Population, Refugees, and Migration (U.S. Department of State)

HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Announcement of Safe Mobility Office in Ecuador hide if(window.jQuery) { jQuery( document ).ready(function() { if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) { jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){ jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible"); jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle(); jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle(); jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex"); jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex"); }); jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){ jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible"); jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle(); jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle(); jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex"); jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex"); }); } else { jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide(); } }); } Announcement of Safe Mobility Office in Ecuador

Media Note

October 19, 2023

The United States is pleased to partner with Ecuador to establish Safe Mobility Offices (SMOs) in Ecuador. These offices, once fully operational in the coming weeks, will assist and guide migrants and refugees toward authorized channels of lawful migration.

This pioneering initiative, with offices already in operation in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala, streamlines access to lawful pathways to the United States and other countries, including expedited refugee processing and various humanitarian and employment opportunities. During its initial phase, Ecuador’s SMO services will prioritize Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, Venezuelan, and Colombian nationals present in Ecuador as of October 18 and who qualify as asylum petitioners or have registered with Ecuador’s Ministry of Interior for a Certificate of Migratory Permanence.

For more information on the Safe Mobility initiative, please visit Movilidad Segura.

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Asylum Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Ecuador Immigration Migration Office of the Spokesperson

The Secretary of State

President Biden has appointed former Ambassador David Satterfield as the Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues. Special Envoy Satterfield will lead U.S. diplomacy to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including work to facilitate the provision of life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people and promote the safety of civilians, in coordination with the United Nations and U.S. partners. He will lead a whole-of-government campaign to mitigate the humanitarian fallout of Hamas’ terrorist attack against Israel, supporting critical efforts by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. His role builds on the long-standing U.S. commitment to supporting peace and stability in the region.

Special Envoy Satterfield’s decades of diplomatic experience and work amidst some of the world’s most challenging conflicts will be instrumental in our continued effort to address urgent humanitarian needs. His regional experience spans over forty years including assignments in Syria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and two tours in Lebanon. He has served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, as Director of Arab and Arab-Israeli Affairs in the Department of State, and as Director for Near Eastern Affairs on the National Security Council Staff from 1993 to 1996, where he worked primarily on the Arab-Israeli peace process. Since leaving government, Special Envoy Satterfield has served as the director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

I deeply appreciate Special Envoy Satterfield’s willingness to take on this role and look forward to working with him closely in this new capacity.

Office of the Spokesperson

Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Julieta Valls Noyes will travel to Switzerland, Turkiye, and Croatia October 8-18. In Geneva, Switzerland, Assistant Secretary Noyes will lead the U.S. delegation to the 74th Session of the UNHCR Executive Committee. In Ankara, Hatay, and Istanbul, Turkiye, and in Zagreb, Croatia, she will meet with regional stakeholders and government and PRM partners to discuss initiatives and responsibility sharing for refugees and asylum seekers.

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The United States welcomes Amy E. Pope’s appointment as the new Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Ms. Pope, who took on her new role October 1, is the first woman to lead this critical international organization in its more than 70-year-old history.

As we face the challenges presented by historic levels of migration and displacement around the world, IOM is an essential partner of the United States in promoting safe, orderly, and humane migration management and providing humanitarian assistance.

The United States is and remains IOM’s largest bilateral donor. In support of Ms. Pope’s vision for a more effective and inclusive IOM, I am announcing more than $19 million in funding to facilitate important capacity-building efforts around data, program oversight, and the impact of climate change on migration.

The State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration recently renewed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with IOM to continue our long-standing partnership on the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). This MOU will be instrumental in meeting the United States’ goal to welcome 125,000 refugees in FY 2024.

The United States strongly supports Ms. Pope’s vision, and we look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with IOM to create lifesaving solutions for vulnerable populations.

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The President today signed the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2024, setting the refugee admissions target at 125,000 for this upcoming fiscal year.

The world is facing an unprecedented global displacement crisis in which record numbers of people have been forced to flee war, persecution, and instability. The United States has worked to rebuild, streamline, and expand the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. In 2023, the Department of State, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, launched the Welcome Corps, an innovative program that empowers everyday Americans to welcome refugees arriving through the U. S. Refugee Admissions Program, as well as Welcome Corps on Campus, a targeted higher education sponsorship initiative that enables U.S. colleges and universities to play a leading role in resettling refugee students. Admitting 125,000 refugees—an ambitious target not achieved in three decades—is now within reach.

