We Must Reaffirm not "Reform" the Refugee Convention
Policy Memo
October 7, 2025
We must reaffirm the Refugee Convention, not destroy it under the guise of "reform."
Policy Analysis and Recommendations
The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) is a leading voice in the movement to rebuild the U.S. asylum system and expand access to protection for women, children, LGBTQ+ people, and others seeking refuge. Our Policy & Advocacy team serves as a critical resource on asylum to policymakers, journalists, and the public. We provide rapid analysis of policy developments and offer practical recommendations for decision-makers at all levels of government, advising our leaders on how to ensure the United States lives up to its legal and moral commitments to people fleeing persecution.
Submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants
Human Rights Body Submission
June 10, 2025
This submission details the US–El Salvador agreement transferring 288 people to indefinite, incommunicado detention at CECOT, El Salvador’s mega-prison, and urges the UN Special Rapporteur on migrants to demand due process and transparency.
The Impact of U.S. Immigration and Border Externalization Policies on Haitian and Other Black Refugees, Asylum-Seekers, and Migrants
Human Rights Body Submission
April 7, 2025
This submission to the UN Human Rights Council documents how current U.S. policies denying migrants the right to seek asylum violate both domestic and international law, and have a disproportionate impact on Haitian and other Black asylum seekers forced to stay in Mexico.
Webinar: Migration Policy Under the Trump Administration: What’s Changing and What’s at Stake?
Video
March 5, 2025
This webinar explores the Trump administration’s migration policies, including asylum restrictions, TPS terminations, border militarization, and migrant transfers to third countries. Panelists discuss legal, humanitarian, and due process implications.
The Chile Declaration and Plan of Action 2024–2034: A Blueprint for Addressing Climate and Disaster-Related Displacement in the Americas
Policy Memo
February 3, 2025
This policy memo examines key elements of the Chile Declaration and Plan of Action, focusing on climate and disaster-related displacement, protection and cooperation measures, and advocacy opportunities to support its implementation over the next decade.
La Declaración y el Plan de Acción de Chile 2024–2034: Una hoja de ruta para abordar el desplazamiento relacionado con el clima y los desastres en las Américas
Policy Memo
February 3, 2025
Este informe analiza los elementos clave de la Declaración y el Plan de Acción de Chile, con un enfoque en el desplazamiento por el clima y desastres, las medidas de protección y cooperación, y las oportunidades de incidencia para su implementación en la próxima década.
El retorno de Trump: Medidas ejecutivas que amenazan los derechos y la protección de las personas refugiadas y migrantes
Factsheet
January 24, 2025
Este memorando analiza acciones ejecutivas tomadas por el presidente Trump en enero de 2025, enfocándose en su impacto en quienes buscan protección en Estados Unidos, la comunidad inmigrante y sus implicaciones más amplias para América Latina y el Caribe.
Trump's Return: Executive Actions Threatening the Rights and Protection of Refugees and Migrants
Policy Memo
January 24, 2025
This document analyses President Trump's January 2025 executive actions, focusing on their impact on asylum seekers, immigrant communities in the United States, and broader implications for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Qué esperar de Trump 2.0: la expansión de restricciones al asilo y la externalización de la frontera
Factsheet
November 12, 2024
Qué esperar de Trump 2.0: la expansión de restricciones al asilo y la externalización de la frontera
Esta hoja informativa analiza el esperado endurecimiento de políticas de asilo y fronterizas bajo el segundo mandato de Trump, incluyendo restricciones al acceso al asilo, externalización fronteriza, aumento de deportaciones y reducción de vías migratorias regulares.
Submission to the UN Human Rights Commissioner on Principles Provisions and Pathways to Reparatory Justice for Africans and People of African Descent
Human Rights Body Submission
October 7, 2024
CGRS submitted input to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent on the the sexual and gender-based violence that Haitian and other Afro-descendant asylum seekers face on their journey to safety through the Darién region.