The theme for the 2018 International Day of Peace (Friday, Sept. 21) is The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on Dec. 10, 1948, to recognize “the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human race.” …
Central American migrants face perilous journey
Irregular migration through Mexico to the United States has occurred for decades. However, the growing number of Central American migrants (mainly from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras) crossing Mexico and the evolution of border controls and enforcement require further scrutiny. The hard security policies implemented at the U.S.-Mexico border are diligently being enforced throughout Mexico and are extending to the …
Inaccessible? Untangling the current U.S. refugee program
Until recently, the United States was the world’s most generous donor of humanitarian assistance to displaced persons and had the largest resettlement program. But the Trump administration’s new immigration policies appear to be making the United States increasingly less safe and inaccessible for refugees and asylum seekers. Published in The Ploughshares Monitor Volume 39 Issue 3 Autumn 2018 by Sonal Marwah All …
Syria: Fractured by war
No war in recent history has been as divisive as the war in Syria. In addition to fracturing Syrian society, it has galvanized, polarized, and even radicalized those who have reported on it. While President Bashar al-Assad’s cheerleading squad has brought together an amalgamation of unlikely supporters, ranging from White Nationalists to Shia militants, the advocates of regime change have …
Untangling the current U.S. refugee program
With 25.4 million refugees, the world is experiencing the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War. Until recently, the United States was the world’s most generous donor of humanitarian assistance to displaced persons and had the largest resettlement program. But the Trump administration’s new immigration policies appear to be making the United States increasingly less safe and inaccessible for …
Fortress Europe
Understanding the June 2018 EU migration deal Following two days of fraught negotiations, EU leaders reached a key agreement on migration on June 29 that aims to alleviate rising tensions over the handling of the arrival of migrants on European shores. The electoral victories of right-wing, populist candidates—some, on an openly hostile anti-immigration agenda—have catapulted this issue to the forefront of …
A race to the bottom on migration
The European Union has recently weakened protections for migrants under the guise of cooperation, writes Cesar Jaramillo, warning of a downward trend. Mere hours before 100 African migrants drowned off the coast of Libya on June 29, European Union leaders appeared cautiously optimistic about a key agreement on migration struck at a two-day EU summit in Brussels. But the deal, which calls for the establishment …
The U.S. is less safe than ever for refugees, evidence filed in court challenge shows
News Release July 4, 2018 Version français The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR), Amnesty International (AI) and the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) yesterday completed filing extensive evidence in Federal Court to support their legal challenge of the designation of the United States as a safe third country for refugees. “Canadians have seen over the last few weeks how refugees …
Ploughshares presents: The Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement: What’s at stake?
On April 10, to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of Refugee Rights Day in Canada, which is celebrated on April 4, Project Ploughshares and the Commission on Justice and Peace of the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) co-hosted a public engagement on “The Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement: What’s at stake?” in Waterloo. The objective was to learn about, and reflect …
Reflecting on current problems and possible solutions
By Sonal Marwah and Michelle Ball* On June 20, we celebrate World Refugee Day. The occasion focuses attention on the plight of refugees and displaced people around the world, but also celebrates their strength and perseverance as they build new lives. It is a time to remember that today, one in every 113 people on Earth has been forced to …