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.
State Department Sabotages Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Factsheet
October 2, 2025
The Trump administration is undermining the integrity of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, injecting incomplete or misleading information into critical legal processes that rely on professional, unbiased research.
O.C.V. v. Bondi: Tenth Circuit Vacates Matter of M-R-M-S-
Factsheet
August 27, 2025
This factsheet provides an overview of the Tenth Circuit's published decision in O.C.V. v. Bondi, vacating the Board of Immigration Appeals decision Matter of M-R-M-S-, which had established a heightened nexus standard in asylum cases.
CGRS 2025 Webinar Directory
Video
August 7, 2025
This document lists all of the recorded webinars presented by CGRS staff attorneys since February 2025 that are accessible to all registered CGRS TA users at any time through our online TA library.
CGRS Update: Summary of New Asylum Fees (July 2025)
Factsheet
July 11, 2025
This resource summarizes the new and/or increased asylum fees imposed by the July 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
The IACtHR’s Advisory Opinion on the Climate Emergency: An Important Step for the Protection of Climate-Displaced Individuals
Report
July 7, 2025
This analysis unpacks the Inter-American Court’s Advisory Opinion on the Climate Emergency and Human Rights, highlighting key findings on cross-border displacement and offering recommendations to enhance protection and support advocacy.
Submission to the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
Human Rights Body Submission
June 18, 2025
Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food outlining how climate change, land dispossession, and extractive policies in Honduras are driving hunger, displacement, and violence, and undermining the rights of Indigenous and rural communities.
Presentación al Relator Especial sobre el derecho a la alimentación
Human Rights Body Submission
June 18, 2025
Petición presentada al Relator Especial de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho a la Alimentación, en el que se expone cómo el cambio climático, el despojo de tierras y las políticas extractivas en Honduras están provocando hambre, desplazamiento y violencia, y socavando los derechos de las comun
Third Country Removals: Legal Protections and Compliance Concerns
Factsheet
June 17, 2025
This factsheet outlines the legal framework, limits, and procedural safeguards for U.S. third country removals. It highlights compliance concerns and distinctions from safe third country agreements.
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.