Latest Political refugees News

The war in Gaza long felt personal for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Now they're living it

Oct. 05, 2024 10:59 AM EDT

SEBLINE, Lebanon (AP) — The war in Gaza was always personal for many Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Many live in camps set up after 1948, when their parents or grandparents fled their homes in land that became Israel, and they have followed a year's worth of news of destruction...

In music and dance, Sudanese performers transport refugee audiences back home

Oct. 02, 2024 20:43 PM EDT

CAIRO (AP) — As the performers took the stage and the traditional drum beat gained momentum, Sudanese refugees sitting in the audience were moved to tears. Hadia Moussa said the melody reminded her of the country's Nuba Mountains, her family's ancestral home. "Performances like...

UK leader Starmer pitches pragmatism as he seeks to mend EU ties battered by Brexit

Oct. 02, 2024 09:25 AM EDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday held out the prospect of “sensible leadership” on issues of common interest as he launched a mission to improve ties with the European Union, which disintegrated as his country left the world’s biggest trading bloc four years...

Top Hamas commander killed in Lebanon was UNRWA employee placed on administrative leave

Sep. 30, 2024 13:40 PM EDT

GENEVA (AP) — The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said a top Hamas commander killed in Lebanon Monday was one of its employees but had been suspended since allegations of his ties to the militant group emerged in March. Fatah Sharif's connection to Hamas appeared set to ratchet...

Thousands are pouring into Syria, fleeing worsening conflict in Lebanon

Sep. 25, 2024 17:27 PM EDT

JDEIDET YABOUS, Syria (AP) — Families fleeing the escalating conflict in Lebanon poured into Syria in growing numbers on Wednesday, waiting for hours in heavy traffic to reach the relative safety of another war-torn country. U.N. officials estimated that thousands of Lebanese and...

Federal authorities subpoena NYC mayor's director of asylum seeker operations

Sep. 20, 2024 18:18 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors scrutinizing a web of top officials in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration subpoenaed the director of the city's Office of Asylum Seeker Operations to testify before a grand jury. Molly Schaeffer, who coordinates the city’s efforts...

A volunteer network of interpreters wants to make refugees' languages more accessible. Will AI help?

Sep. 19, 2024 09:05 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — They may be Tigrinya speakers fleeing the authoritarian Eritrean government's indefinite military service policy. Or Rohingya people escaping ethnic violence in Myanmar. But refugees navigating resettlement often face a shared hurdle: poor machine translations and a short supply...

Vance touts deportation plan in Wisconsin city where tensions flared over refugee resettlement

Sep. 17, 2024 21:49 PM EDT

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — Stephanie Hirsch remembers growing up in the western Wisconsin city of Eau Claire when the community welcomed newly arriving Hmong refugees from Southeast Asia. So Hirsch, now the Eau Claire city manager, said she was surprised at the hostility, fear and...

Ex-NYC federal building guard gets 5-year sentence in charge related to sex assault of asylum seeker

Sep. 13, 2024 18:55 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — A former security guard at a federal building in New York City where the FBI has its offices was sentenced Friday to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge related to the sexual assault of an asylum seeker. Jimmy Solano-Arias, 45, of the Bronx was...

Human rights group calls on governments to protect Venezuelan and Haitian immigrants

Sep. 11, 2024 13:59 PM EDT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A global human rights watchdog on Wednesday called on Latin American governments to improve protection schemes, grant legal status and reverse “onerous visa requirements” for millions of Haitians and Venezuelans who have struggled to find work, access to health care...