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.
Advocates March in Washington to Demand Work Permits for Migrants
Hundreds of people gathered Tuesday in Washington to urge the Biden administration to extend labor protections to undocumented immigrants in the United States. The Here to Work Day of Action march, organized by a coalition of dozens of migrant advocacy groups, called on President Joe Biden to allow immigrants living in the U.S. for years to apply for work permits. Immigration reporter Aline Barros and LATAM’s Salome Ramirez Vargas have the story.
Ellis Island: Gateway to America in Early 20th Century
Immigration in the U.S. wasn’t always difficult or a crisis. Just 100 years ago, immigrants arriving in America simply had to give their name, occupation, and port of call when crossing into the U.S. Millions arrived through Ellis Island, an immigration and processing center that operated for more than 62 years. It stopped processing migrants 70 years ago this month. Evgeny Maslov reports on what it was like for immigrants on Ellis Island in this story narrated by Anna Rice.
Volunteer Medics Trying to Fill Health Care Gap for Migrants in Chicago
Using sidewalks as exam rooms and heavy red duffel bags as medical supply closets, volunteer medics spend their Saturdays caring for the growing number of migrants arriving in Chicago without a place to live. The Associated Press reports.
Former Somali Refugee Elected Mayor of Minnesota City, Making History
Voters in the Minnesota city of St. Louis Park elected Nadia Mohamed, a 27-year-old Somali American, as the city’s first Black, first Somali, and first Muslim mayor Tuesday night. The election results show that Mohamed easily defeated Dale Anderson, a former banker and continuing education teacher, by a margin of 58% to 41%. Reported by Mohamed Olad Hassan, senior editor and writer with the VOA Somali Service, and Mohamud Mascadde.
VOA60 Africa - Sudan: Witnesses Report Surge in Ethnically Driven Killings in Darfur
The U.N. refugee agency’s Dominique Hyde said the situation is dire in refugee camps on the border of Sudan and South Sudan. She said 4.5 million people have been internally displaced since the war began in April and 1.2 million have fled to neighboring countries.
Immigration around the world
Canada Sees Surge in Asylum-Seekers
A surge in applications for asylum in Canada is being attributed to a global pattern of human dislocation and a change in the nation’s regular visa policies intended to help clear a post-COVID backlog of applications that is impacting trade and tourism. Story by Jay Heisler.
Recent Immigrants to Israel Find Themselves in War
According to the Israeli Ministry of Absorption, 400,000 people who arrived in the country in the past 10 years are defined as new immigrants, potentially in need of government agencies’ help. They now find themselves caught in the Israel-Hamas war. VOA’s Natasha Mozgovaya met in Jerusalem with the new immigrants — or "olim" — from Ethiopia, evacuated from the southern Israeli city of Sderot. Camera — Mary Cieslak.
Nearly 32,000 Migrants Reached Spain's Canary Islands in 2023
Nearly 32,000 migrants have reached Spain's Canary Islands on fragile boats from West Africa this year, passing the record posted in 2006, regional authorities said Sunday. Report by Reuters.
Resettling Afghans Facing Expulsion From Pakistan Poses Challenge for UNHCR
Nearly half a million Afghans have approached the UNHCR office in Pakistan for resettlement since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. Report by Sarah Zaman, VOA’s Pakistan Bureau chief.
Top Court Declares Rwanda Migrant Deal Unlawful
Britain’s highest court ruled Wednesday that the government’s migrant policy of sending asylum-seekers to Rwanda for processing is illegal — a big political blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Henry Ridgwell reports for VOA from London.
Hosting Afghans a Huge Burden, Pakistani President Says
Pakistani President Arif Alvi said his country has carried a huge burden in hosting Afghans for nearly four decades. In an exclusive interview with VOA Urdu, Alvi defended Islamabad's decision to expel Afghans living in Pakistan without proper documents. He said giving refuge to citizens of the neighboring country had deeply affected his own country's economy and culture. Report by Sarah Zaman, VOA’s Pakistan Bureau chief.
Officials: Refugees Who Fled to India After Latest Fighting in Myanmar Have Begun Returning Home
More than half of the estimated 5,000 refugees who had fled the heavy fighting in Myanmar's western Chin state and had entered northeastern India have begun returning home, Indian officials said Thursday. Sunday and Monday saw heavy fighting between the rebels and the Myanmar military in the Chin state across the border from Zokhawthar, a village of around 600 households, in India's Mizoram state. The military junta lost control of some areas after rebels, largely belonging to the Chin National Front, seized two military posts. The Associated Press reports.
Afghan Textile Mill Owners in Pakistan Worried Over Refugee Crackdown
The Afghan owners of textile mills in Pakistan say that they are facing multiple problems running their businesses because of Pakistan’s ongoing deportations of undocumented Afghan refugees. Muska Safi has the story from Munda refugee camp in Pakistan, narrated by Elizabeth Cherneff. Roshan Noorzai contributed to this report.
Pakistan Extends Stay of 1.4 Million Registered Afghan Refugees
Pakistan announced Friday that it had extended, after a delay of four months, the legal residence status of about 1.4 million Afghan refugees until year-end, though it again rejected calls to halt deportations of all undocumented Afghans and other foreign nationals. Ayaz Gul reports for VOA from Islamabad, Pakistan, along with Sarah Zaman, VOA’s Pakistan Bureau chief.
News Brief
— The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it expects to make an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for fiscal 2024, on top of the congressionally mandated 66,000 H-2B visas that are available each fiscal year.
