Trump Uses Budget Cuts to Hobble Refugee Programs
The White House wants to cut spending on resettling refugees by one quarter. A new budget proposal calls for deep cuts to several refugee-related programs.
President Donald Trump’s efforts to suspend refugee admissions have been stalled by U.S. courts. But his 2018 budget calls for cuts to refugee resettlement money and eliminates an emergency refugee fund.
Overall, U.S. spending on refugee programs will be cut from $3.1 billion to $2.7 billion and resettlement programs will be slashed from $544.7 million to $410 million.
Trump’s suspended order to block refugee admissions also calls for the annual target to be cut from 110,000 to 50,000. With the cap not yet in effect, the State Department is reportedly admitting as many refugees as possible with the available money.
While the legal tussle over Trump’s executive order makes its way to the Supreme Court, the battleground appears to have shifted to the funding.
Canada to Expedite Entry of Refugees From Yemen and Egypt
Canada has added war-torn Yemen and repressive Egypt to its fast-track asylum list. The inclusion of the two countries will mean swifter decisions on refugee status for nationals of those countries.
Egyptians and Yemenis seeking asylum will still have to secure a tourist or other visa to reach Canada and apply. It will mean a smaller hearing and quicker decision once they make it there.
Petra Molnar, a migration researcher, told the Middle East Eye that the expedited country list aims to recognize that conditions in certain countries may “require a faster processing.”
Canada’s existing expedited list includes Syria, Iraq and Eritrea, with Burundi and Afghanistan also expected to be added this month. A claimant from one of the designated countries still has to prove his or her need for protection.
Yemen is in a state of civil war that has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, with 19 million of its 28 million people in need of aid. Egypt under the government of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has locked up hundreds of thousands of people in a crackdown on all forms of opposition.
Mercy Corps Staff Face Allegations of Abuse of Refugees in Greece
Two staff members of the U.S.-based charity Mercy Corps are being investigated by Greek prosecutors over allegations of abuse.
Claims of serious misconduct including sexual abuse of refugees were made against an international NGO in May. The European Commission, which has funded Mercy Corps and most other international NGOs active in helping refugees and migrants in Greece, took the unusual step of making a public statement last month but did not name the group.
Mercy Corps said in a statement on May 31 that it was offering full cooperation to Greek authorities. The allegations were reported through Mercy Corps’ complaint hotline and then passed to Greek authorities and funders. The Oregon-based charity said it had suspended the staff at the center of allegations
E.U. authorities, Greek prosecutors and the charity itself have not commented on the nature of the claims, except to say they involve sexual exploitation of refugees and misuse of funds.
Mercy Corps said it has “zero tolerance for any form of harassment, exploitation, fraud or theft.”
This story has been updated to clarify the target of the investigation.
Recommended Reads
- The New York Times: Refugees and Terrorism, or Refugees and Lost Opportunity?
- Al Jazeera: Italy Refugee Crisis: Gangs Running Child Prostitution Rings
- Voice of America: Refugees Face Post-Asylum Despair in Greece
- The Conversation: Fear Trumps Facts: Why Theresa May Is Sticking With Her Migration Cap