update on the americas

Update on The AmericasThe Americas

Media Relations Public Information Service [email protected] Tel.: (41 22) 739 85 02 Fax: (41 22) 739 73 15 www.unhcr.org www.acnur.org

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ♦ Cartagena refugee declaration turns 20 Colombia situation ♦ Assistant High Commissioner visits Co-

lombia, Ecuador ♦ Humanitarian caravan brings hope to

Atrato ♦ Art provides outlets for displaced children ♦ Bringing health care to Colombia’s conflict

zone ♦ Children look through the camera lens at

displacement ♦ Projects improve living conditions on

Venezuelan border ♦ Venezuela moves forward on refugee pro-

tection ♦ Hundreds of Colombians register with

UNHCR in Venezuela ♦ UNHCR talks with children about refugees ♦ Asylum requests up sharply in Ecuador ♦ All hands on deck for refugees in Ecuador Mexico and Central America ♦ New migration law debated in Costa Rica ♦ Health day brings affordable medical care

to refugees ♦ Survey shows unemployment major bar-

rier to refugee integration in Costa Rica ♦ Latin America honors Sergio Vieira de

Mello ♦ Photos put refugee plight in focus ♦ Network pushes for refugee protection Southern Latin America ♦ Helping refugee women earn a living ♦ Uruguay, Paraguay take over refugee

status determination ♦ Clinics provide free legal advice ♦ UNHCR reopens Brazil office ♦ Human rights groups hail new law Canada, United States and Caribbean ♦ UNHCR monitors Haiti situation, urges

suspension of returns to Haiti ♦ Film engages US schoolchildren ♦ UNHCR reports on expedited removal ♦ US Congress approves refugee funding ♦ Asylum case could set precedent on gen-

der-based persecution ♦ Resettlement to US on upswing ♦ Canada: 2003 statistical snapshot ♦ New approach streamlines resettlement to

Canada

No. 6, Spring, 2004

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In a week-long mission to Colom-bia and Ecuador in late January, UNHCR Assistant High Commis-sioner Kamel Morjane pledged the agency's continuing support for hundreds of thousands of in-ternally displaced people in Co-lombia and tens of thousands of C o l o m b i a n refugees who have fled the country. In Chocó prov-ince, in west-ern Colombia, Morjane saw the devastat-ing impact of internal dis-placement and blockades by armed groups on thousands of Colombian c i v i l i a n s . Chocó is one of the poorest

UNHCR is continuing to follow closely the rapidly changing situa-tion on the ground in Haiti and its implications for any possible out-flow of people seeking protection. As security deteriorated in strife-torn Haiti in February, UNHCR repeatedly called on all states in the region to respond humanely and receive people who might be forced to flee the island nation. The agency issued a set of guide-lines in late February to be shared with governments recommending a suspension on any forced re-turns to Haiti, including those who have been rejected for asylum or picked up at sea. Even before the issuance of the recommenda-

tions, Canada had confirmed it would not send people back, as had Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. Hope Hanlan, the refugee agency’s Director for the Ameri-cas, stated, “UNHCR hopes and expects that states will respond humanely and in line with the 1951 Refugee Convention for those who are forced to flee. Ob-viously, not everyone who leaves a country is a refugee, but those who are forced to flee must have access to international protection.” The US Coast Guard in press statements said that it had picked up and repatriated 881 Haitians

Assistant High Commissioner visits Colombia, Ecuador and most isolated regions of the country. Morjane visited Bellavista, where 119 civilians died in May 2002 when a missile hit the church where they were sheltering from a firefight between irregular armed

UNHCR continues to monitor Haiti situation, urges suspension of returns to Haiti

Assistant High Commissioner Kamel Morjane meets with displaced people in Quibdo, Colombia. UNHCR/W. Spindler

Continued on page 2

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Assistant High Commissioner, continued from page 1 groups. He visited the church, which still bears the scars of the attack, and walked through town to talk with residents. Morjane met Afro-Colombian and indigenous leaders, whose commu-nities make up 95 percent of the population in rural areas of this part of Colombia. He said the meetings underscored the ethnic dimension of internal displacement in Colombia. Morjane then visited the town of Tangui, one of several communities suffering the effects of a blockade by armed groups along the Atrato River in northwestern Colombia. At the inauguration of a UNHCR-funded community centre, Morjane condemned such blockades as "a very serious transgression of inter-national humanitarian law and hu-man rights, which all armed groups should cease ... immediately." Community leaders expressed frus-

tration over what they felt was neglect by the central government, and com-plained that they were unable to en-joy their full range of rights as Colom-bian citizens. "UNHCR's presence shows our sup-port to the peaceful resistance of these communities," Morjane said later, pledging that the UN refugee agency will "continue to assist them in any way we can to allow them to im-prove their organization in order to defend their rights." The Assistant High Commissioner shared his impressions along with the messages he received from the com-munities with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and other government officials. He also emphasized that internal displacement is a violation of an individual's fundamental rights, and affirmative action by the state is required to restore those rights. He also called on the government,

from February 21 to February 29. Prior to the departure of President Aristide and the arrival of a multina-tional force in Haiti, UNHCR had been coordinating with neighboring states on contingency plans in the event of a refugee outflow. The agency maintained close contact with all the countries in the region and assured them of its willingness to help them cope with any arrivals of Haitian refugees. UNHCR staff traveled to Dominican Republic, Ja-maica and the Bahamas in February and had earlier carried out a contin-gency planning mission to Cuba. UNHCR continues to coordinate with countries in the region. UNHCR had also named an emer-gency coordinator and drawn up a stand-by roster of emergency staff who could be deployed in the Carib-bean region at short notice, depend-ing on actual arrivals of refugees. As the situation remains in flux in Haiti, UNHCR is closely monitoring developments and maintaining its presence and contacts throughout the region. ▲

non-governmental organizations and those helping the internally dis-placed to continue supporting the UN humanitarian alliance formed last year to improve coordination of the humanitarian effort for Colom-bia's displaced people. From Colombia, Morjane traveled to Ecuador, where nearly 21,000 Colombians have applied for refu-gee status in the last three years. In the capital, Quito, Morjane recog-nized Ecuador's compliance with its international obligations and re-spect for humanitarian principles. He also traveled to one the most sensitive spots along the Colom-bian border, Lago Agrio, where massive influxes of Colombians have taken place in the past. He visited projects to strengthen refu-gee protection and benefit the local community receiving refugees. ▲

This year marks the 20th anniver-sary of the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees, which provided an innovative and pragmatic regional approach to protecting victims of conflict and violence. UNHCR is planning an event to commemorate the anniversary in November, 2004. The declaration broadens the defini-tion of a refugee contained in the 1951 refugee convention to include people who flee their countries due to generalized violence, foreign ag-gression, internal conflicts, massive human rights violations or serious disturbance of public order. It also contains recommendations for the humanitarian treatment of people in need of protection. It was adopted in 1984 by governmental experts and eminent jurists from Belize, Co-lombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Vene-zuela. At that time, close to 150,000 Central American refugees were being assisted in the region and another 1.8 million people had been

