U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday the United States would cap the number of refugees allowed into the country at 30,000 for fiscal year 2019, a sharp drop from a limit of 45,000 it set for 2018. "We proposed resettling up to 30,000 refugees under the new refugee ceiling as well as processing more than 280,000 asylum seekers," Pompeo said in an announcement at the State Department, calling the United States "the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration." "This year's proposed refugee ceiling must be considered in the context of the many other forms of protection and assistance offered by the United States," he said. Refugee advocates quickly condemned the lower cap. "Today's announcement... is a shameful abdication of our humanity in the face of the worst refugee crisis in history," Jennifer Quigley, of Human Rights First, said in a statement. Pompeo said the new limit reflected the administration's preference for settling refugees … [Read more...] about US to sharply limit refugee flows to 30,000 in 2019
Syrian refugees
Syrian refugee return must be voluntary, UN tells US, Moscow
UNITED NATIONS — Any return of Syrian refugees from countries across the region must be conducted on a strictly voluntary basis, the United Nations stressed on Monday, after Moscow unveiled plans to cooperate with Washington on the issue. Russia’s defence ministry said last Friday that working together on the safe return of Syrian refugees was one of the points of agreement reached between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at their inaugural summit in Helsinki. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed the issue had featured in the presidents’ talks, with any return to be carried out "at the right time" through a "voluntary mechanism". Asked about the prospect, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters he was "not aware that we have been involved in those direct talks". He went on to stress: "As a matter of principle, the return of people to their home should always be voluntary and done in dignity and in safety. "It is up to people to... no one … [Read more...] about Syrian refugee return must be voluntary, UN tells US, Moscow
ASEAN worries about rise in violations against children: Vietnamese diplomat
A Syrian refugee baby (Source: UNICEF) New York (VNA) – Ambassador Pham Thi Kim Anh, Chargé d'Affaires of the Vietnam Delegation to the United Nations, delivered a speech on behalf of ASEAN at the Open Debate of the UN Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict in New York on July 10. In her speech, Anh stressed that ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is deeply concerned over the alarming increase in grave violations against children, which is reflected through the fact that the number of verified violations by government forces drastically increased from 4,000 to 6,000, and by non-State armed groups from 11,500 to 15,000 in 2017. Thousands of children are killed, maimed, abducted, sexually abused or recruited, she said, adding that attacks on schools, students, education personnel are alarming as children are put at risk, and depriving their opportunities to learn and grow for a better future. She called for greater consensus and stronger actions by … [Read more...] about ASEAN worries about rise in violations against children: Vietnamese diplomat
First aid convoy in 2018 enters Syria’s Ghouta
A Syrian refugee camp in Libya (Photo: aa.com.tr) The UN humanitarian affairs office said first UN and Syrian Red Crescent inter-agency convoy this year crossed conflict lines to Nashabieh in Eastern Ghouta to deliver food, health and nutrition supplies for 7,200 people in the besieged enclave. Some 400,000 people live in the enclave outside Damascus where they have been under siege by the army since 2013, facing severe food and medicine shortages. The UN Security Council is considering a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow for urgent deliveries of humanitarian aid. … [Read more...] about First aid convoy in 2018 enters Syria’s Ghouta
Love of Korean pop links UK teenagers with Palestinian refugees
The sugary pop songs of South Korean groups BTS, EXO and BlackPink might be sung in Korean but it has not stopped Palestinian refugee teenager Tasnim from being an avid fan from her home in war-torn Syria. To Tasnim's surprise, it is a love shared by students at London's Connaught School for Girls with whom her school in Damascus holds Skype calls as part of a project to connect refugee students in the Middle East with European and U.S. pupils. "My favourite kind of music is K-pop music, Korean music," exclaimed Tasnim during a recent video call, sitting alongside classmates from two schools in the Syrian capital run by aid agency United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA). "Do you like BTS?" 14-year-old British student Asiya replied, before excited chatter erupts between the two groups about their favourite 'K-pop' performers. "Did you hear their latest song? Do you like BlackPink?" said Tasnim, wearing a white hijab, as does Asiya in London. More than half a million … [Read more...] about Love of Korean pop links UK teenagers with Palestinian refugees
