Newsday's series on Haiti rightly highlights the need for the United States to do more for Haiti ["International community needs to be involved for Haiti to rebound," News, Jan. 3]. We can start by treating Haitians who flee to this country fairly and not singling them out under discriminatory policies.
All Haitians who arrive on our shores, including children, are detained indefinitely without a chance of release -- the only refugee group to be treated this way. The few Haitians lucky enough to be granted refugee status are most often resettled to third-word countries and not allowed to stay in the United States.
Haitians are routinely intercepted on the high seas by the Coast Guard and often returned with little or no screening of their asylum claims. For those lucky enough to gain access to the U.S. asylum system, claims are usually fast-tracked in hearings as short as 30 minutes, often without legal representation.
The United States must change its policy. Haitians must be given a fair chance to voice their asylum claims and have the opportunity for parole. Those interdicted on the high seas should be taken to a transit center and provided a full screening by trained officials. Haitians already here should be allowed to stay temporarily until the violence has abated and Haiti is somewhat stable.
Megan McKenna
Editor's note: The writer is senior coordinator for the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children.
The United States is the world's leader in protecting refugees, yet there is one group of refugees that we treat differently from any other -- Haitians. U.S. policy toward them is distinctly unfair and discriminatory. For years, the U.S. government has feared an influx of Haitians to our shores and has gone to great lengths to ensure that very few of them reach our country.
The Haitian elections scheduled for Feb. 7 likely will further destabilize the country and result in increased violence and persecution and more refugees fleeing toward the United States.
The U.S. could ease some of this suffering by reversing its policy toward Haitians, giving them a fair chance to reach our shores and voice their asylum claims, and treating them the same as other refugee groups when they arrive.
Read more: An opportunity for U.S. to finally do right by Haitian refugees
New York, NY
As Liberia looks toward a new future with the inauguration of its new president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a key component of the reconstruction and future of the country is largely missing. Education remains a huge gap in Liberia, the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children found in a recent visit to the war-ravaged country.
“Education was the number one priority of nearly every Liberian we met,” says Lori Heninger, director, Education in Emergencies Initiative, who led the delegation. “A whole generation of young people has missed out on even the most basic education; they know how important it is to catch up and learn so they can be active members of Liberia’s rebuilding and its future. But at this point, adequate education is simply not available to them.”
Read more: Improved Education Key to Liberia’s Future Under New President
New York, NY
The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children today urged Senators to oppose several provisions of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 that would harm women and children seeking refuge in the United States. These provisions do not address immigration reform nor do they protect the nation from those who wish to do us harm.
“The United States must uphold its legal commitment and moral obligation to provide refuge to those fleeing persecution or abuse in their home countries,” says Joanne Kelsey, director, detention and asylum program. “Several provisions in the bill would further harm people already at risk, particularly women and children who are fleeing rape, honor killings, forced marriages, trafficking and recruitment as child soldiers, while doing nothing to make this country safer or to tackle real immigration issues.”
Read more: Immigration Reform Bill Harms Most Vulnerable: Refugee Women and Children Asylum Seekers
New York, NY
PRESS CONFERENCE, MARCH 14, UN PRESS ROOM, 11:15-11:45AM
Wolfgang Trautwien, German Ambassador to the UN; Carolyn Makinson, Exec. Dir., Women’s Commission; Thoraya Obaid, Exec. Dir., UNFPA; Anjana Shakya, Exec. Dir. Beyond Beijing Committee, Nepal
The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children today released a first-of-its-kind report on ways to mitigate widespread violence against displaced women and girls as they collect firewood. Despite the known dangers, these women and girls must collect wood to sell or cook with in order to survive in conflict situations around the world. The new report outlines a number of practical solutions that could save thousands of women and girls from being attacked.
“Every day, millions of displaced women and girls must collect firewood for their families in dangerous conditions, and are at risk of rape, assault, abduction, theft, exploitation and even death,” says Women’s Commission Executive Director Carolyn Makinson. “They have no choice—it’s a matter of survival. It’s time for the international community to take coordinated action to address this problem.”
The non-profit Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children has introduced a series of recommendations to significantly reduce incidents of violence against women and girls in areas of conflict.
