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Aviva Shwayder, Communications Officer

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Aviva Shwayder is a communications officer at Refugees International. Previously, Aviva worked on the National Democratic Institute’s Government Relations and Communications team and on BerlinRosen’s Issue Advocacy team. Aviva’s experience also includes positions at the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs, the Office of U.S. Senator Peters, and La Maison des Journalistes. In 2017, Aviva presented a research paper, “Media Framing of the Syrian Refugee Crisis in the US, UK, and Germany” at the Midwest Political Science Association Conference. She earned her B.A. in political science and minored in French at Middlebury College.

Blog Posts
One Afghan Asylum Seeker’s Hope for the Future: ‘Help People Get Asylum’
One Afghan Asylum Seeker’s Hope for the Future: ‘Help People Get Asylum’

Sofia ventured the perilous journey from Afghanistan to Turkey to Greece to find safety. However, after arriving in Greece, Sofia was shocked by her last hurdle to asylum: her asylum officer and translator’s lack of proficiency in English.

Meet Carlos González, a Venezuelan Journalist, Father, and Refugee in Trinidad and Tobago.
Meet Carlos González, a Venezuelan Journalist, Father, and Refugee in Trinidad and Tobago.

A Venezuelan journalist, a father, and now a refugee in Trinidad and Tobago. Meet Carlos González.

False Paradise: Caribbean Island-Nations Must Respect Venezuelans’ Rights
False Paradise: Caribbean Island-Nations Must Respect Venezuelans’ Rights

With the number of displaced Venezuelans on track to reach 3.6 million this year, small island-nations such as Trinidad and Tobago can’t ignore their responsibility to help.

Statements
Trinidad & Tobago: Return of Deported Children Gives Government Second Chance to Do the Right Thing
Trinidad & Tobago: Return of Deported Children Gives Government Second Chance to Do the Right Thing

The return of at least 16 children and an estimated 12 adults to Trinidad following their deportation to Venezuela gives Trinidad and Tobago a second chance to uphold their domestic and international obligations to provide protection for people seeking safety from danger, said the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Refugees International and 14 other organizations in an open letter to Prime Minister Keith Rowley today.

Refugees International Concerned about Reported U.S. Deportations of Venezuelans via Trinidad and Tobago
Refugees International Concerned about Reported U.S. Deportations of Venezuelans via Trinidad and Tobago

Refugees International expresses alarm about reports that the Trump administration has been engaged in stealth deportations of Venezuelans from the United States to Venezuela via third countries, including Trinidad and Tobago.