Human Rights First Welcomes Appointment of Samantha Power to Coordinate U.S. Iraqi Refugee Efforts

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Human Rights First welcomes Friday’s White House announcement that the administration will appoint Samantha Power, Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the National Security Council, to coordinate the work of the many U.S. agencies engaged on issues that affect Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons.

In its blueprint “How to Confront the Iraqi Refugee Crisis,” issued last December, Human Rights First urged the incoming Obama administration to appoint a White House coordinator to ensure that plans to assist Iraqi refugees and IDPs were integrated into broader policy and strategy in Iraq and implemented across all relevant federal agencies. Ms. Power’s extensive experience with refugee and humanitarian issues and her deep commitment to these issues make her an excellent pick. We look forward to working with her in this new capacity. 

One of Ms. Power’s first responsibilities will be to implement reforms to improve the resettlement process for vulnerable Iraqi refugees, including those who have been at risk because of their ties to the United States. 

To read HRF’s recent report and recommendations for improving U.S. resettlement efforts for vulnerable Iraqi refugees, “Promises to the Persecuted,” click here

To read HRF’s complete blueprint, click here

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