Cartagena Declaration on Refugees turns 20

affected by conflict. Twenty years later, Cartagena re-mains relevant. The Cartagena refu-gee definition is part of national leg-islation in Mexico, Guatemala, Be-lize, El Salvador, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru and Paraguay and ap-pears in draft legislation in Hondu-ras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Uru-guay. Argentina and Chile also ap-ply the definition in practice. The 20th anniversary comes at a time when national security con-cerns, the fight against terrorism and increasing migratory controls have led to restrictive asylum poli-cies in the Americas and elsewhere. At the same time, however, humani-tarian treatment of persons in need of protection and principled re-sponses to forced displacement call for the continued application of the pragmatic regional standards rec-ommended by Cartagena. The “spirit of Cartagena” is as much needed today as it was twenty years ago. ▲

Haiti, continued from page 1

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An expedition sponsored by the UN refugee agency in November, 2003, brought a ray of hope to communi-ties along the conflict-ridden Atrato river, in western Colombia, where close to 100,000 people have been subjected to an economic blockade by guerrilla and paramilitary groups seeking to prevent essential goods from reaching their enemies. The 60 ships that used to ply the river every day with goods for local communities are long gone, leaving the villagers to provide for them-selves. But through the “Atratiando” campaign, 13 ships coursed through the neglected waterway from November 16 to 21, carrying more than 200 humanitarian work-ers, journalists and community members. The convoy traversed 500 km of river from Quidbó, the capital of Choco province, to Turbo, in Antioquia province, an area in-habited mostly by indigenous peo-ples and Afro-Colombians. The "Atratiando" voyage – organ-ized by the Catholic church, the in-digenous and Afro-Colombian com-munities, and sponsored by UNHCR and Project Counseling Services -- brought food, and as importantly, visibility for these iso-lated communities. Even the small-est hamlets welcomed the visitors with music, flags and smiles. The importance of supporting the

People in the Atrato region have always been among the poorest of Colombia. Now all they ask for is peace. UNHCR/G.Valdivieso

communities became evident at the very first stop. The community of Tangui, half an hour from Quibdó by motorboat, was still mourning a leader assassinated by an armed group a few weeks before. Instead of distancing themselves from the mur-dered leader’s family, the residents, most of them fishermen unable to sell their products due to the blockade, collected $800 to help them. It is this solidarity that keeps the Atrato alive after years of armed con-flict, which took the lives of more than 800 people from 1996 to 2002, and has forced over 25,000 to flee their homes, according to the local church. The caravan demonstrated the strength of the Afro-Colombian and indigenous associations, which mobi-lized thousands of people in the river-side towns. The caravan inaugurated four centers to shelter civilians in case of an emergency. UNHCR also opened a human rights center where people can learn about their rights. Even before the conflict and block-ade, most places in the Atrato Basin had no drinking water or sanitation. "These people are used to lacking many things like clean water, good clothes, a sewage system, educa-tion," said a young priest working with the communities. "But they are also used to singing their music, trad-ing their products between communi-ties and, above all, living in freedom."

Free the river: Humanitarian caravan brings hope to Atrato

Theater and art are providing out-lets from the difficulties of displace-ment and options to reduce the threat of recruitment by armed groups for 150 young people in Bar-rancabermeja, in northern Colom-bia. The Comunarte program in-volves young people from the poor-est communities most afflicted by the presence of armed groups in Barrancabermeja. Comunarte offers classes in dance, theater, drawing, painting, and sculpture. Workshops are also or-ganized on topics such as children’s rights, nutrition, and conflict resolu-tion. Experts provide counseling to help young people cope with the violence and pain they experience living in the midst of Colombia’s internal conflict. The project also helps reduce the threat of recruitment by armed groups. By spending their time on project activities, and acquiring a sense of mission and membership, the young people become more difficult for armed groups to attract. The success of the 2002 pilot, led UNHCR, the Colombian Institution for Family Welfare (CIFW), local authorities and church-based or-ganizations to expand the project. The modern dance group has added new members, tapping into CIFW youth clubs. In a model of integration, half the members are displaced, and half are from the host population. As UNHCR’s Angels Simón sums up, the project “provides a forum where young people can get to-gether, a public space that is very unusual in an area strongly affected by violence.” ▲

The arts provide outlets for displaced children

The caravan was a first step to re-storing this basic right to live their lives in peace which they have been denied for so long. ▲

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A group of boys look out of the black and white photograph. A sign in the background reads “La Paz”, peace. The photographer, 14-year-old Oscar, has entitled his photo “Children of Steel”. He explains, “I gave it this name because I believe

ties, a rugged jungle terrain and the lack of doctors and health facilities put health care beyond the reach of our communities." According to the hospital director, 70 percent of Landázuri’s population - some 17,500 per-sons - have no access to basic health care; 69 percent are not covered by social se-curity; only 20 percent of children have been vaccinated and 89 percent of them have dental problems. "This brigade is only a f irst step," said UNHCR field officer Stefano Feliciani. "It has not yet solved all the health problems here, but it has re-sulted in the commu-nity and the municipal authorities organizing t h e m s e l v e s w i t h UNHCR's help to im-prove access to health care." For Dora Mendoza,* a community

leader, the health brigade brought hope "despite the lack of health assistance and despite the fact that most doctors have de-serted this zone. Now the community has medicine again and a doctor has treated my father." The community, local au-thorities, national and international organiza-tions, health workers and members of the Catholic church have now agreed to seek resources to staff the three local health posts and continue to provide basic health as-sistance in the area. ▲ * Names have been changed to protect the identity of those interviewed.

"Doctor, can you please see my three children now, because I have another five waiting for me at home," said Euclides Chaparro* to the dentist who had come to his village from Landázuri Hospital. He spoke in the anguished tone of a father who cannot afford to take his children to the doctor. The dentist, two bacteriologists, four general practitioners, and three nurses came to San Pedro, in the Colombian province of Santander, bringing medicine, six stretchers and an ambulance to treat the com-munity. The health brigade was or-ganized by UNHCR and the Pro-gram for Development and Peace in the Magdalena Medio, together with the Landázuri Hospital, the Colom-bian Red Cross and the local popu-lation at risk of displacement. In one weekend, the brigade treated 419 people in this isolated conflict zone where the nearest hospital is hours away and where irregular armed groups fight for control. As a community leader explained, "Clashes between armed groups, long distances between communi-

Bringing health care to Colombia's conflict zone Children look through the camera lens at displacement

Displaced people in Colombia receive much-needed medi-cations. UNHCR/A.M. Rodriguez

Continued on page 5

Displaced children in Soacha express themselves through photography. UNHCR/A.M. Rodriguez

we have resisted a lot against blows and mistreatment. We are made of steel, we fight against mistreatment, against hunger, and will continue to fight until death. ... Today, not only are we not mistreated, but people reach out to our families and help us to become someone in life. Children of steel do not lose hope, but con-tinue onwards.” Oscar is one of more than 1,600 dis-placed children and young people living in Soacha, Colombia, just south of the capital, Bogota. Half of Soacha’s inhabitants are displaced, and the presence of armed groups increasingly aggravates the situation. Environmental pollution is a growing problem, and the threat of landslides due to soil erosion leaves displaced families no choice but to build their homes on unstable ground. In this precarious setting, Oscar and other children like him are express-ing themselves and the reality of their lives as displaced people through workshops run by Dis-parando Cámaras para la Paz

