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In this conversation, we'll here from Houston-area leaders who will share their strategies for welcoming newcomers to the region despite the Texas State government's hostility to immigrants and communities of color. We'll also explore how funders can support the work being done in Houston and beyond to welcome immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Find all program-related materials for GCIR's webinar "Protecting the Right to Seek Refuge" here, including the session recording and transcription of the meeting.
Amidst travel restrictions and other government responses to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as of March 17, 2020, temporarily suspended refugee resettlement departures—the actual travel of a refugee from their initial country of asylum to the country where they will be resettled. In addition to travel disruptions, the UNHCR cited concerns that refugees would be placed at a higher risk of contracting and transmitting the virus if they continued to travel as reasons behind their decision.
Join GCIR and leaders from the field for a conversation on how communities are working to both support newcomers as well as long-term residents.
We at GCIR are heartbroken about the devastating crises unfolding in Afghanistan and Haiti. Our country can rise to our highest ideals by providing protection to those who most desperately need it and welcoming them into our communities. Read our statement with recommendations for philanthropy.
Soon after the U.S. government’s hasty and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer, the United States received over 80,000 Afghan evacuees, many of whom were at added risk due to their association with the U.S. government during the two-decade war. Ninety percent of these migrants entered the country on humanitarian parole (HP), which allows them to live and work in the U.S. for two years, but does not provide a path to permanent residency, leaving them in legal limbo. The Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA), would allow Afghans with humanitarian parole to apply for permanent legal status and would expand the categories of Afghans eligible for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs).
Join GCIR in a dialogue with leaders who operate in both the traditional refugee resettlement space and who can share perspectives on the new community sponsorship program. Learn how philanthropy can better mobilize resources to protect those seeking safety and refuge in the United States.