HIAS Blog
Power of Attorney: Training Israeli lawyers in refugee and asylum law
Posted by Sivan Carmel on Tue, Jan 15, 2013 at 16:17 pm
The Israeli asylum system and the status of asylum seekers are the subject of an increasing rate of litigation in Israel. The rapidly growing number of legal proceedings is, in turn, contributing to the development of a nascent, but significant, area of law in Israel.
At HIAS Israel we follow this evolution with keen interest. We recognize the critical role that legal representation plays in the lives of individual asylum seekers, but at the same time we believe that increased legal
New UNHCR Legal Guidelines Step Forward for LGBTI Refugees
Posted by Rachel Levitan on Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 11:52 am
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. Parallel to this domestic progress, the US government has publicly supported the rights of sexual minorities internationally. In December, the White House released a presidential memo directing all agencies engaged abroad to “ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign
Hurricane Sandy Relief: New York Opportunities
Posted by Mark Hetfield on Thu, Nov 08, 2012 at 14:23 pm
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, there still are thousands of people without heat, water, or electricity, many from the Russian-speaking, Jewish communities in Brooklyn, Staten Island, and New Jersey. There is a desperate need for donations, supplies, and volunteers. Below are some ways you can assist with Hurricane Sandy Relief in the New York area.
UJA Federation of New York
HIAS Symposium on LGBTI Refugees Held in Geneva
Posted by Genever McBain on Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 9:07 am
At a September 20-21, 2012 HIAS symposium in Geneva on the work and research of HIAS and other agencies striving to protect refugees who are members of sexual minorities, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Director of the Division of International Protection, Volker Turk, gave a groundbreaking address highlighting the challenges faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) refugees. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ambassador David Robinson of the Bureau of Population,
Everyone Loses if VAWA Isn't Finished Posted by Kiera Bloore on Thu, Aug 23, 2012 at 11:59 am
In May, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 (VAWA), H.R. 4970, a bill which severely undermines the protections available to survivors of violence and places victims at further risk of harm. However, the Senate bill, S. 1925, represents the spirit of the "real VAWA" which protects all victims of violence and maintains programs and services to serve victims and make our communities safer. Congress needs to act immediately to pass
Forced Marriage - An Invisible Form of Persecution Posted by Kiera Bloore on Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 13:24 pm
This summer, as part of my legal internship with HIAS, I chose a personal research project and presented my research to HIAS’ Washington DC office. This was a wonderful opportunity for me because my topic - forced marriage asylum claims - combines my two main academic interests: women’s human rights and asylum law.
I am particularly interested in women’s rights with respect to marriage. This past spring, I was in Georgetown’s International Women’s Human Rights Clinic and we researched discriminatory
Learning from Immigration's Past Posted by Rachel Zisman on Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 17:03 pm
I recently had the opportunity to attend a preview of a new exhibit, “Attachments: Faces and Stories from America’s Gates” at the National Archives. Through samples of government forms and photos, the exhibit demonstrates immigrants’ and refugees’ “attachments” to both their new homes and their respective countries of origin, as well as the long and conflicted history of immigration.
Attending a preview of a new exhibit is exciting in itself, but as I was walking around the cool, dark, gallery,
TRIG Doesn't Honor the Basic Principle that Families should Remain Together Posted by Kiera Bloore on Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 15:48 pm
One of the great things about my legal internship with HIAS is that it has put me back in touch with my Jewish roots. Over the past several weeks, I have learned about the many challenges immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers face in this country, including prolonged separation from family. Then, I realized that I did not know anything about how my own family immigrated to the United States. I decided to call my Zadie (grandfather in
Xenophobic Violence against Asylum Seekers in Israel
Posted by Mark Hetfield on Wed, Jun 13, 2012 at 16:00 pm
From April through June 2012 a wave of xenophobia, fear and violence targeted at African migrants washed over much of Israel. This was not the first wave of anti-foreigner sentiment ever experienced in the country, but it was certainly the largest one in scope and severity. At the time of writing, it is not yet clear whether this wave is quite over.
There are approximately 60,000 unauthorized migrants in Israel, who have entered the country through its southern border with
Putting it in Perspective: A Look at IDPs Posted by Thuy-Anh Vo on Tue, Jun 05, 2012 at 10:15 am
While interning at HIAS, I have had the opportunity to attend a number of events concerning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). An IDP is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country’s borders; there are currently about 27 million people who have been internally displaced by conflict. Even though IDPs are just like refugees, they do not fall under the current legal definition of a “refugee” because they are
Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed.
