“No thanks”, white South Africans turn down Trump’s immigration offer

Johannesburg, South Africa Reuters US President Donald Trump’s offer to rehouse white South Africans as refugees fleeing persecution may not spur quite the rush he anticipates, as even right-wing white lobby groups want to “tackle the injustices” of Black majority rule on home soil. Trump on Friday signed an executive order to cut US aid […]
Trump signs order to cut funding for South Africa

Washington DC, US Reuters US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to cut financial assistance to South Africa, the White House said on Friday, citing disapproval of the African nation’s land policy and of its genocide case at the International Court of Justice against Washington’s ally Israel. The White House said Washington will also […]
UN refugee boss urges donors to fill gap left by Trump aid freeze

Brussels, Belgium Reuters The UN refugee agency has appealed to donors to bring forward planned payments after the Trump administration put hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of donations on hold as part of its foreign aid freeze, the organisation’s boss told Reuters. Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said he had asked […]
Hope turns to regret among Syrians returning home from Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey/Aleppo, Syria Reuters Ahmed al-Sheikh’s excitement at returning to his homeland from neighbouring Turkey after the fall of Bashar al-Assad has turned to bitter disappointment at the grim living conditions in Syria after some 13 years of war. Sheikh is one of 35,000 Syrians who left Turkey for Syria full of hope in the […]
Aid freeze: Faith-based refugee groups face furloughs after Trump halts program, refuses to reimburse work

JACK JENKINS and ALEJA-HERTZLER-MCCAIN, of Religion News Service, report on the impacts of the Trump administration’s decisions surrounding refugees and foreign aid…
Essay: Surviving war, Afghan families are now caught in the crosshairs of US refugee restrictions

KAMI RICE, co-founder of Allied Shepherd – a member of the #AfghanEvac coalition, says thousands of Afghan wartime allies have completed years of security vetting and final medical checks, but their travel is now indefinitely on hold…
Refugees and surrendering Congolese soldiers stream into Rwanda

Gisenyi, Rwanda Reuters Refugees, surrendering Congolese soldiers and stranded truckers thronged the Rwandan border on Tuesday, hoping to reach safety after rebels captured the nearby Congolese city of Goma and spurred them to flee. Gunfire and explosions could be heard from Goma late on Monday and early on Tuesday in Rubavu district on Rwanda’s northeast […]
Refugees: US faith groups say they’ll help despite Trump order. But they’ll need help

Trump’s first term crippled much of the nation’s resettlement infrastructure. Now a new executive order threatens to do the same. BOB SMIETANA, YONAT SHIMRON, and JACK JENKINS, of Religion News Service, report…
Postcards: Venezuelan migrants long for home as Maduro starts new term

ALICIA FERNANDEZ, CAMILO COHECHA, RODRIGO GUTIERREZ and JORGE VEGA, of Reuters, report on the plight of Venezuelans displaced from their home…
Australia violated refugees’ rights in offshore detention centre, says UN

Geneva, Switzerland Reuters A UN committee found that Australia violated a human rights treaty by detaining a group of asylum seekers, including minors, on the remote Pacific island of Nauru even after they were granted refugee status, it said in a statement on Thursday. Under Australia’s tough immigration policies, those attempting to reach the country […]