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present
Renewing U.S. Commitment to Refugee Protection: The 30th Anniversary of the Refugee Act
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Symposium Event Links
Read the symposium recommendations.
Read the agenda/program.
Read the press release.
Watch our new video celebrating the Refugee Act.
Take action for a brand new bill (3/15/10) to help refugees.
27 refugees sworn in as US citizens on the 30th Anniversary of the Refugee Act
Featuring:
António Guterres, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
Eric Schwartz, Assistant Secretary of State for Population Refugees and Migration
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA/16th)
Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.)
Deborah Amos, Foreign Correspondent, National Public Radio
Read the full agenda (updated 3-12-10).
Watch the Symposium live: http://bit.ly/aw8pq7 & Tweet with Us! Blog too.
The 30th Anniversary of this landmark piece of legislation offers an occasion to highlight the United States achievements under the Refugee Act, honor the contributions refugees and their children have made to the diverse fabric of American society, and evaluate the ways in which policymakers can work together to overcome the current challenges in the U.S. refugee resettlement and asylum systems.
Please join policymakers and experts in U.S. refugee and asylum law to discuss how the United States can reaffirm its longstanding commitment to providing a safe haven for refugees fleeing political, religious, and other forms of persecution.
Georgetown University Law Center
Gewirz Student Center, 12th Floor
120 F St., N.W.
Washington D.C
8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Reception
The symposium will be followed by a reception at the law firm of Jones Day:
300 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
See map
5:30 to 8:00 P.M.
The reception will include remarks by:
António Guterres, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and
Alejandro Mayorkas, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.
Remarks will be followed by music performed by a traditional Ethiopian band.
Drinks and light hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Download a Save-the-Date flyer
Tell-a-Friend about this event, share on Facebook, email this page & more
The event will be free of charge but space is limited. Registration required.
Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided.
Map to Symposium
Additional Reading
Refugee Crisis in America: Iraqis and their Resettlement Experience. More than 30,000 Iraqi refugees have been resettled in the U.S. since 2003. What happens once they are here? This fact-finding investigation details U.S. resettlement policies effecting Iraqi refugees. 63 pages. October 2009. Human Rights Institute, Georgetown Law and Human Rights Action.
Coming to America: An Asylum Seeker's Story. Following the story of a democracy activist from Togo provides an easy-to-understand overview of U.S. asylum issues. 7 min. July 2009. Human Rights First.
Denial and Delay: The Impact of the Immigration Law's "Terrorism Bars" on Asylum Seekers and Refugees in the U.S. Report, summary and audio formats. November 2009. Human Rights First.
How to Repair the U.S. Asylum System: Blueprint for the Next Administration
December 2008. Human Rights First.
U.S. Detention of Asylum Seekers: Seeking Protection, Finding Prison
April 2009.
Human Rights First.
For more information please contact Annie Sovcik via email at sovcika@humanrightsfirst.org or phone at (202) 370-3318