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(Shooting Photos for Peace founda-tion). The workshops build self-esteem and give children a sense of belonging in their new community. A selection of the photos – many taken with hand-made cameras -- was featured in a calendar distrib-uted by UNHCR to raise awareness about the plight of Colombia’s dis-placed. One photo depicts children in front of an unfinished house and a watering hose that serves as their only water source. One shows the polluted river that flows along the outskirts of the neighborhood. An-other features a displaced man sell-ing pizza. The collection overall gives a kids-eye view of life in dis-placement. UNHCR is supporting the continuation of the workshops so that more children can benefit. UNHCR also supports other efforts to reach displaced youth in Soacha, such as the Afro-Colombian Young People’s School for Leadership. “This program aims to educate young people to give them leader-ship skills in a context made very difficult by the pressures of poverty, crime and armed conflict,” explains Tiziana Clérico, a UNHCR commu-nity services worker. In another effort, 14 schools in Soacha are improving services to displaced children by training teach-ers, parents and the children them-selves. The project is implemented by the organization Opción Legal. In 2003, UNHCR supported an ini-tiative by painter Sair García to auc-tion off donated artworks to benefit the displaced in Soacha. The auc-tion brought in more than $20,000, some of which went to Fundación Albazia to educate disabled chil-dren, many of whom are displaced. The money also allowed construc-tion of basic infrastructure for the Fe y Esperanza School, established by Professor Nelson Pájaro, who is himself a displaced person. “Before, the children had to come to my home for their classes,” says Pájaro. “Now, thanks to organiza-tions like UNHCR, the children have classrooms, bathrooms and a place to escape from the violence.” ▲


Better health care, schools, and clean water have improved the qual-ity of life for 26,000 people in the remote border region of Venezuela in 2003, and built bridges with UNHCR to improve protection for people fleeing Colombia’s conflict. UNHCR carried out 55 projects in 24 refugee-hosting communities on the Venezuela-Colombia border in 2003. Spanning the border states of Apure, Tachira and Zulia, the pro-jects reach local residents as well as Colombian asylum seekers. Health workshops, school renova-tions, and clean drinking water ad-dress the basic needs of the com-munities as a whole. The projects also take into consideration the needs of particular groups such as women, children and the elderly. In Apure, UNHCR and Caritas helped meet the nutritional needs of new-borns by setting up a mother’s milk bank in Guasdualito General Hospi-tal. The mothers who visit the milk bank, many of them adolescents, also receive training on good nutri-tion and child care. Other projects contribute to asylum seekers’ dignity and independence by helping them earn a living, as in the case of a family in Tachira, who set up a chicken farm with funding and materials from UNHCR and its implementing agency. “The projects enable us to establish ties with the community in a trustwor-thy manner and allow us to offer something that benefits the entire com-munity,” said Eduardo Soto, Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in Apure. “Through this work with the local population we have also discovered special ar-eas of concern that the communities themselves did not recognize ini-tially.” The projects also pro-vide a psychological benefit, strengthening

Projects improve living conditions on Venezuelan border refugee communities as well as the communities which, despite serious social and economic problems, have opened their doors to receive those forced to flee the violence in Colombia. “Community projects diminish exist-ing levels of xenophobia, rejection and unemployment, since they di-rectly involve the beneficiaries in their design and implementation,” explains UNHCR Regional Repre-sentative, Maria Virginia Trimarco. “At the same time, they enable us to obtain a better idea of the needs of the asylum seekers who, for many, remain invisible.” The projects also contributed to protecting the victims of the Colom-bian conflict and provided an op-portunity to build alliances with re-gional organizations, community leaders, local populations and local authorities. The increased contact with the community helped UNHCR share information about its work, inform refugees about their rights and provide legal assistance to po-tential asylum seekers. “The projects enable us to identify communities where there may be new groups of asylum seekers,” said one humanitarian worker in Tachira. “They open the doors for us to begin working within these communities.” ▲

Camera lens, continued from page 4

A graduation ceremony for malnourished Venezuelan and Colombian refugee children who reached a healthy weight

thanks to the Milk Bank in Guasdualito. UNHCR/D. Mairenara

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The UN refugee agency has wel-comed Venezuela's recognition of the first 47 refugees to pass through a newly-established asylum applica-tion process, hailing it as a historic step towards international refugee protection. The decisions were issued by Vene-zuela’s National Refugee Commis-sion, which was established in July 2003, and is the first such institution in Venezuela. In addition to review-ing asylum applications and deter-mining refugee status, the commis-sion oversees the government's efforts to provide protection and assistance to those seeking asylum. For victims of the Colombian con-flict, refugee status is important be-cause it opens up the possibility of rebuilding their lives in Venezuela. "I left Colombia in 2000 and have been waiting for over three years to receive refugee status," said one of the newly recognized refugees. "Now I'm beginning to revive my hope for the future." UNHCR Regional Representative Maria Virginia Trimarco explains, "The commission's decision is cru-cial because it legalizes their status and enables them to exercise their basic rights in dignity," she said. "Venezuela has entered a new and important phase in its refugee policy and we are fully supporting them in this endeavor." The commission is an important step towards addressing the previ-ously invisible plight of Colombians in need of protection in Venezuela. Currently, 2,338 people have re-quested refugee status in Vene-zuela, but as many as 15,000 are believed to be in need of protection. Tens of thousands of victims of the Colombian conflict have also re-quested refugee status elsewhere in the region in Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru and Panama, and many thou-sands more have sought asylum in the United States, Canada and Europe. ▲

Venezuela moves forward on refugee protection Hundreds of Colombians in need of

international protection have regis-tered with UNHCR in the first months of a new registration project in Venezuela’s border zone. The campaign was launched to develop reliable registration and documenta-tion for Colombian asylum seekers and reinforce protection networks in refugee host communities. Since the start of the campaign in December, 2003, a total of 648 asy-lum seekers have registered in Tachira and Zulia states, and 352 have received UNHCR-issued iden-tification cards that document their status as asylum seekers. In Febru-ary, UNHCR extended the cam-paign to the state of Apure, which is estimated to have the largest num-ber of potential asylum seekers and persons of concern to UNHCR. The registration and documentation of asylum seekers is especially im-portant given the relative invisibility of the victims of the Colombian con-flict in Venezuela. Refugee flows into Venezuela are characterized by the steady influx of individual fami-lies or small groups who hide within isolated, rural border communities or marginalized, urban slums. Given rising crime levels and the infiltration of Colombia’s illegal

Hundreds of Colombians register with UNHCR in Venezuela armed groups into Venezuelan terri-tory, these victims of the Colombian conflict are often stigmatized as drug-traffickers or members of these armed groups. Their uncer-tain situation not only makes them vulnerable to detention and depor-tation, it also leaves them without access to basic rights such as edu-cation, health and employment. Issuing identification documents to registered asylum seekers is there-fore central to diminishing xenopho-bia and opening up integration op-portunities for those hoping to re-build their lives in Venezuela. Registration with UNHCR marks the first step towards formalizing these individuals’ presence in Venezuela as persons in need of international protection. Once registered, the cases are then forwarded to the National Refugee Commission which is responsible for reviewing asylum applications, determining refugee status and overseeing the government's efforts to provide pro-tection and assistance to those seeking asylum. UNHCR staff are working closely with local and regional authorities, community leaders and implement-ing partners such as Caritas and the Jesuit Refugee Service to im-plement the campaign. ▲

UNHCR staff meet with community leaders during the initiation of the registration campaign in Ureña, Tachira state. UNHCR/B. Cruz

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The number of Colombians seeking asylum in Ecuador rose sharply in 2003, with almost 1,000 asylum requests lodged on average every month. In all, 11,464 people sought asylum in Ecuador in 2003, up from 6,766 the previous year. In view of the rising figures, UNHCR has provided Ecuador with a regis-tration and identification system that allows the government to keep track of individuals applying for asylum.

