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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.
The Asylum Ban: One Year On
One year into the implementation of the Biden administration's asylum ban, this factsheet describes how the ban has been applied in asylum cases and the status of ongoing legal challenges.
Precluding Protection: Findings from Interviews with Haitian Asylum Seekers in Central and Southern Mexico
Drawn from over 100 interviews with asylum seekers and local service providers in Tapachula and Mexico City, this report discusses myriad barriers to protection and inhumane conditions facing Haitian asylum seekers in Mexico.
U.S. Should Restore Funding to UNRWA
We joined an open letter calling for Congress to pass legislation and for President Biden to support reinstating funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the principal aid provider for Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the surrounding region.
CGRS Advocates for the Protection of Climate Displaced Individuals in Inter-American Court Hearings
CGRS's Policy & Advocacy Manager, Felipe Navarro, intervened in the public hearings for the advisory opinion on the "Climate Emergency and Human Rights" of the Inter-American Council of Human Rights to address State obligations to respond to climate-related cross-border displacement.
CGRS instó protección para las personas desplazadas como resultado del cambio climático en audiencias públicas de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos
Felipe Navarro, Gerente de Incidencia y Política Pública de CGRS, intervino en las audiencias públicas de la opinión Consultiva sobre la "Emergencia Climática y Derechos Humanos" de la Corte IDH para abordar obligaciones estatales de responder al desplazamiento climático transfronterizo.
Submission to the UN CERD and CMW: Obligations of State Parties on public policies for addressing and eradicating xenophobia and its impact on the rights of migrants, their families, and other non-citizens affected by racial discrimination
This submission details the persistent challenges and dangers encountered by Haitian and other Black women seeking refuge in the Americas and offers recommendations to address anti-Black racism in laws and policies applicable to asylum seekers and other migrants.
Policy Solutions to Safeguard and Strengthen the U.S. Asylum System
In this policy memo the #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign recommends four practical solutions to ensure meaningful access to a fair and humane asylum process.
Legal Action Agenda for Climate Displacement
This agenda covers frameworks to support climate-impacted people who relocate across borders and those who are internally displaced, as well as strategies for supporting adaptation in place.
Agenda de Acción Legal para el Desplazamiento Climático
Ésta agenda abarca marcos para apoyar a las personas afectadas por el clima que se trasladan a través de las fronteras y a los desplazados internos, así como estrategias para apoyar la adaptación in situ.
Advocates Tell Biden Officials: Proposed Immigration Policy Changes Will Fail and Cause Great Harm to Asylum
We joined more than 150 organizations in a letter to President Biden urging him to reverse course following reports that the administration may wield its executive power to enact extreme anti-asylum policies.