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Advocacy 2009

The Refugee Voice | Take Action! | Spotlight on Issues

 

A vital part of Jesuit Refugee Service’s mission is to defend the rights of refugees and migrants throughout the world. JRS advocates for just and generous policies and programs for the benefit of victims of forced displacement, so that those made vulnerable by exile can receive support and protection and durable solution to their plight can be achieved.

In order to accomplish this goal, JRS/USA works with an international network of JRS programs in more than fifty countries as well as with other human rights and refugee assistance organizations to tell the story of the “forgotten” refugee. By bringing field-based accounts of needs that too often do not make the headlines to the attention of policy makers in the United States, and by proposing specific actions to meet these needs, JRS advocacy seeks to make a direct and lifesaving impact on the well-being of refugees and forced migrants.

A few of our current areas of advocacy are:

Detention

JRS/USA is deeply concerned about the growing incarceration of asylum seekers and other aliens in the U.S. federal detention system. Working in consultation with other organizations, JRS advocates for the reduced use of detention and for the use of other, less restrictive, forms of monitoring. JRS is currently working to improve the standards of care for those detained in federally operated, contract, and local detention centers, and to ensure that detained individuals of all faiths have access to religious services and freedom of religious expression.

JRS/USA also works with the International Detention Campaign to improve international detention practices, and supports its international efforts to stop the detention of children.

The Anti-Landmine Campaign

Each year, some 26,000 people are killed or mutilated by landmines, which pose a severe hazard to human life in some 70 countries. People displaced by humanitarian disasters are frequently the victims of landmines during their flight and are often prevented from returning home at the end of a conflict because the presence of mines renders their roads unsafe and their fields unfarmable. The elimination of landmines is a major concern to JRS both internationally and in the United States. JRS/USA supports the US Campaign to Ban Landmines which is working to further this goal.

The Bhutanese in Nepal

Bhutanese refugees in Nepal have languished in refugee camps for seventeen years while hoping for an opportunity to return to their homeland in safety and dignity. To date, no progress toward repatriation has been achieved, despite intensive diplomatic efforts.

In the absence of other durable solutions, JRS has worked for the resettlement of this community in the United States and other countries, and is supporting JRS Nepal in its efforts to ensure that the refugee population has full and accurate information on resettlement so that they may make an informed choice about this option. We are also working to ensure that the Bhutanese continue to receive adequate assistance and education while they remain in Nepal, and to organize volunteers in the US to provide a welcome for those who are resettled here.

Colombia

JRS supports a negotiated resolution of the armed civil conflict in Colombia and advocates for policies that will lead to a just and sustainable peace in that country. Toward that end, JRS has successfully advocated to encourage U.S. policy makers to shift the focus of U.S. foreign aid to Colombia away from military support, and toward greater contributions to humanitarian aid and programs for sustainable development. In cooperation with our partners in Colombia we work to protect the human rights and dignity of all Colombians, with particular attention to refugees and internally displaced persons, and to promote the participation of civil society organizations in Colombian politics.

Voluntary Repatriation

In the continent of Africa, the end of several long-standing conflicts over the past several years has made possible the return of refugees to a number of African countries including Liberia, Angola, southern Sudan, Sierra Leone, and Burundi. JRS/USA promotes continued international support to UNHCR repatriation efforts so that returning refugees can begin new lives and achieve self sufficiency, and works to ensure that assistance to repatriated refugees and IDPs is not withdrawn prematurely.

Sudan

The unending violence in Darfur remains a grave concern. Despite efforts by the international community, the Government of Sudan continues to fail to bring peace and security to the people of Darfur. As a result, hundreds of thousands of lives are now in imminent peril. JRS/USA urges the US government and the international community to hold those responsible to account, and to mount an urgent and adequately resourced campaign to save the lives of the victims of this conflict. Click here to view Mia Farrow’s Never Again photo presentation.

 

Sri Lanka

The deepening military crisis in Sri Lanka calls for urgent action by the U.S. and other major international actors to urge the Sri Lankan government to guarantee the safety and security of civilians in disputed territories and to ensure access to humanitarian organizations seeking to bring food and assistance to those stranded by the fighting. Working in cooperation with other non-governmental organizations, JRS/USA is working to encourage the U.S. government to take further action to provide protection to displaced communities in Sri Lanka and to bring both parties to the conflict back to the negotiating table.

For the latest information, please visit our Sri Lanka updates here.