The database stores personal data such as name, age, and gender, as well as a photograph of each appli-cant. So far, 20,000 people have been registered. Asylum seekers and refugees receive an ID card that is recognized by migration po-lice and other authorities and there-fore helps prevent unjust deporta-tions. In many cases, the IDs are the only form of identification asy-lum seekers and refugees, espe-cially recent arrivals, possess. The cards include numerous security features to prevent forgery. One asylum seeker from Nariño says the card “is more valuable than anything I can be offered right now. It gives me peace of mind. Having it in my pocket means that I will no longer have to fear police controls when I am on a bus or on the street. I can show it and it means I am legal, so nobody can look at me with distrust anymore”. UNHCR has contributed computers, digital cameras, printers and other hardware to support the registration and ID initiative. UNHCR also cov-ers the costs of 12 staff members in charge of registration and IDs at the government’s refugee office and at implementing partners. ▲

Year Asylum Requests Recognized

2000 475 390 2001 3017 1406 2002 6766 1578 2003 11464 3270 Total 21722 6644

Asylum requests up sharply in Ecuador Elementary school children in Vene-

zuela’s border region are learning about refugees and developing tol-erance through workshops launched by UNHCR in February. Schools in the border states of Tachira and Apure hosted the first workshops, which target communities hosting Colombians who have fled the con-flict in their homeland. UNHCR started the program to pro-mote tolerance, solidarity and ac-ceptance of the victims of the Co-lombian conflict, over 65 percent of whom are women and children. “In Venezuela, Colombian asylum seekers are often stigmatized as members of illegal armed groups, criminals or drug-traffickers and stereotypes that contribute to xeno-phobia are formed at a young age,” stated Regional Representative, Maria Virginia Trimarco. “It is there-fore never too early to start inform-ing children as well as their teachers and parents about the reasons that force many Colombians to leave their homes.” The workshops used UNHCR teaching materials and photos of

famous refugees like Albert Ein-stein and Rigoberta Menchu, to show the children what it means to be a refugee. Many of the children shared first-hand experiences of the Colombian conflict with their peers. “Sometimes groups of armed men come into a community and force everyone to leave their homes” said Alejandro, 6th grade student at the National Border School in Ureña. “The doll with the red necklace is the refugee because she looks like an indigenous person and they are often persecuted,” said Martina pointing to the Lego toys depicted in UNHCR’s “Spot the Refugee” poster. Given the large number of potential asylum seekers in these communi-ties, the workshops also serve an important protection function. UNHCR hopes that information on the rights of refugees and the asy-lum application procedure will also reach the growing number of fami-lies who have fled the violence in Colombia. ▲

UNHCR talks with children about refugees

Discussing refugee rights with children in the National Border School in Ureña, Tachira. UNHCR/J. Cote

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With growing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in Ecuador stretching humanitarian resources, aid agencies are increasingly band-ing together to cope with the de-mand, meet emergency needs, and help refugees rebuild their lives. UNHCR now works with eight part-ner agencies in Ecuador, a major increase from its first year of opera-tion with just one partner in 2000. The alliances have allowed UNHCR to extend its reach well beyond its $1.1 million budget for Ecuador for 2003. The partnerships help receive new arrivals on the border and meet their immediate needs. The Ger-man Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) has rehabilitated reception centers and schools in the border

area as part of $800,000 in projects complementing UNHCR’s pro-grams since 2001. GTZ has pledged $500,000 more from July, 2003 to June, 2004. The Interna-tional Organization for Migration also helped refurbish UNHCR’s shelter in Sucumbíos province. The World Food Program is a key partner, distributing more than 5,000 food packages in 2003, train-ing storage facility managers, and providing nutritional guidance. Beyond basic needs, refugees and asylum seekers must also over-come the trauma of the violence they have fled. Another partnership, with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid So-ciety, provides psychological assis-tance for women and children and offers adult literacy classes.


Following a slight increase in the number of unaccompanied minors arriving in Ecuador in 2003, UNHCR strengthened its network of shelters for children and mothers in need. More than 100 unaccompanied mi-nors have fled to Ecuador since 2000. UNHCR has arrangements with shelters in Lago Agrio, Ibarra and Quito. Fundación Nuestros Jóvenes in Quito provides pregnant teens with shelter, medical attention and vocational training, while Arbol de la Esperanza shelters children of incarcerated mothers. The partnerships also help refugees support themselves. In Lago Agrio, UNHCR-financed biointensive gar-dens allow families to feed them-selves at very low cost, and some have even become sources of in-come. The organization Autogestión

y Desarrollo provides materials, tools and training. Sonia, a sin-gle mother of four who partici-pates in the program, says, “Being away from my homeland has been hard. The little back-yard garden UNHCR and ADYS helped me start is a comforting occupation. It lets me feed my children and I also enjoy work-ing the land. It is what I used to do back home.” Fondo Ecuatoriano Populorum

Progressio supports UNHCR micro-credits for refugees. Clau-dia and Angel, who fled to Ecua-

dor after receiving threats from an armed group in Colombia, used a micro-credit to expand their small business in Lago Agrio. Claudia says her drive to overcome difficulties comes from her children. “They were born here. This is their country and it saddens me to think that they might never know the land where their parents and grandpar-ents were born,” she says. “At the same time, I hope that by growing up here they never know the suffering and the fear we went through.” This year, UNHCR plans at least 60 more projects, building on partner-ships to reach the growing numbers of people in need of protection and assistance in Ecuador. ▲

All hands on deck to help refugees in Ecuador

New draft migration legislation is currently under discussion in the Commission on Administration and Governance of Costa Rica’s Na-tional Congress. The draft must be approved by the Commission to move on for consideration by the full Congress. Following various modifications of the draft under discussion, the cur-rent proposal covers all refugee matters by simply referring to the international instruments ratified by Costa Rica, including the 1951 Refugee Convention and Human Rights treaties. UNHCR has been urging the inclusion within the law itself of at least the refugee defini-tion, and provisions for documenta-tion, non-refoulement and employ-ment rights. On the other hand, while the new law is being debated in parliament, high-level government officials and UNHCR discussed migration and refugee issues in Costa Rica at a three-day forum in late January. The forum was organized by the Vice Minister of Governance of Costa Rica and included govern-ment representatives from the la-bor, education, housing, social se-curity, banking and migration de-partments. The government devoted the final day of the forum to refugee matters. Discussion focused on the obsta-cles refugees face to integrating fully in Costa Rica, such as difficul-ties in accessing the labor market, and the dismissal of the govern-ment-issued refugee card by key sectors of the Costa Rican society, such as employers, banks and the education system. A number of refugees attended the forum and were able to explain in person to the high-level participants some of the constraints they face. UNHCR urged the Deputies currently ana-lyzing the draft of the new migration law to maintain the refugee provi-sions that guarantee full protection of refugee rights in accordance with international refugee protection standards. ▲

