Refugees International

08/25/2026

August 25 marks Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day and the start of the Rohingya people’s tenth year in exile from Myanmar.

Today, nearly 1.3 million Rohingya continue to live in the largest refugee settlement in the world in Bangladesh, facing ongoing restrictions on access to education and livelihoods – even as international aid has dropped precipitously. The year ahead risks further deterioration and entrenchment.

We spoke to Umme and Jaitun, Rohingya refugee women advocates living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. They call on the international community to act.

Listen to their testimonies. Visit our website to learn more.
https://www.refugeesinternational.org/bangladesh/

08/05/2026

🚨EVENT: Five years after the U.S. military withdrawal from , the country's humanitarian crisis has entered a dangerous new phase.

Following the abrupt termination of U.S. humanitarian assistance in 2025, new frontline evidence from Refugees International reveals the devastating human toll: preventable deaths, soaring maternal and newborn mortality, widespread health facility closures, the loss of thousands of healthcare workers, and the rapid collapse of lifesaving services.

Join us Thursday, August 13 at 11:00 AM ET for an urgent conversation on what this means for U.S. foreign policy, global health, and America's responsibility to the Afghan people.

RSVP today: https://support.refugeesinternational.org/a/deadly-impact-us-aid-cuts-afghanistan

08/04/2026

The last four months have seen at least four boat tragedies in the Bay of Bengal. Four boats full of refugees including women and children capsized. Hundreds are believed to have drowned.

We spoke to Rahila Begum, one of the few survivors of a boat that capsized in April this year. Increasing violence in Myanmar and desperate conditions in the camps in Bangladesh – exacerbated by global aid cuts – are forcing many Rohingya refugees to risk deadly sea journeys in overcrowded boats.

The UN Refugee Agency reports a 91% increase in boat journeys just in the first quarter of this year compared to the last year.

07/28/2026

For 75 years, the Refugee Convention has laid the foundation for refugee protection.

In 1967, the United States joined the Protocol to the Convention, affirming the U.S. commitment to protect people seeking refuge. But right now in the United States, refugees who were lawfully admitted are being targeted, detained, and interrogated.

From small towns to big cities, refugees are our friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Today, we are asking you to stand with them.

Join thousands of people across the country to call on the White House to uphold America’s commitment to refugees and end the attacks on our communities. Sign the petition today ✍

The White House is targeting refugees who were promised safety in the United States. Tell the White House to immediately end these unlawful attacks on refugees and keep our promise.

07/23/2026

🎙️New from our podcast, Forced From Home.

The Ebola outbreak surging throughout eastern could be the largest in history and one of the most challenging to defeat.

Ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, significant U.S. aid cuts, and overextended healthcare systems are complicating efforts to respond and contain the disease. Worse, this outbreak is fueled by a strain of Ebola–the Bundibugyo species– that does not have an approved vaccine to treat.

In this episode, we learn from Dr. Craig Spencer about how Ebola spreads and the factors fueling the current Bundibugyo outbreak. Listen to the full episode.
https://www.refugeesinternational.org/actions/forced-from-home-episode-8-ebola-drc-spencer-harneis-dizolele/

07/21/2026

🚨The Supreme Court has authorized the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Thousands of Haitian TPS holders who are healthcare workers, taxpayers, and parents will now be uprooted from the communities they serve. But Congress has an opportunity to change this, and must act urgently.

Earlier this year, the House passed a bipartisan bill (H.R. 1689) that requires the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to designate Haiti for TPS through 2029. Now the Senate must act.

Take action now. Tell your member of Congress to cosponsor S. 4814 and bring this legislation to a vote to designate Haiti for TPS through 2029.
https://support.refugeesinternational.org/a/urgent-congress-must-act-now-protect-haitian-tps-holders-our-community

07/21/2026

🎉 We are proud to announce our 2026 Refugee Fellows cohort!

Our Refugee Fellows Program seeks to amplify the voices of refugee leaders around the world. We believe that advocacy is most effective when those affected are put at the center of such conversations.

Each year, we select six fellows who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and a strong commitment to advocating for their communities.

This year-long fellowship equips fellows with the necessary tools and resources to expand the impact of their advocacy efforts.

Thank you to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and Robert Bosch Stiftung for their generous support in making this program possible.

Visit our website to learn more about our fellows program and how we are shifting power into the hands of displaced leaders around the world.

Read more about the 2026 Fellow Cohort below ⤵️
https://www.refugeesinternational.org/statements-and-news/refugees-international-welcomes-2026-27-refugee-fellows/

07/16/2026

The National Defense Authorization Act is up for a vote again, following a failed procedural vote.

Hidden in this bill is a provision that would deepen and institutionalize military cooperation between the United States and Israel—largely out of public view. This is not in the interest of the American people, and clouds the horrific suffering Palestinians in Gaza have endured under deadly Israeli military occupation.

The Senate must remove this provision before bringing the NDAA back for another vote. Keep the pressure. Take action now. Link in bio.

07/14/2026

“Displacement of communities in Southern Lebanon is fracturing their relationship with time.” – Jad El Dilati, MENA program mangaer at Minority Rights Group and Displaced from Southern Lebanon.

More than 1 million people have been displaced from Lebanon in recent months, while repeated airstrikes, drone strikes, surveillance, and Israeli occupation have devastated civilian life.

At the same time, Lebanon remains home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations, including hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees already living under extraordinary economic and legal pressure.

Refugees International hosted a virtual event featuring voices on the ground in Lebanon on the long-term ramifications of the conflict and ongoing displacement. Visit our website to watch the full conversation.

07/13/2026

If Maduro is gone, why is Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis still forcing people to flee?

Because the system that created the crisis remains in power. A new face at the top doesn’t mean it’s safe for millions of displaced Venezuelans to return.

In our latest episode of Forced From Home, we speak with Ana María Diez about how the Trump administration is cozying up with officials in the regime it claims to have overthrown, and the importance of advancing Venezuelan refugees’ rights to participate in a democratic transition of the government.
https://www.refugeesinternational.org/actions/forced-from-home-episode-7-venezuela-earthquakes-ana-maria-diez/