Asylum and Its Discontents in the United States
Among the 10 people arrested and accused of “conspiring to act as unlawful agents of the Russian Federation within the United States” and “conspiracy to commit money laundering” are “Vicky Pelaez and the defendant known as ‘Juan Lazaro,’” her husband, both residents of Yonkers, New York. Ms. Pelaez is a journalist and a native Peruvian. While working … Read more
Beatrice Munyenyezi, 40, of Manchester, New Hampshire was indicted last week on two counts of lying to obtain her U.S. citizenship. According to a report from the Associated Press, Ms. Munyenyezi left Rwanda in 1994 after the genocide that killed over 800,000 people. She entered the U.S. as a refugee in 1998 and became a permanent … Read more
According to a recent report, about 4,000 people known to be stateless are living in the United States. Probably, many more are living here under the radar. Refugees International reports that there are over 12 million stateless people world-wide: “Statelessness results from factors such as political change, border demarcation or secession, forced expulsion, discrimination, nationality … Read more
The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a revised policy statement on Female Genital Mutilation (also called Female Genital Circumcision or Cutting). The new statement reads as follows: The traditional custom of ritual cutting and alteration of the genitalia of female infants, children, and adolescents, referred to as female genital mutilation or female genital cutting … Read more
In November 2010, the United States will undergo its first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) with the United Nations Human Right Council. This human rights mechanism, established in 2006, periodically reviews all member states regarding their compliance with their human rights obligations and commitments. The UPR offers an opportunity to pressure the U.S. government to comply … Read more
The U.S. is not the only country that detains asylum seekers. Nor is it the only country where asylum seekers allege abuses during detention. Four female asylum seekers in Great Britain have brought suit claiming that they were abused at that country’s Yarl’s Woods detention center, a 405-bed detention facility for women and families. The Guardian reports … Read more
In an article about Mexicans seeking asylum for fear of drug violence, John Feere writes on the Center for Immigration Studies website that: it should be obvious to any Immigration Judge that our nation’s asylum laws are not applicable to the situation at hand. Nevertheless, if they are successful it would represent a massive expansion … Read more
Human Rights First is commemorating the Refugee Protection Act with a new video, featuring a bi-partisan group of commentators. I particularly like the quote from Zbigniew Brzezinski, that helping refugees is not only true to America’s moral values, but it has enriched our nation. From the HRF website: The 30th Anniversary of this landmark piece of legislation … Read more
Now that the State Department Report on Human Rights Practices is out, the critics are weighing in. Mark Weisbrot writes in the Guardian that “After Abu Ghraib, Gitmo and extraordinary renditions, other countries now challenge America’s standing on human rights.” In his piece, “Who is America to Judge?,” Weisbrot writes: Clearly, a state that is … Read more
The U.S. State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices were released today. Secretary of State Clinton described the purpose of the report: These reports are an essential tool—for activists who courageously struggle to protect rights in communities around the world; for journalists and scholars who document rights violations and who report on the work … Read more