In the photo that leads off Nicholas Kristof’s June 25 New York Times article, the blue lattice doorway to the right of the map leads into Asylum Access’s office. Although Kristof paints an appalling picture of the deportation and murder of refugee children, Asylum Access Mexico is slowly changing this dire reality. Last year, we opened offices in […]
A single mother of three children, Viviane fled Burundi one night after being raped and psychologically tortured. Many people suspected and blamed Viviane’s family for the instability in Burundi because her father was a high-profile figure in the former government. After President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his plans to run for a third term in direct […]
When Thivya’s mother returned from the hospital to find out her three young daughters had been arrested and detained during a raid, she voluntarily surrendered herself to Thai immigration police and joined her family at Bangkok’s international detention center (IDC). Two years went by before they were released on bail. Thivya is among hundreds of […]
Bangkok, Thailand is home to an increasing number of urban refugees, currently estimated at +8,000. They come from countries including Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Somalia, and China and are fleeing armed conflict and persecution in their home countries. Refugees that overstay their visas or enter Thailand without proper documentation are considered illegal immigrants under […]
Read the official press release here. Since opening our doors in Thailand and Tanzania, Asylum Access has been challenging the barriers that keep refugees from rebuilding their lives. We are encouraged by recent results from the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations in Geneva that show progress towards achieving greater refugee rights in […]
Asserting the rights of people in need of international protection in Latin America and the Caribbean. Asylum Access Latin America and 30+ other civil society organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean have united to create the Regional Working Group for the Brazil Plan of Action (GAR-PAB). The Regional Working Group rose as an initiative […]
Statement by Jessica Therkelsen, Global Policy Director. The EU – Turkey agreement to “swap” refugee populations is being implemented without consideration for the basic human rights of refugees arriving in its territories. EU countries have instituted pushbacks, using violence to enforce inhumane reception conditions for those seeking safety from war and violence in Syria, Iraq […]
When Aviv and his family were forced to flee their home in Pakistan due to religious persecution, they arrived in Thailand only to be met with another harsh reality. “We are still facing persecution, but in a different way. It’s hard to find food or a safe place to live. The greatest danger is that […]
Families crowded on tiny boats, mothers pushing children through chain fences, border police rebuking people with tear gas and water cannons, and people abandoned or killed on a treacherous journey – these are the images the West now associates with the Syrian refugee crisis. The crisis came into the international consciousness as shocking photographs of […]
This summer, AALA Director Karina Sarmiento attended Stanford University’s Draper Hills Summer Fellows Program on Democracy and Development. The three-week executive education program provides emerging leaders with the opportunity to connect, exchange experiences, and receive academic training to enrich their knowledge and advance their work. Following the program, we asked Karina to tell us more […]