponsor Ukrainians to prove that they will be financially supported in the U.S. DHS, which administers the program, said more than 200,000 Americans came forward as sponsors.

About 150,000 Ukrainians came to the U.S. outside of the program, some through the traditional refugee program and other by crossing the U.S.-Mexico border prior to the program launching last April.”

“A year into war, U.S. sponsors apply to welcome 216,000 Ukrainian refugees under Biden policy”

“A year into the war in Ukraine, Americans across nearly 10,000 zip codes in all 50 states have applied to sponsor the arrival of more than 216,000 Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion of their homeland, according to federal statistics obtained by CBS News.

So far, more than 115,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the U.S. under the sponsorship program, which the Biden administration set up two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a large-scale military offensive against Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, triggering the largest refugee exodus in Europe since World War II.”

“Barring skilled refugees from work in the UK is a travesty that must be solved”

“Accessing most skilled roles requires English language tuition and requalification, the costs of which are prohibitive. As a result, we have neurosurgeons working as care assistants, marine engineers driving cabs, teachers with no students and lawyers stacking supermarket shelves…

We need doctors, nurses, pharmacists and vets urgently in the UK but when people with those skills arrive here, it is almost impossible for them to practise the jobs they know how to do. It is a travesty that must be solved.”

“Death toll climbs above 50,000 after Turkey, Syria earthquakes”

“The number of people killed by the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria earlier this month has now passed 50,000, according to the latest figures from both countries.

In Turkey alone, 44,218 people died as a result of the earthquakes, the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on Friday, while the latest announced death toll in Syria was 5,914…

Nearly 240,000 rescue workers, including volunteers, continue to work in the 11 quake-hit provinces in Turkey. Some of the areas affected by the quakes were initially difficult to access but recovery efforts continue and casualty numbers are rising as they progress.

There have been no reports of survivors being rescued in recent days.”

“Syrian refugees in Turkey face return to quake-stricken areas”

“Government directives issued after the earthquakes allow refugees in affected provinces to move around, but only for a limited time.”

“Syrian refugees in Turkey face harassment after quake: ‘I never felt this level of racism before’”

“(There is a) growing wave of resentment against the more than 3.6 million Syrians who have fled their homeland during its ongoing, 12-year-old civil war and settled across the border in Turkey, which hosts more Syrian refugees than any other country….

In recent days, with people’s grief morphing to fury, Syrians have become the target of a misinformation campaign accusing them of looting destroyed homes and stealing aid or blaming them as the reason for the cataclysm hitting Turkey.”

“Syria’s President Agrees to 2 More Border Crossings for Quake Aid”

“Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, has agreed to the opening of two additional border crossings from Turkey into opposition-held territory in northwest Syria to allow the United Nations to deliver humanitarian relief to millions of earthquake victims, U.N. and Syrian officials said on Monday.

The decision, which would let aid flow for three months, was the first time that Mr. al-Assad had cooperated in opening opposition-held territory to such assistance since Syria’s civil war began in 2011.”

“Here’s how to help victims of the earthquake.”

“Before you give, do your research…

Many national and international organizations are helping.”

“Afghan cartoonist, now a refugee, sheds light on plight of women”

"(Before the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan August 2021), Cartoonist Sayed Muhammad Hussainy’s sketches portrayed women as confident, colourful and playing important roles in society: athletes, doctors, teachers, engineers, and officers…

Now Sayed’s striking and unapologetic art has become mired with muted faces looking blankly back at the viewer as the chaos swirls around them, portrayed by strong downpours of rain or menacing men engulfing all of the space.”

“Hundreds of Children Seeking Asylum in U.K. Are Missing”

“The unaccompanied minors are mostly Albanian teenagers who had been living in hotels. Rights advocates and some lawmakers believe that they have been abducted by criminal gangs.”

“Children go hungry at Kenya refugee camp as malnutrition numbers soar”

""Malnutrition among children in one of the world’s largest refugee camps has surged over the past year as concerns grow at worsening conditions at the site in Kenya.

Médecins Sans Frontières said its health facility in Dagahaley, a camp in the Dadaab refugee complex, has treated 33% more patients – mainly children – for malnutrition over the past year, while the rate of malnourishment in the camps grew by 45% in the last six months of 2022.”

“On the high seas between Florida and Cuba, US immigration policy a matter of life and death”

“Nearly 5,200 Cuban migrants were interdicted at sea since Oct. 1 – compared with more than 6,100 Cubans intercepted during the entire last fiscal year, and 838 in the preceding year, according to the Coast Guard…

Now officials are hoping that President Biden’s new immigration policy for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua – announced just over two weeks ago that included a new path for legal entry – will deter these sea migrations in addition to stanching the far larger number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexican border.”