

The Supreme Court’s Decision on the Travel Ban
In the wake of the Supreme Court decision last week, Refugees International released a statement expressing its continued concern about the so-called "travel ban,", aspects of which went into force last Thursday. In particular, the Court decision allows many of the original elements of the Executive Order to move forward, including restriction on entry into the United States by travelers from six Muslim-majority nations and a 120-day suspension of the U.S. refugee resettlement program. Read our statement on the Court's decision here and our Q&A on the travel ban here.
Eric Schwartz Joins Refugees International
Eric Schwartz joined Refugees International in June as its new president. Schwartz has had a three-decade career focused on humanitarian and human rights issues. Between 2009 and 2011, Schwartz served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration. As Assistant Secretary, he was credited with initiating and implementing critical enhancements to the U.S. refugee resettlement program, strengthening the State Department’s humanitarian advocacy around the world and raising the profile of global migration issues in U.S. foreign policy. Read our statement about Eric's arrival here.
Good News for the Health of Rohingya Refugees!
Partners on the ground tell RI that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Malaysia has been improving its referral system of Rohingya refugees in urgent need of medical care, ensuring that the most vulnerable cases are seen by medical professionals. This was a key recommendation in RI’s November 2016 report.
World Refugee Day 2017
As RI marked World Refugee Day 2017, the international community continues to face a number of massive humanitarian and refugee crises in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and beyond. More than 65 million men, women, and children are displaced today – the largest number since World War II. These historic and multiple refugee crises come at a time when countries are retreating from long-standing humanitarian commitments, closing their doors to millions seeking refuge. RI posted a series of blogs and other content helping people understand the depth of this global crisis.
"Hell on Earth": Abuses Against Refugees And Migrants Trying To Reach Europe From Libya
As Europe faces its largest movement of refugees and migrants since World War II, the majority of today's refugees and migrants are reaching Europe's borders by crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Whether they went to Libya to work or just as a place of transit on their way to safety and protection in EU countries, migrants and refugees who have spent weeks, months, or years in Libya face abuses that include kidnapping, arbitrary detention, torture, rape, forced labor, and even slavery and death. Read our report.
Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh
In this photo essay, RI Senior Advocate Daniel Sullivan details his recent mission to Bangladesh, during which he visited several makeshift Rohingya refugee camps. More than 70,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar, escaping severe human rights abuses carried out by the Myanmar military. This latest wave of Rohingya refugees join an estimated 500,000 Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh during past decades of persecution in Myanmar.
Advocates in Action
- RI President Eric Schwartz discussed the changing dynamics of migration at the InterAction Annual Forum.

- Dan Sullivan spoke at a UN Foundation event on World Refugee Day.

RI in the News
- On World Refugee Day, U.S. News & World Report ran an op-ed by Eric Schwartz and Dan Sullivan titled "A Brighter Future for Refugees."
- Hans Hogrefe and Eric Schwartz were quoted by CBS News, NBC News, USA Today, Al Jazeera, ThinkProgress, and Buzzfeed about the Supreme Court decision on the travel ban Executive Order.
- Eric Schwartz wrote about Uganda's welcoming refugee policy in the Washington Post.
- Izza Leghtas' recent report on Libya was extensively covered by the Independent. She also wrote about the EU's policies in Libya for Refugees Deeply.

Sign up for email | Unsubscribe | Donate
© 2017 Refugees International, All rights reserved.
2001 S Street NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202.828.0110 | Fax: 202.828.0819 | ri@refugeesinternational.org