US allows Syrians to stay for another 18 months
The Trump administration said on Wednesday it would allow some 7,000 Syrians to remain in the United States for at least another 18 months under protected status as civil war rages in their native country. The decision was a relief for the Syrians who would have faced the prospect of returning to a fractured country racked with violence if the administration had rescinded their temporary protected status (TPS) when it ran out in March. Instead, they are allowed to stay through September 30, 2019. "After carefully considering conditions on the ground, I have determined that it is necessary to extend the Temporary Protected Status designation for Syria," said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in a statement. "It is clear that the conditions upon which Syria's designation was based continue to exist, therefore an extension is warranted under the statute," she added. The administration stopped short of re-designating Syria's status, which means that it will … [Read more...] about US allows Syrians to stay for another 18 months
London prepares to sparkle with Lumiere festival
Lumiere London, organised by the culture charity Artichoke, is returning to the city two years after its launch, running from January 18 to 21, organisers said in a statement on Tuesday.Some streets will be pedestrianised for the occasion of "an extraordinary and immersive nocturnal art exhibition of light and sound," organisers said.St James’s Churchyard in Piccadilly will host an installation entitled My Light is Your Light — a tribute to Syrian refugees created by Alaa Minawi, who worked for three years as an interpreter for refugees.On the South Bank of the River Thames, visitors will see images of dancers projected onto a dance studio and a series of 40 glowing gates along the waterfront.There will also be a canopy of luminous spheres floating above Trafalgar Square and a psychedelic installation above the Oxford Circus road junction.Lumiere London is seen as a way of showing off the capital’s rich cultural life and drawing tourists during a … [Read more...] about London prepares to sparkle with Lumiere festival
Syrian refugees in Lebanon drop below one million: UN
The number of registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon has dropped to below one million for the first time since 2014, the United Nations told AFP on Tuesday.More than half of registered Syrians in Lebanon live in extreme poverty, struggling to eke out a living while sheltering in informal tented settlements or unfinished buildings As of the end of November, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) counted 997,905 Syrian refugees -- a vast majority of them women and children -- registered in Lebanon."The number reached one million in April 2014, and this is the first time it drops below that," UNHCR spokeswoman Lisa Abou Khaled told AFP.Numbers were decreasing, Abou Khaled said, as refugees had resettled in third countries, returned to their homes in Syria, or passed away.From 2011 until September this year, nearly 49,000 Syrians left Lebanon as part of the United Nations' resettlement programme to third countries including the United States, Sweden, and France.Others left on their own, making the … [Read more...] about Syrian refugees in Lebanon drop below one million: UN
UN launches 4.4 billion USD plan to support Syrian refugees
According to a statement issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), most Syrian refugee families and many in their host communities fall below the poverty line and struggle to meet basic needs. The plan brings together some 270 humanitarian and development partners to ensure refugees and host communities receive the support they desperately need. Mourad Wahba, Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States said the tremendous efforts being made by countries and communities hosting refugees from Syria, providing vital and generous support even while facing their own challenges. … [Read more...] about UN launches 4.4 billion USD plan to support Syrian refugees
US military to maintain in Syria despite Russia’s forces removal
Spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway said Russia’s removal of their forces does not affect US priorities in Syria. He added that the coalition will continue to operate there in support of local forces on the ground to complete the military defeat of ISIS and stabilize liberated territory, in turn allowing for displaced Syrians and refugees to return.EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday that the bloc was ready to do whatever was needed to support UN-brokered peace efforts, while warning that the conflict in Syria is likely to get worse. … [Read more...] about US military to maintain in Syria despite Russia’s forces removal