FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Michele Garnett McKenzie                                                       Robin Phillips

Advocacy Director                                                                    Executive Director

(w) 612-341-3302, ext. 117                                                      (w) 612-341-3302, ext. 109

mmckenzie@advrights.org                                                      rphillips@advrights.org

 

The Advocates for Human Rights Welcomes Introduction of Refugee Protection Act

 

Minneapolis (March 16, 2010) – Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) late Monday introduced legislation to strengthen the United States’ commitment to protecting refugees fleeing persecution. The Refugee Protection Action of 2010, co-sponsored by Senators Carl Levin (D-MI), Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Daniel Akaka (D-HI), removes many of the barriers to protection of bona fide refugees and asylum seekers that exist under current law.

 

The Refugee Protection Act was introduced on March 15 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980. The 1980 law was enacted to fulfill the United States’ obligations under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. 

 

“The Refugee Protection Act would eliminate many of the most troubling obstacles to protection faced by asylum seekers,” says Michele Garnett McKenzie, director of advocacy at The Advocates for Human Rights. The Advocates for Human Rights provides free legal services to hundreds of asylum seekers in the Upper Midwest each year. “Passage of the Refugee Protection Act would be a significant step toward bringing the United States into compliance with our obligations under the Refugee Act.”

 

Among the provisions included in the Refugee Protection Act is the modification of statutory definitions of ill-crafted definitions of material support and terrorism, which have resulted in denial of protection to victims of persecution who have no ties to terrorism. The bill would make important changes to the asylum system by eliminating an arbitrary filing deadline for asylum claims, allowing arriving asylum seekers to have their claims heard more efficiently, and providing asylum seekers with notice when judges require additional corroboration or clarification.

 

Every year, The Advocates for Human Rights sees victims of persecution denied asylum because of barriers to protection embedded in the law. One client, a woman who fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo following detention, during which time she was raped, sought asylum in the United States. Because she did not have proof of her entry date, she was denied asylum after hearings spanning more than three years. She remains in the U.S. under an order of “withholding” of removal.

 

The Advocates for Human Rights is a volunteer-based non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of internationally recognized human rights. The Advocates investigates and exposes human rights violations; provides representation to immigrants and refugees who have suffered human rights abuses; trains and assists groups that protect human rights; and works through education and advocacy to engage the public, policymakers, and children about human rights issues. The Advocates for Human Rights holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations.