FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 8, 2020 WASHINGTON–Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a national and international upsurge of racism directly targeted at the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. There has been an increase in harassment, verbal attacks, social media bullying and physical attacks against AAPIs. According to the Stop AAPI Hate reporting site, there have […]
Refugee Congress Delegate Ekhlas Ahmed (Maine) talks about coping with the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic and the work she is doing to support fellow community members: “Refugees fill these rolls, because we want to give back to the country that welcomed us. But we also do it because selflessness eases our suffering. I became an ESOL teacher five years […]
Refugee Congress Delegate Jihan Daman (Michigan) talks about her work helping trauma victims in the U.S.: “This is who refugees are. They are people like me, and my brothers. There are millions of refugees who work long hours each day, who go to school, who build communities.” Read the Newsweek article
Refugee Congress Delegates and others talk about racial justice and the Black Lives Matter movement. Read the article on Medium by UNHCR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 10, 2020 Refugee Congress condemns the Trump Administration’s newest attack on asylum-seeking protections — a proposed rule that would redefine who is eligible for humanitarian protection and bar people with well-founded fears of persecution from seeking asylum. The rule uses the pretext of public health to restrict asylum-seeking. It would bar people who work in healthcare […]
As Pride Month draws to a close, Refugee Congress celebrates the life, dignity and resilience of LGBTQ+ refugees, asylum seekers/asylees and other vulnerable migrants. We recognize that members of our communities who identify as LGBTQ+ may have fled persecution based on their sexual or gender identify, and even as they found some safety in the U.S., they still face discrimination, […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2020 Refugee Congress condemns a new rule announced by the Trump Administration that delays and bans asylum-seekers’ ability to obtain employment authorization. The rule doubles the time asylum-seekers must wait before applying for employment authorization, from 150 to 365 days, and blocks work authorization for many asylum-seekers based on entry or filing requirements. As an […]
Do you know a refugee/former refugee or asylee/asylum seeker who is active in the community and wants to become an even more powerful advocate for refugees/asylees in their state? Refugee Congress seeks nominations of committed refugee and asylee/asylum seeker leaders to serve as the volunteer Delegate to the Refugee Congress for a term of three years. We currently seek to […]
On June 20 and throughout the month of June, we join together for World Refugee Day to celebrate the contributions of refugees and rally for increased welcome and support for refugees. In the midst of the current COVID-19 crisis, refugees are ensuring the health and well-being of their communities as essential workers such as healthcare professionals, driver, teachers, grocery workers […]
Refugee Congress Delegate to Arizona Former Refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina “Surviving through adversity reminds us of our own strength.” – Nejra Sumic Nejra Sumic is a former refugee who was forced to flee from her home country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After a long and dangerous journey, Sumic and her family were finally granted asylum as refugees into the […]
State: Georgia Arrival in the U.S.: 2001 Dr. Heval Kelli is the Refugee Congress Delegate for Georgia. A Syrian Kurdish-born physician, Kelli moved to the United States as refugee two weeks after 9/11 and enrolled at Georgia State 10 months later as a freshman. He graduated Summa Cum Laude while working as a dishwasher and was later accepted to Morehouse School of Medicine, where […]
State: Idaho Country of Origin: Ethiopia Arrival in the U.S.: 2012 Tecle Gebremicheal is the Refugee Congress Delegate for Idaho. Only seven years ago, he came to the U.S. as a resettled refugee from Ethiopia with nothing but a few pairs of shoes — one for running and the other soccer cleats — and an empty pocket, with the full […]
State: ColoradoCountry of Origin: Việt Nam Nga Vương-Sandoval is the Refugee Congress Delegate for Colorado. She and her family fled their homeland due to the Việt Nam War and became refugees. They were displaced in refugee camps before resettling in the U.S. and were known as the ‘boat people.’ As a Việtnamese refugee, she embraces her heritage and refugee experience and is empathetic […]
State: California Country of origin: Peru Arrival in the U.S.: 2003 Carmen Kcomt is the Refugee Congress Delegate for California. She is a former asylum-seeker and is an attorney, member of the American Bar Association and former Magistrate from Peru. She served in the Judicial Power for 10 years as a Family and Juvenile Judge. Kcomt holds a master’s degree in International Law […]
State: Kentucky Country of origin: Congo Arrival in the U.S.: 2014 Lynda Kana is the Refugee Congress Delegate for Kentucky. She is a resettled refugee from Congo and fondly recalls a warm welcome when she and her family arrived in Kentucky, including a fridge full of food, assistance with medical appointments and opportunities to learn English. Five months after arriving, she knew she […]