New migration law debated in Costa Rica

Gardens let refugees raise their own food. UNHCR/ A. Granja

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An updated survey on local integra-tion of refugees in Costa Rica car-ried out by the UN refugee agency and the University of Costa Rica highlights difficulties for refugees to find jobs and an increase in nega-tive perception of refugees among the host community in Costa Rica. The survey, conducted in 2003, is the second of its kind, updating data collected in 2002. It was carried out with the support of students from the University of Costa Rica, who interviewed 320 Colombian refu-gees and 417 Costa Ricans. Overall, the general profile of the Colombian refugee population re-mained unchanged from the previ-ous survey. The refugees are mainly urban and middle-class and have a high level of education. However, this profile may start to change as some of those surveyed come from a rural background in Colombia and currently live in a ru-ral setting in Costa Rica. The high unemployment rate among refugees continues to be a major concern for UNHCR, with 25 per-cent of those surveyed reporting that they do not have a job. This compares to a national unemploy-ment rate of 6 to 7 percent. Of the refugees who are employed, some have only part time or hourly work. To help address this problem, UNHCR in January began full im-

plementation of a project with the Costa Rican Minis-try of Labor to im-prove refugee ac-cess to the labor market. The pro-ject stems from a cooperation agree-ment signed in August, 2003. Xenophobia repre-sents another con-cern, as the per-ception among Costa Ricans to-


Around 1,000 people received af-fordable medical attention in a new effort to improve health care for refugees in Costa Rica. UNHCR and its implementing agency, ACAI (Asociación de Consultores y Ase-sores Internacionales), sponsored the first refugee health day on No-vember 18, bringing services to a part of San Jose that has become home to many Colombian refugees. The event sought to raise aware-ness among health workers about the rights and needs of refugees, to detect and prevent illnesses, and to promote refugees’ access to medi-cal services. Three doctors, two microbiologists and seven health assistants from various private clinics offered their services at very low cost to refu-gees and members of the local community. Diagnostic tests such as pap tests, blood sugar and blood pressure checks were offered, as well as flu shots, eye exams, dental care and pediatric consultations. UNHCR, municipal authorities, Catholic Church representatives, and directors of San Jose’s Hospital Calderon Guardia opened the event. Members of the Costa Rican Doctors and Surgeons Association and the Costa Rican Microbiologist Association also participated. The refugees’ enthusiasm, music and dancing lent a lively atmos-phere to the day. ▲

wards Colombians appears to have deteriorated somewhat in compari-son with the previous survey. Some 80 percent of the Costa Ricans sur-veyed said that Colombian refugees should not have the same rights as Costa Ricans, compared to only 68 percent in 2002. UNHCR is looking into intensifying public awareness efforts to better inform the public about the refugee situation and de-velop greater empathy and under-standing towards their plight. At the same time, however, the sur-vey showed some positive steps towards integration of refugees. For example, the vast majority of Co-lombians surveyed -- 90 percent -- feel that Costa Ricans treat them kindly, and 80 percent say they have established good friendships with Costa Ricans. UNHCR is continuing to analyze the results of the survey and look for ways to improve refugee integration in Costa Rica and meet the needs the survey spotlights. ▲

Survey shows unemployment major barrier to refugee integration in Costa Rica

Health day brings affordable medical care to refugees

Flu shots were among the services provided in the first refugee health day in San Jose. UNHCR/I. Charpentier

Costa Rica recognizes 1,838 refugees in 2003 In 2003, Costa Rica recog-nized 1,838 people, mainly Colombians, as refugees. The Refugee Department of the Migration Office reported 1,745 asylum seekers in 2003, the vast majority (1,545) Colombian nationals. As of December, 31, 2003, Costa Rica hosted 13,508 refugees, 8,266 of them Co-lombians. ▲

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Helping refugee women earn a living Throughout March, UNHCR is meeting with refugee women living in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay to discuss their needs, and help them earn a living and integrate in their commu-nities. A questionnaire has been devised to collect information on the socio-economic profile of refu-gee women, who make up 41% of all the refugees and asylum seek-ers in southern Latin America. UNHCR plans to draw on the meetings and the results of the questionnaire to help more refugee women join the labor market. In the same vein, three refugee women, living in Argentina, Brazil and Chile, participated in a meeting on gender held in Costa Rica in December, 2003. The meeting brought together refugee women from throughout the Americas to share their experiences on a host of protection and local- integration related issues, and to discuss ways of empowering women refugees. All three women are professionals and two of them have received UNHCR micro-credits to help them support themselves. Giselle, a jour-nalist with refugee status in Brazil, wrote of the experience, “This meeting was very positive…it has given us confidence in UNHCR and in ourselves. We hope that there are more of these meetings so that we can continue with our joint work. The (refugee) problem is not local, and we always need to exchange experiences.” ▲

Brazil and Costa Rica have recently established academic tributes to the late UN High Commissioner for Hu-man Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello, and more such initiatives are ex-pected in Latin America. At the end of 2003, UNHCR signed the first two of a series of agree-ments with universities in southern Latin America to set up academic chairs named for Sergio Vieira de Mello in honor of his humanitarian legacy. The first two chairs were established at universities in Brazil. The chairs promote the teaching of human rights, international humani-tarian law, and refugee and migra-tion law. The chairs were an initiative of UNHCR's Regional Office in Argen-tina, aiming to involve governments, universities and international or-ganizations in broadening human-rights related academic programs. The project has been enthusiasti-cally received by governments and academic circles in the region. In a similar development, the Costa Rican government officially signed an executive decree establishing a permanent academic course enti-tled “Sergio Vieira de Mello: Protec-tion of Persons in Situations of Armed Conflict and Displacement” and declaring it of national interest. Speakers at the December 10 de-cree signing highlighted Costa Rica’s tradition of respect and pro-motion of human rights and the country’s asylum policy. Partici-pants paid tribute to Sergio Vieira de Mello’s life and work within the UN, and emphasized the impor-tance of disseminating and promot-ing international refugee law. “Costa Rica has traditionally re-ceived with arms wide open all those who are in need of protection, as it has been the case with the refugees,” said the Minister of For-eign Affairs. “It is quite important, as a result, also to promote interna-tional refugee law in our society and that is why we are declaring this course of national interest.” ▲

With the addition of Paraguay and Uruguay in 2003, all governments in southern Latin America have now taken over refugee status de-termination procedures. In Para-guay and Uruguay, refugee status determinations were previously conducted by UNHCR. In Paraguay, the refugee commis-sion (CONARE) made its first deci-sions on asylum applications in October, 2003. CONARE is also responsible for formulating public policies on protection and local in-tegration of refugees. The commis-sion comprises representatives of numerous government ministries, as well as one non-governmental organization, and includes non-voting participation by UNHCR. In December, 2003, CONARE mem-bers participated in a three-day training session organized in Bue-nos Aires by UNHCR. Paraguay ratified the 1951 Refugee Conven-tion and its Protocol in 1970. Similarly, in Uruguay, a presidential decree has established a refugee committee made up of the Minis-ters of the Interior and of Foreign Affairs. UNHCR is a non-voting participant in the technical secre-tariat, which makes recommenda-tions to the committee. In Novem-ber, 2003, the technical secretariat met in Argentina for a three-day training session, during which it made positive recommendations on a number of asylum requests. Uru-guay ratified both the 1951 Con-

vention and its Pro-tocol in 1970. ▲

Uruguay, Paraguay take over refugee status determination

A Lao refugee in Argentina shares her experience with other refu-gee women. UNHCR/M. Tucuna

