Editor's note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com.
US Appeals Ruling That Would Lift Asylum Restrictions
The U.S. government said Wednesday it is appealing a court ruling that would otherwise lift asylum restrictions that have become the cornerstone of border enforcement in recent years, The Associated Press reports.
US Expands Deportation Relief to About 264,000 Haitians
The Biden administration will expand deportation relief and access to work permits for Haitians who are already in the United States, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Monday, as Haiti's government struggles to stabilize the country. Reuters reports on the situation.
US Homeland Security Chief Warns Borders Being Rendered Meaningless
America’s borders – and borders in general – are no longer sufficient to help protect the United States from a variety of evolving threats, including foreign wars, according to a grim assessment by the country’s top Homeland Security official. Speaking less than a week after the Department of Homeland Security reissued a National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin because of a "persistent threat environment," Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that U.S. adversaries and criminal actors have leveraged technological advances to reach inside the country in ways that until now have never been possible. Jeff Seldin, VOA’s national security correspondent, reports.
Philadelphia Businesses Help Ukrainian Refugees with Employment
One of the biggest challenges for Ukrainian refugees who end up in the U.S. is finding a job. But one Ukrainian business in Philadelphia is doing what it can to help newcomers. Iryna Solomko has the story.
Immigration around the world
Spain Under Pressure Over Migrant Deaths on Moroccan Border
Rights groups are pressuring Spain’s government over the deaths of at least 23 people after thousands of migrants forced their way through the European Union’s only land border with Africa between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla. Graham Keeley reports for VOA.
Rohingya Rescued After Boat Strands Off Thai Coast
Myanmar’s military said Thursday more than 150 Rohingyas were rescued from a stalled boat near Thailand’s coast. Agence-France Presse quoted a junta statement saying the boat was carrying 106 men and 48 women and was spotted near an oil rig co-run by the state Myanmar Oil and Natural Gas Corporation. VOA News reports on the story.
Association Head Says Rohingya Still Face Genocide
The head of a Rohingya organization urgently called for the U.N. Security Council to prevent what it described as genocide against the Rohingya in Myanmar. Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK (BROUK), told VOA that the Rohingya in Rakhine state, Myanmar's far west region, continue to face a genocidal program that puts their very survival at risk. From VOA's Burmese Service, Ingyin Naing reports.
UNHCR: Conditions Deteriorate for Somalis in Dadaab Refugee Camps
The U.N. refugee agency warns humanitarian conditions are deteriorating for tens of thousands of Somalis in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camps as an unrelenting drought grips the Horn of Africa and funding dries up. More than 80,000 Somalis fleeing conflict and drought have arrived in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camps over the past two years, more than 24,000 since September. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
Kenya Concerned by Cholera, Measles Outbreaks at Congested Refugee Camp
Aid groups say measles and cholera outbreaks at Kenya's congested Dadaab refugee camp have killed at least five people and sickened more than 400. The outbreaks come as thousands of Somalis have been arriving at the camp this year to escape record drought back home, stretching camp resources. Juma Majanga reports from Dadaab refugee camp in northeast Kenya. Editor's note: The video has been updated to correct the timeline of the arrival of more than 80,000 Somalis.
News Brief
— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released data showing 1,023,200 naturalizations in fiscal 2022, the highest number of citizens the agency has naturalized since 2008.