Firewood is basic to survival as a source of heating and cooking fuel in camps for refugees and internally displaced persons. Yet the Women's Commission says millions of women and girls risk rape, assault, abduction and even murder every day while collecting firewood.
Carolyn Makinson, director of the women's group, says the risks associated with firewood collection have been known for years.
Read more: Women's Commission Aims to Combat Violence Against Women in Refugee Camps
Just collecting the cooking fuel essential for survival, millions of refugee and so-called internally displaced women are daily forced to put their lives at risk, says the first-ever report by the New York-based Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children.
Uprooted from their homes by armed conflict, persecution and humanitarian disasters, almost 35 million people in the world live as internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the borders of their own countries, or as refugees across international borders. But for women and girls living in IDP and refugee settings, life is particularly grim and surrounding threats are notoriously dangerous, according to the report.
"Every day, millions of displaced women and girls must collect firewood for their families in dangerous conditions and are at a risk of rape, assault, abduction, theft and even death," said Women's Commission Executive Director Carolyn Makinson. "They have no choice -- it's a matter of survival."
New York, NY
The Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this week that it plans to expand its family detention program – a decision that will cause undue trauma to women and children fleeing persecution. The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children contends that DHS is not prepared to safely house entire families of undocumented immigrants and urges the agency to reconsider any such expansion as it would be particularly hard on children.
New York, NY
The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children is honoring education advocates from Sierra Leone and Afghanistan at its 2006 Voices of Courage Awards luncheon on May 11 in New York City. Other awardees include an international network that promotes education in emergencies and Microsoft for its work providing technology to women in developing countries. Caroline Kennedy will be presenting the awards; Leslie Stahl is the luncheon’s host.
Christiana Thorpe has worked for decades to improve access to education for children and youth, including refugees and the displaced. She has done so as a teacher in her native Sierra Leone, a refugee, Sierra Leone’s first female Minister of Education, founder of the Forum for African Women Educationalists-Sierra Leone and a leader who has inspired local women to establish education for displaced and war-affected children. She was also recently appointed by Sierra Leone’s President to serve as the National Electoral Commissioner for the 2007 presidential elections—a first for a woman. Under Thorpe’s leadership, FAWE-SL has become the largest and most active Sierra Leonean non-governmental organization in emergency and basic education.
New York, NY
The Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children honored education advocates from Sierra Leone and Afghanistan at its 2006 Voices of Courage Awards luncheon on May 11 in New York City. The Microsoft Corporation received the Corporate Voices of Courage Award for its work providing technology to women in developing countries. An international network that promotes education in emergencies was also awarded. Caroline Kennedy presented the awards; Lesley Stahl was the luncheon's host.
The luncheon was the Women's Commission's most successful to date, raising more than half a million dollars and attended by 500 guests.
"Ensuring that education is provided from the earliest days of an emergency is vital to the survival and well-being of children in life-threatening situations," said Women's Commission Executive Director, Carolyn Makinson.
Read more: Women’s Commission Honors Education Advocates Worldwide
"Why am I detained here? I'm not a criminal...It's worse than being in prison. At least when you are in prison you know for how long you are there and why." These are statements made by refugees and migrants held in detention – simply for entering or remaining in a country or moving without authorisation.
States have the right to control their borders. But this right is not absolute. Fundamental human rights are not negotiable, and that includes the right not to be arbitrarily detained. Immigration detention - although permissible in certain exceptional circumstances - should never breach fundamental human rights protections, be used to limit people's access to seek and enjoy asylum, or be of an unreasonable or unlimited duration.
"Closed centres, camps, removal centres, airport transit centres… Call them whatever you like. They all amount to prisons. Slowly but surely we have criminalised asylum and demonised migration", said Anna Gallagher, Coordinator of the International Coalition on the Detention of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants.
To the Editor:
Re “When Genocide Worsens” (column, July 9):
We just returned from Darfur and can attest that Nicholas D. Kristof’s assessment of the situation as becoming more volatile and unstable since the signing of the May peace agreement is true.
While his suggestions to improve security are good ones, another priority should be to develop the skills of Darfuris, particularly children and youth. They are among those who will be responsible for rebuilding their communities and for working toward a lasting peace.
During this precarious time, it is critical that children and youth have access to primary and secondary school, learn livelihood skills and have input into decisions that directly affect their lives.