Latin American countries honor Sergio Vieira de Mello

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Hundreds of refugees and immi-grants in Argentina have received free legal advice thanks to legal clinics, and many more stand to benefit as the clinics expand, train advocates, and lobby for better asy-lum laws. The number of immigrants and refu-gees referred to the clinics by non-governmental and public institutions is growing constantly, with average weekly requests for legal advice more than doubling in 2003 to 10 to 15 per week. Just over half those

seeking assistance are women. To cope with the increased de-mand, nine new lawyers have joined the original team of three. Seven are former students who were among the first to receive training from the clinics. One of the clinics’ goals is to enlarge the pool of lawyers equipped to defend the rights of immigrants and refugees. Set up in July, 2002, the clinics are the result of an agreement between the Faculty of Law of the University of Buenos Aires and two NGOs: the

Human Rights groups hail new migration law In Argentina, human rights groups have hailed the passing of a new migrations law, which replaces a 1981 law passed during the mili-tary dictatorship. The new law fa-cilitates residence requirements, and creates, on the whole, a more adequate framework for the exer-cise of human rights in a number of areas by immigrants, including asylum seekers and refugees. A presidential decree passed in 1985 still provides the legal framework for the protection of refugees. ▲

UNHCR reopens office in Brazil On March 1, UNHCR reopened its office in the Brazilian capital, Brasi-lia. The office had been closed in 1998 in the midst of UNHCR’s fi-nancial crisis. The agency decided to reopen the office, given Brazil’s leading role in the region in terms of refugee protection, as well as its initiation in 2002 of an ongoing re-settlement program. Along with Venezuela, Brazil was one of the two first Latin American countries to join UNHCR’s Execu-tive Committee in 1951. In 1960, Brazil was the first country in south-ern Latin America to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention. In 1997, it became the first country in the re-gion to pass a refugee law, creating the national refugee commission CONARE. Since then, CONARE has recognized some 3,200 refu-gees from over 50 countries. About 2,000 of these are from Angola. ▲

Clinics in Argentina provide free legal advice Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) and the Argentine Commis-sion for Refugees (CAREF). Asylum seekers and refugees from Armenia, Peru, Senegal, Colombia, Cuba, India, Iraq, Syria and Chech-nya have received free legal advice, mostly about appealing rejections of their asylum claims. The clinics have also received a few requests for orientation from stateless peo-ple. Immigrants also seek the clin-ics’ help. To strengthen national laws and

policies protecting immigrants and refugees, the legal team partici-pated in drafting a new migration law which was approved by the Senate in December, 2003. The law replaces an outdated and more re-strictive one sanctioned during the military dictatorship. The lawyers now plan to work on ensuring the law’s proper implementation. The team also plans to lobby for a law specifically covering asylum seekers and refugees, rather than including these issues in the broader theme of migration. ▲

Lawyers provide free counseling on migration and refugee matters. UNHCR/ P. Gutnisky

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Confronting a new reality in Mexico and Central America where refu-gees have become an often over-looked part of large-scale migration movements, UNHCR has forged a broad network in the region to en-sure people fleeing persecution can find safety. The profile of refugees arriving in Mexico and Central America has changed significantly in recent years from the large influxes of refugees escaping civil war and armed con-flict in the past. Refugees are now mixed in among many categories of migrants passing through on their way north by the tens of thousands. It is no longer easy to identify and protect victims of persecution among these mixed flows of people. To respond to the new reality, UNHCR is developing a network throughout the region to meet the needs of refugees, pulling together NGOs, and human rights and other organizations in seven countries. UNHCR and institutions from Belize,

Photos put the plight of refugees in focus "It's terrible to see how humans could be so mean to each other", declared a woman walking among the images of Colombian children uprooted from their homes by the conflict in their country. In the heart of Mexico City, at the Bosque de Chapultepec, the photographic exhi-bition on Colombian refugees and displaced persons, "Arrancados de raíz", builds a bridge between Co-lombia and Mexico to expose one of the worst humanitarian crises in the western hemisphere. The exhibit was previously shown in several cities including Durban -at the World Conference against Racism, Xeno-phobia and Intolerance-, Guatemala City, San Salvador, La Havana, Ve-racruz, Chetumal, Campeche and Mexico City. Portraying a broader profile of refu-gees, a second photographic exhibi-tion, "The others are us", was also displayed in Mexico, opening on Human Rights Day in December, 2003. The 30-photo exhibit by Gua-temalan photographer Ricardo Ramírez Arriola reveals the lives of

Film engages US schoolchildren A new feature-length film about a World War II refugee boy will help educate and engage US schoolchildren on refugee issues, through a partnership between UNHCR and the film’s production company, Walden Media. The film, “I Am David”, based on a novel by Anne Holm, tells the story of a 12-year- old refugee boy who escapes a WWII Communist concentration camp in Bulgaria to return to his home and family in Denmark. Producers Walden Media approached UNHCR to enhance the edu-cational and social responsibility impact of the film. UNHCR has helped develop posters, lesson plans and other teaching and promotional materials to accompany the film. The agency is also cosponsoring screenings at teachers’ conferences and will collaborate on events for the film’s premier in autumn, 2004. Walden Media has incorporated UNHCR resources and refugee themes in the film’s promotional materials. Walden Media’s family-focused educational films and television programs have received critical and popular acclaim as well as recognition as educational tools, reaching tens of thousands of educators and students. “I Am David” has tremendous potential to interest and in-spire thousands of US schoolchildren to support refugee issues. On the web: http://www.walden.com/david.html.

One of the photos from the exhibit “The Others Are Us”. UNHCR/R.Ramírez Arriola

Network pushes for refugee protection in Mexico and Central America

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Mexico met in October, 2003 to develop a regional action plan for 2004. The protection network will focus this year on making sure laws and pro-cedures are in place for asylum seekers and refugees, by pushing for the implementation of national legislation on refugees and training migration authorities and govern-mental institutions. The organiza-tions also plan to raise awareness about refugees and promote better co-ordination among institutions working with refugees and asylum seekers. “Throughout the region, the spot-light is on migration, and asylum is often only an afterthought at best,” explains Merida Morales-O’Donnell, UNHCR’s Regional Representative in Mexico. “We need to bring in as many hands as possible to help make sure that refugees do not get swept aside in this broader focus on migration.” ▲

refugee children and youth from different parts of the world. These cultural activities have proved to be a powerful tool to raise awareness among an audience very often unfamiliar with the refugee plight, as well as to promote a more positive public perception of asylum seekers. ▲

