Five Country Conference Watch

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) there are currently approximately 15.4 million refugees and 937,000 asylum seekers worldwide. However, instead of simply talking about numbers, each figure must be thought of as an individual case, each with their own story and struggles; and each facing a long and difficult journey finding security and protection. With the ongoing conflict and unrest in the Middle East and Africa regions, refugee and asylum seeker issues have now, more than ever, demanded attention globally as a platform for grave concern. Amnesty International urges New Zealand to ensure it meets its responsibilities as a global player and reaffirm its long standing international reputation as a protector of human rights by continuing to ensure the promotion, protection and recognition of these most vulnerable groups.

This report opens with an overview of current policy, discussing the threshold of what constitutes asylum and the procedures for obtaining it. The second portion of the report identifies the top sending countries and includes a time series analysis of six selected source countries for asylum seekers. The third section of the report analyzes asylum approvals by country of origin. The report rounds out with a discussion of selected legislative policy issues.

This paper will provide an overview of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and some of the new ways refugee resettlement has affected communities. It will also explore the recent rise in anti-refugee sentiment and activity in three states. The paper includes recommendations for mitigating anti-refugee sentiment, fighting anti-resettlement efforts when they emerge, and strengthening the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The goal of these recommendations is to ensure that the U.S. continues to lead the world in providing a safe haven to refugees, to integrate newcomers successfully, and to create and maintain thriving, diverse communities that are a model for the rest of the world.

In October 2008, LIRS initiated a cost analysis of the services to newly arrived refugees. The study focused on the activities required by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM). Known as the Reception and Placement Program, this program is the one common set of services provided to all refugees resettled in the United Sates and is administered through voluntary agencies like LIRS. At the time, this grant was $850 per capita, half of which was set aside for the direct needs of the refugee while the other half was reserved for operational costs associated with service provision within a refugee’s first 90 days in the United States. The study found that the cost per individual refugee ranged from $1,651 to $3,945. In January 2010 PRM increased the grant to $1,800 per capita.

Detention Action has published a new report, showing that the government’s policy of detaining asylum seekers in immigration removal centres while their asylum applications are processed is dysfunctional, ineffective and can lead to a deprivation of liberty for weeks or months.

The site based on a study by Amnesty International and University of New South Wales focusing on expense of off-shore processing of asylum seekers in Australia.