Japan Rejects Syrians’ Appeal for Refugee Status
Japan rejected an appeal by two Syrian asylum seekers who were turned down for refugee status, in the first such lawsuit.
One of the Syrians, Joude Youssef, claimed asylum in Japan in 2012 but was rejected the following year, citing lack of evidence of his involvement in protests in Syria. He is allowed to stay in Japan under humanitarian protection but without full refugee status.
The Tokyo District Court upheld the 2012 ruling, along with a second rejection for a Syrian who refused military service. Japan recognized only 20 refugees last year amid a jump in asylum applications. It projects a hard-line image on asylum but generosity on refugee aid.
Tennessee Lawsuit Over Medicaid for Refugees Dismissed in U.S.
A U.S. judge dismissed a lawsuit by the state of Tennessee accusing the U.S. government of breaching state sovereignty by requiring it to provide refugees with Medicaid benefits.
Federal Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson said Tennessee did not have standing to sue the government for violating the 10th amendment of the Constitution, which limits federal government powers.
There’s long been an understanding that refugees are covered by Medicaid, the health benefits program for low-income communities, and Tennessee should have anticipated refugee numbers might rise, he said.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition said the verdict was “a victory for our members, for refugee families and for the majority of Tennesseans whose faith and values call them to welcome families fleeing violence and war.”
HONY Founder Raises $2 Million for Rohingya in Crowdfunding Campaign
A crowdfunding campaign by the photographer behind “Humans of New York” has raised $2 million in two weeks to build homes for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
Crowdfunding site GoFundMe said it was one of its fastest-ever campaigns to raise $1 million after it hit that target in four days. Photographer Brendan Stanton teamed up with collaborative charity Love Army for the fund-raising drive.
They will channel the funds into improving shelters for Rohingya families as the monsoon rains approach, working with the American Refugee Committee and local NGOs. Stanton has been posting images and stories of Rohingya refugees on the Humans of New York (HONY) blog after a visit to Bangladesh in January.
Recommended Reads
- The Irish Times: Arrests and Torture of Syrian Refugees Returning Home Reported
- Cato Institute: How Mass Immigration Affects Countries With Weak Economic Institutions: A Natural Experiment in Jordan
- World Bank: Groundswell: Preparing for Internal Climate Migration
- Migration Policy Institute: Turkey-Style Deals Will Not Solve the Next E.U. Migration Crisis