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Jan 15, 2014

Paving a Path of Welcome for Refugees: The Linking Communities Project

Bob Marmor, President and CEO of Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts, says the political backlash against refugee resettlement that has emerged in communities across the U.S. recently erupted in Springfield. The city’s mayor had pushed back against the resettlement of refugees there, saying that they place a burden on municipal resources and calling on the U.S. State Department to stop the flow of refugees.

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Jan 14, 2014

Update about the Lautenberg Amendment and Refugee Funding

Last night, appropriators introduced a $1.1 trillion government spending bill (H.R. 3547) which is expected to move through the House and Senate later this week. The bill includes a one-year extension of the Lautenberg Amendment, which previously expired on September 30th.

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Jan 13, 2014

Raising the Red Flag on LGBTI Asylum Obstacles in the U.S.

Raising the Red Flag on LGBTI Asylum Obstacles in the U.S. Jan 13, 2014 HIAS works diligently to defend LGBTI refugees from the Middle East and Africa. With 76 countries having severe criminal penalties for being gay, the most vulnerable group in the world today is refugees who are sexual minorities. They are the marginalized […]

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Dec 12, 2013

Report from the Field: Syrian Refugees in Jordan

With funding from the Jewish Coalition for Syrian Refugees in Jordan, HIAS' expert on immigration and refugee law and policy, Elissa Mittman, traveled to Jordan this October to begin to identify vulnerable Syrian refugees who are in urgent need of resettlement. Her report reveals a very difficult road ahead for refugees staying in the country for the indefinite future, as well as for those who need to find refuge in a third country like the United States.

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Nov 27, 2013

New UNHCR Legal Guidelines Step Forward for LGBTI Refugees

New UNHCR Legal Guidelines Step Forward for LGBTI Refugees By Rachel Levitan Nov 27, 2013 This year’s historic election-day wins in Maryland, Maine, and Washington supporting gay marriage are emblematic of the dramatic strides that the U.S. has taken to recognize the social and legal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals. […]

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Nov 27, 2013

HIAS Urges Israel to Adopt Humane Asylum System

According to Mark Hetfield, despite the efforts of non-governmental entities, even the most democratic countries struggle with refugee protection, often subtly undermining it. A new bill before Israel’s Knesset is particularly troubling.

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Nov 8, 2013

The Shadow of Kristallnacht

The Shadow of Kristallnacht By Mark Hetfield Nov 08, 2013 Merely remembering the horrors of Kristallnacht, the 1938 overnight Nazi-inspired rampage that destroyed thousands of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses, is not enough. 

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Nov 8, 2013

New Rules to Aid Syrians Seeking Asylum

New Rules to Aid Syrians Seeking Asylum By Julia Preston Nov 08, 2013 Melanie Nezer addresses the changes in the Patriot Act’s overly broad definitions of “terrorist activity” and “terrorist group” that have unjustly prevented thousands of refugees from receiving protection in the United States.

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Oct 25, 2013

Providing Detained Asylum Seekers Access to Representation and Justice

Providing Detained Asylum Seekers Access to Representation and Justice By HIAS Oct 25, 2013 Imagine barely escaping a targeted, brutal attack on your family by armed militants or experiencing persecution triggered by your sexual orientation, making your way to the welcoming shores of the United States—and being immediately detained and imprisoned without any access to […]

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Oct 21, 2013

HIAS Helps Garner International Interfaith Support for Refugees

Faith and protection—these are two values that embody HIAS’ work around the world, and these also were the two central themes of the United Nations Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) Dialogue on Protection Challenges last year, which inspired the drafting and circulation of the interfaith document Welcoming the Stranger: Affirmations for Faith Leaders.

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