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A new report by UNHCR on the US expedited removal process finds that while American screening pro-cedures at airports and land borders have been positively implemented in some areas of the country, a num-ber of practices, both at the national and local levels, require attention. The report documents a six-month-long study on access to the US refu-gee process at airports and land borders, treatment of asylum seek-ers during the expedited removal process, and its possible impact on subsequent legal proceedings. The expedited removal process, which went into effect in 1997, per-mits the immediate removal from the United States of non-citizens arriv-ing at ports of entry with false or no documents. Such individuals are removed without a hearing or review unless they express a desire to ap-ply for asylum or a fear of persecu-tion in their home countries. If they express such a desire or fear, they

are detained and referred for an inter-view with an asylum officer to deter-mine whether they have a "credible fear" of persecution. UNHCR’s study of the process in-volved numerous, in-depth field visits across the United States. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) granted UNHCR unprece-dented access to the process, allow-ing staff to observe numerous immi-gration interviews, review over 350 case files, and carry out extensive interviews with DHS officials. UNHCR presented its report to DHS in No-vember, 2003. UNHCR found that, in general, Immi-gration Inspectors were successfully identifying possible asylum claims and referring them to Asylum Offi-cers, among other positive policies and practices at every location vis-ited. The study indicated that the DHS Asylum Division had imple-mented its portion of the expedited removal process efficiently, and was

UNHCR reports on US expedited removal process showing sensitivity toward the con-cerns of those seeking protection. The UNHCR report also highlighted a number of concerns, including in-appropriate methods and manner of questioning and consistently poor-quality interpretation during inter-views at ports of entry. For example, restraints were routinely used on asylum-seekers at one major US airport, which could further trauma-tize people who have already suf-fered persecution. The report urged DHS Headquarters to exercise more oversight, use pro-fessional interpreters during inter-views, and increase training of in-spectors to help ensure adherence to US law, DHS guidelines and inter-national standards. UNHCR and DHS will follow up to monitor imple-mentation of the report's recommen-dations. Hopefully, the good exam-ples set by local initiatives at several ports of entry and airports across the US might be replicated on a national basis. ▲

US Congress approves delayed refugee funding The US Congress has passed a bill including funding for refugees both overseas and in the United States, but at lower levels than last year. The Senate passed the FY 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill on 22 January 2004 by a vote of 65 to 29. This legislation covers funding for most of the accounts of interest to UNHCR, including the US State Depart-ment’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM). The bill had been held up since early Decem-ber over larger political and policy issues, but the Democratic opposition ended when it became clear that members might lose projects important to their states amounting to some $11billion due to the stalemate. The bill provides almost $760 million for refugee assistance and $30 million for the emergency account. This is about $37 million less than what Congress approved last year, exclusive of the supplemental funding for Iraq and Afghanistan. Another $450 million will go to the Office of Refugee Resettlement which is responsible for domestic refugee integration services. The bill provides just over $50 million for the care and custody of separated children, $20 million more than the original request. UNHCR had been advocating with the US Government for this funding during the past year. Approval of this funding bill clears the way for PRM to contribute the remainder of their initial pledge of $130 million to UNHCR. Since the funding is lower in this bill than last year, the US government is not likely to be able to keep up the record-breaking 2003 contribution level of $308 million to UNHCR. Meanwhile, President Bush's FY2005 budget proposal was released on 2 February 2004, recommencing the funding cycle. The proposed figures for FY2005, which will debated in the Congress in the coming months, are approximately $40 million less than FY2004 levels. ▲

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The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recommended to the US Attorney General that the US should grant asylum in a prece-dent-setting case involving gender-based persecution. The case involves a Guatemalan national, Ms. Rodi Alvarado, who suffered repeated brutalization and human rights violations at the hands of her husband for over ten years. Despite her repeated ap-peals to Guatemalan police and courts, the authorities not only failed to protect her, but explicitly told her they would simply not get involved. The case of Ms. Alvarado is pivotal for asylum policies nationally and internationally, as it will set a prece-dent for US asylum policy in gen-der-related claims. Attorney Gen-eral John Ashcroft’s decision will illustrate whether the US will recog-nize domestic violence, under cer-tain circumstances, as grounds for asylum. Several industrialized countries, such as the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, have already recognized that some vic-tims of domestic violence who are not protected by their own govern-ments may have claims for asylum. According to DHS, Ms. Alvarado meets the refugee definition and should be granted asylum based on membership in a particular social group, which DHS defined as "married women in Guatemala who

Asylum case could set precedent on gender-based persecution are unable to leave the relationship." UNHCR had presented the same position in an advisory opinion to the Attorney General, which DHS had requested based on UNHCR’s spe-cial expertise on international norms, particularly on gender-related perse-cution. UNHCR advised that “given the power her husband had over her and would have over her in the fu-ture, and the continued lack of State protection in cases of domestic vio-lence in Guatemala, it is clear that the consequences for Ms. Alvarado, should she be forced to return to Guatemala, would be extremely seri-ous. This consideration, added to the facts surrounding the abuse she has suffered, support the conclusion that Ms. Alvarado has demonstrated a well-founded fear of persecution on account of membership in a particu-lar social group and her political opinion.” DHS has now recommended that the Attorney General send the case back to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and instruct them to grant asy-lum summarily without opinion or postpone a decision until DHS regu-lations are issued to provide further guidance. In its brief, DHS argued that gender claims do not call for "special treatment" under asylum law or require any distortion of normal legal principles. It is believed that DHS’s position in this case will make it more difficult for the Attorney Gen-eral to deny the asylum claim.

Ms. Alvarado began her saga through the US asylum system eight years ago. In 1996, a San Francisco immigration judge granted Ms. Alva-rado asylum, but the US Immigration and Nationalization Service ap-pealed the judge’s decision. The BIA reversed the judge’s grant in June 1999 and ordered Ms. Alvarado de-ported to Guatemala. While the BIA agreed that the abuses suffered by Ms Alvarado amounted to persecu-tion, they did not agree that the per-secution was on account of social group membership or political opin-ion. In January, 2001, then Attorney General Janet Reno responded to a nationwide campaign of outrage and concern over the case by overturn-ing the BIA's decision. She ordered the BIA to issue a new decision in the case after the publication of pro-posed regulations which would re-move certain barriers to gender-related claims. Unfortunately for Ms. Alvarado, the regulations were never finalized. In 2002, under the Bush administration, John Ashcroft re-placed Janet Reno as Attorney Gen-eral. In February 2003, Ashcroft took the case away from the BIA and elected to issue a decision in his own name. UNHCR is encouraged by the recent DHS position in the case and hopes that the Attorney General adopts a similar position recognizing Ms. Al-varado’s claim for asylum. ▲

AMERICAS FUNDING UPDATE: Annual Programme Budget (as of 8 March 2004)

Americas North America & Caribbean

Central America & Mexico

South America

Total

2004 Excom budget 6,737,112 4,126,351 14,011,213 24,874,666

2004 Earmarked Contributions*

Canada 381,679 381,679

Sweden 274,725 1,098,901 1,373,626

Switzerland 396,825 396,825

USA** 750,000 250,000 1,500,000 2,500,000

Total 750,000 250,000 274,725 3,377,405 4,652,130

% of Earmarked contr. from 2004 Excom budget 4% 7% 24% 19% * The Government of Luxembourg has announced a contribution of 200,000 euros for Colombia ** The US contribution shown under South America is for Northern South America