Secondary school in the displaced persons camps is nonexistent, and the Darfurian youth are increasingly losing hope for their future.
In some camps, youths are becoming desperate and violent; this also makes them ripe for military recruitment.
Given the proper tools and support, these young men and women can be conduits of peace, development and prosperity and the key to Darfur’s future.
Megan McKenna
Jenny Perlman Robinson
New York, July 9, 2006
The writers are senior coordinators, Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children.
Washington, DC
The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children today is releasing a first-of-its kind video to help unaccompanied immigrant and asylum seeking children who are seeking safe haven in the United States understand immigration court.
"What Happens When I Go to Immigration Court” will give children who arrive alone in the United States an overview of the legal process that will determine their future. Approximately 8,000 children seek safety in the United States each year; many are fleeing abuses such as exploitation, violence, forced military recruitment, forced marriage or harmful traditional practices.
"The Women’s Commission hopes that this video will help make unaccompanied children less fearful and better able to explain why they fled their home country,” says Executive Director Carolyn Makinson. “This could prevent children with legitimate asylum claims from being returned to life-threatening situations.”
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for inviting me to speak today. It is a great pleasure to be in front of so many VIPs, that is, very important people. My name is Juan Pablo Lopez Cruz. I am here today to share with you my experiences going to immigration court and why I think that this new video will help other teenagers feel more comfortable when they go to court.
First, I would like to share with you a little bit about my personal history.
When I was only fifteen years old, I was forced to leave everything behind in Honduras. I was searching for safety from my parents who abandoned and abused me over many years since I was a little child. When I reached America, instead of finding safety, I found a jail cell in a juvenile jail. I did not receive the attention I needed. This was in 2001 when the Immigration and Naturalization Service was in charge of the children.
Read more: Launch of "What Happens When I Go to Immigration Court?"
In "For Darfur Women, Survival Means Leaving Camp, Risking Rape" [news story, Sept. 16], Craig Timberg told the story of an 18-year-old Darfuri girl who was raped while collecting firewood. The reporter rightly highlighted a tragic and all too common occurrence worldwide. Every day, millions of displaced women and girls must collect firewood for their families in dangerous conditions and are at risk of rape, assault, abduction, theft, exploitation and even death. They have no choice; displaced families often depend on firewood for cooking and to sell to support themselves.
The international community can mitigate this serious problem. The United Nations should consider providing fuel to displaced families in the early days of an emergency. National and international security forces should provide transportation to firewood collection sites or routinely patrol the routes to them. Humanitarian agencies should promote fuel-efficient technologies and alternative fuels to lessen the need for firewood. To be effective, these solutions must be coordinated by one agency, implemented in consultation with refugee women and coupled with income-generating activities.
This a recurring nightmare that we can end.
CAROLYN MAKINSON
Executive Director
Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children
New York
New York, NY
After more than two decades of civil war, the people of South Sudan are coming home by the thousands, the majority women, children and youth. They are returning, however, to nearly nothing. Almost two years after a peace agreement between North and South Sudan was signed, progress has been slow to rebuild the devastated south; the returnees, particularly the women and children, are suffering greatly as a result. More must be done to provide opportunities for formal and non-formal education, effective skills training and employment, says the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, which just returned from a mission to the war-torn region.
"Many are coming home with nothing, to nothing and with no idea how they are going to survive,” says Protection Program Director, Dale Buscher.
More than 4 million Southern Sudanese were displaced within Sudan and more than 400,000 sought refuge in other countries during 21 years of civil war. In all, over 80 percent of South Sudanese were displaced during the war at least once.
Read more: Southern Sudanese Returning to Nothing; Vital Needs Must Be Addressed
Addis Abeba
Iraqis fleeing the violence in Iraq have sparked the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world, refugee advocates say, and is creating even greater instability in the region. The Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children urges the international community to immediately address the plight of Iraqi refugees and the displaced. The longer displaced Iraqi women, children and youth are unprotected, the more vulnerable they are to exploitation and abuse, as the Women's Commission has seen in crises worldwide.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that tens of thousands of Iraqis are fleeing the country every month. UNHCR officials estimate that up to 2 million Iraqi refugees have fled to neighboring states, while 1.7 million have been displaced internally. More than 480,000 are thought to have fled their homes in 2006 alone. The majority of the displaced are women and children.
Read more: Assistance for Displaced Iraqi Women, Children and Youth Must Become a Global Priority
"It's clearly not a setting that is appropriate for families," says Michelle Brané, an investigator with the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children who toured the facility late last year.
New York, NY
The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children is deeply concerned about proposed cuts in critical humanitarian assistance programs, including funding for refugees, in President Bush’s FY 08 federal budget request.
"With the growing Iraqi refugee crisis, continued instability in Sudan, and ongoing needs in other countries in Africa and Asia, this is no time to make cuts in programs that provide life-saving assistance to people displaced by conflict,” said Women’s Commission Executive Director Carolyn Makinson. “Eighty percent of the displaced are women and children, and they are often the most at risk of violence and abuse. Cutting funding to programs that help these women and children will increase their vulnerability and further reduce their already limited access to quality health care, education, and other basic services.”
Read more: President’s Budget Request Cuts Vital Funding for Refugees
New York, NY
First-Ever Report on Family Detention Slated for February 22 Release
The Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) will release a first-of-its kind study on the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) new family detention policy and practice on February 22, 2006 in Washington, DC.
The Women's Commission and LIRS in December visited two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities that house families in immigration proceedings, the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, TX, and the Berks Family Shelter Care Facility in Leesport, PA. Researchers found extremely poor conditions in the Hutto facility and less than ideal conditions at Berks. Full details and specific recommendations will be available in the upcoming report. Both organizations were denied access to a less restrictive shelter in San Diego, Casa San Juan.
Read more: Refugee Advocates Deeply Concerned About DHS’s Treatment of Families in Detention
The majority of displaced Iraqis are women and children, reports New York-based NGO Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, and they face particular dangers. "There are already reports of Iraqi women and young girls forced into prostitution … to survive," says executive director Carolyn Makinson. "It's time to make assisting displaced Iraqi women, children, and youth a global priority."
Washington, DC
Refugee advocates found prison-like conditions at the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) facilities that house immigrant families, including asylum seekers, who are in immigration proceedings. The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) describe their findings in a report released today, Locking Up Family Values: The Detention of Immigrant Families, which also lays out steps that DHS can take immediately to ensure that families in U.S. detention are treated humanely.
“As a country that supports family values, we should not be treating immigrant families who have not committed a crime like criminals, particularly children,” said LIRS President Ralston H. Deffenbaugh.
"(The) Homeland Security (Department) has to look for alternative models," said Michelle Brane, director of the Women's Commission. "Families should not be split or put in something that looks like a prison."
But the place isn't residential and it isn't a facility: It's a dressed-up penitentiary that should not hold children, concluded the 72-page report from the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, two advocacy groups that were allowed inside Hutto and the other detention center in Pennsylvania.
Organizations Laud DHS Effort to Keep Families Together but Call Center a 'Prison-Like Institution.'
The center, which the DHS opened last May, is an unacceptable method "for addressing the reality of the presence of families in our immigration system," says a report written by the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, in New York, and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, in Baltimore, and scheduled for release Thursday.
The nation's two family detention centers for illegal immigrants - one in Berks County, Pa. - are plagued by problems including inadequate medical care, lack of privacy, and abusive behavior by staff toward detainees, two advocacy groups alleged in a report being released today.
Of the two centers, the Berks Family Shelter Care Facility in Leesport has the more humane conditions, but even there detainees reported harassment by staff including the threat of separating parents from their children, the report said.
The groups, Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, based their findings on their members' visits and interviews with detainees. At the Hutto site, a child secretly passed a visitor a note that read: "Help us and ask us questions," the report said. The groups reported that many of the detainees cried during interviews.
Michelle Brané quoted, February 22. AP story picked up by The New York Times, The LA Times, Newsday, The Houston Chronicle, The Guardian, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The San Francisco Chronicle, the Denver Post, CBS News, Time.com, Forbes.com, FOXNews.com and many more.
Michelle Brané quoted.
Refugee women with disabilities- at higher risk of GBV. @DIsabilityNW @Disabilitygov @DisabilityNow @disabilityscoop http://t.co/v2fAjrMELE
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