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With a particular focus on Africa, the United States has more than dou-bled the number of refugees it has resettled in the first four months of fiscal year 2004 compared to the same timeframe of 2003, raising hopes for a reversal of sharp de-clines in resettlement since 2001. The US resettled 11,040 refugees from October 2003 through January 2004. Almost half are African refu-gees, including 1,406 Somali Bantu from camps in Kenya and 1,853 Li-berians from Cote d’Ivoire. During the same four month period last year, the US resettled only 5,202 refugees, 660 from Africa. Admissions to the US had dropped sharply in the past two years, largely due to increased security proce-dures and constraints following the September 11, 2001 tragedies. The increase so far this year has been welcomed and highlights the poten-tial for the US Government to fill the 50,000 admissions slots allocated for FY2004. Across the US, resettlement NGOs, civic and religious groups, and local communities have warmly received the Somali Bantu and Liberian refu-gees who are part of the increased admissions. The arrival of Somali Bantu, which had been anticipated but prolonged in some cases for almost two years, has resulted in

widely varied and often intense reac-tions in local communities. While a few groups and individuals have voiced opposition to more Somali refugees coming to their hometowns, in general, enthusiasm and goodwill have characterized the reception of the Bantu to their new homes. In many towns across America, pre-viously resettled Somali refugees came together to support and wel-come the Somali Bantu. In a unique development, the Somalis who are now lending a helping hand repre-sent many different ethnic groups, including groups which were impli-cated in the persecution of Bantu within Somalia. As one Somali refu-gee who has been living in the US for almost ten years explained, “Once we arrive in the US we leave much of our past behind. We are still Somali – we are all Somali – but we must become American, too, now. And we must help each other. Who would be better to help [the Bantu refugees] than those of us who came before them and had to learn our way in our new country?” In collaboration with USCCB, the UNHCR Regional Office in Washing-ton established a consultancy posi-tion to follow the progress of the So-mali Bantu resettlement in the US. For additional information on the So-mali Bantu, contact Ms. Maha Shak-hashiri ([email protected]). ▲

Resettlement to the US on the upswing, new groups find welcome

Helen Evans-Hicks, of Heartland Refugee Resettlement, helps answer questions of recently resettled Liberian refugees outside their new home in Omaha. UNHCR/J. Ghedini

Canada: 2003 Statistical Snapshot Asylum seekers

• In 2003, Canada received 31,857 asylum claims, 5 percent less than 2002 and 30 percent less than 2001.

• Top ten countries of origin: Pakistan, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, China, Sri Lanka, India, USA*, Bangladesh, Guyana. (*Refugee claimants whose US-born children were registered as US citizens)

• 53% of refugee claimants ap-plied in Canada, 35% at the Can-ada-US border and 12 % at air-ports.

Refugee Status Determination

• In 2003, the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) finalized 42,573 claims compared to 32,466 in 2002, following an aggressive streamlining of its refugee status determination procedures.

• Just under 42 percent received a positive decision, while just over 42 percent were rejected. The rest were abandoned or withdrawn.

• 510 cases with gender-based persecution claims were finalized, of which 54 percent were accepted.

Refugees granted permanent resi-dent status

• 25,986 refugees were granted permanent resident status, of which 11,263 were refugees recognized by the IRB, 3,962 were dependants abroad of recognized refugees and 10,761 were resettled refugees.

• 51 percent were female, and 31 percent were children.

• Of the resettled refugees, 7,505 were government-sponsored and 3,256 were privately spon-sored.

• Top five countries of origin of resettled refugees: Afghanistan (26%), Colombia (17%), Sudan (12%), Ethiopia (7%) and Iran (5%). ▲

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A new approach by UNHCR and Canada is streamlining resettle-ment for two refugee groups in Af-rica who desperately need to find a new country to take them in and offer them protection. Canada resettles over 10,000 refu-gees in any given year, but now for the first time, as part of this total, Canada has agreed to receive from UNHCR the submission of groups for resettlement, in addition to indi-vidual submissions. Key advan-tages of group processing are that it is more expeditious and enables larger numbers of refugees, who would otherwise remain in a pro-tracted situation, to benefit from resettlement. Since last November, groups of 30 to 50 Sudanese and Somali refu-gees from the Dadaab camp in Kenya have been arriving in Can-ada. By this spring, some 900 are expected to have resettled. The Sudanese are headed to Winnipeg, Manitoba and Edmonton, Alberta, while the Somalis will go to Hamil-ton, Ontario. UNHCR identified the two groups for resettlement based on their uni-form refugee claim, clearly defined group membership, the significant protection problems they faced in the refugee camp, and their lack of prospects for a durable solution other than resettlement. The Sudanese are members of the Dinka tribe who fled to Kenya to escape war and persecution in Su-dan. They were initially accommo-dated in Kakuma camp, security problems due to inter-tribal rivalries led to their transfer to another camp for their protection. There, they suffered harassment and dis-crimination by a predominantly So-mali population who regarded their different religion, language and customs with hostility. Over 200 Sudanese young men and single mothers with children have arrived in Winnipeg, which already has a Sudanese commu-nity of several hundred. Some set-

tlement volun-teers are former Sudanese refu-gees who speak their language and play a cru-cial role in ori-enting the refu-gees. Marty Dolin, a seasoned refu-gee settlement worker who runs the Manitoba Interfaith Immi-gration Council notes, “As refu-gees who have lived together, with established community ties and a sense of c o m m u n i t y within, this is a very cohesive group in terms of supporting them-selves.” The other resettlement group are So-malis from a very small community of just over 600 refugees, known as So-mali Midgan, who are considered to be of low caste or "untouchables". They fled to Kenya in 1991-1992 and have since resided in Dadaab camp. They continue to be discriminated against by other Somali clans in the camp and face daily intimidation, par-ticularly when trying to obtain food, water or other services. In Hamilton, just over 100 Somali Midgans have arrived and 180 more are expected by the end of March. “By remaining in their close-knit group, the refugees don’t feel that they have left anything important be-hind,” said Madina Wasuge, program manager at the Settlement and Inte-gration Services Organization in Hamilton. Wasuge notes that refu-gees can develop close relationships in refugee camps, and resettling them together as a group helps cushion the multiple shocks of facing a completely foreign environment. “The feeling of isolation is not there,” she concluded.

A former Somali refugee herself, Wasuge said that the 2,500 strong Somali community in Hamilton is unique because of their determined efforts to renounce all vestiges of tribal and clan politics that have torn apart their homeland. Thus the wel-come the Somali Midgan received truly astonished them and stands in marked contrast to the discrimina-tion they have been subjected to all their lives by the dominant Somali clans. Both groups of refugees bring per-sonal resources that will stand them in good stead as they settle in their new society. The younger refugees have a fairly good command of English, which they acquired in the refugee camp. The groups also have a strong sense of community solidarity and a burning desire to work hard to build a better life. The other crucial factor for success-ful integration is Canada’s well-oiled system of settlement services. But, as Wasuge cautions, the refugees are still in the “honeymoon” phase, and there will no doubt be some lessons learned from this experi-ence with group resettlement. ▲

New approach streamlines resettlement for refugee groups in Canada

Sudanese refugees resettled to Canada under group processing attend a party at Welcome Place. M. Dolin, MIIC

update on the americas

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