As part of today’s Determination by President Biden, the United States has exponentially increased our resettlement efforts for individuals from Latin America and the Caribbean to provide protection pathways in our region. The Administration also remains focused on expanding the resettlement of key populations of concern, including our Afghan allies; Rohingya refugees; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) individuals; human rights defenders; and individuals persecuted for their religious beliefs.

Our leadership on refugee resettlement reflects our history as a nation of welcome. Since the passage of the Refugee Act in 1980, the United States has admitted over three million refugees. Alongside robust humanitarian aid and diplomacy, U.S. refugee resettlement helps promote stability in regions experiencing crisis and demonstrates U.S. responsibility-sharing with refugee-hosting countries. The United States will continue to be a global leader in providing safety and opportunity for the world’s most vulnerable.

Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights

New York City, New York

UNGA

Good afternoon, excellencies. I would like to thank Madam Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Government of Bangladesh for inviting the United States to co-host this important gathering.

I welcome this occasion to reaffirm our commitment to supporting and finding solutions for displaced Rohingya.

Two months ago, I visited the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and came away with three key conclusions.

First, I observed the extraordinary generosity of the government and people of Bangladesh. Six years since Bangladesh welcomed more than 740,000 Rohingya driven out by Burma’s military in a brutal campaign of genocide, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing, Bangladesh continues to shelter these refugees because it’s the right thing to do and we applaud the government and people of Bangladesh for all they have done.

Second, I saw the life-saving difference humanitarian assistance and the dedicated work of UNHCR, IOM, and others makes in the lives of Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities. I also learned of the catastrophic consequences that arise when life-saving aid and support for basic needs does not arrive.

So today, I am proud to announce that the United States is providing more than $116 million in new humanitarian assistance for people displaced in and from Burma as a result of the regime’s escalating violence, and for communities hosting refugees from Burma. This new funding includes more than $74 million for Rohingya refugees inside Bangladesh, in the region, and for communities hosting them. This brings the total amount the United States has provided in response to the Rohingya crisis to more than $2.2 billion since 2017.

This U.S. support enables our humanitarian partners to save lives. It provides protection, shelter, sanitation, and health care. It empowers Rohingya and Bangladeshis to create safer communities and helps ease the strain on host communities.

Third, I witnessed the resolve of Rohingya women, men, and youth to build a future for themselves in Burma when conditions allow. Many of the refugees I met want to return home to a country that recognizes them as its citizens and protects their human rights, guarantees their safety, and holds accountable those responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity. Because of the military regime’s brutal, ongoing attempts to extinguish the democratic aspirations of the people of Burma, those conditions do not exist, and fear of continued persecution prevents Rohingya from returning.

In the meantime, Rohingya seek opportunities to build the skills needed to reintegrate sustainably into Rakhine State when conditions allow for their safe, dignified, and voluntary return. We strongly encourage expansion of education and livelihood opportunities for Rohingya while they remain in Bangladesh, as we continue to support the local communities that host them.

And we stand with Rohingya as we call on those gathered here today to maintain pressure on Burma’s military regime to end the crisis and create the conditions for voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable repatriations in the future. We have a shared responsibility to work together to stop the violence and hold to account those responsible for genocide and other atrocities against Rohingya. Only then can we hope to see the creation of a peaceful, inclusive, and democratic Burma where all of Burma’s people, including Rohingya, can thrive.

Meanwhile, recognizing that Rohingya cannot safely return to their homeland yet, resettlement is another important way in which we can contribute to comprehensive solutions for the plight of Rohingya. Since 2009, the United States has welcomed nearly 13,000 Rohingya from the region, including from Bangladesh. We prioritize resettlement for the most vulnerable Rohingya, and we strongly encourage other governments to join us in welcoming Rohingya refugees to their countries. So to sum up, the United States is unwavering in our support for Rohingya crisis response, and we welcome our partners’ solidarity.

Office of the Spokesperson

At the 2023 Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced $4 million for the International Organization for Migration to support migrants, refugees, and host communities impacted by climate events in Kenya provided through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years, affecting an estimated 36 million people and displacing 2.3 million people.

Kenya recently ranked as the 31st most vulnerable country to the effects of climate change. Kenya’s Garissa and Turkana Counties are home to large pastoral communities that host thousands of refugees and migrants who have fled conflict and drought across the region. This $4 million contribution is dedicated to improving data on climate mobility and providing support in agricultural regions home to so many displaced persons, consistent with President Biden’s Executive Order 14013 concerning the impacts of climate change on migration.

This funding is in addition to the $5 million provided last year by PRM to the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund, supporting collective action for safe and orderly migration including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s research into cross-border migration linked to climate change. As we face the growing impacts of the climate crisis, the United States remains committed to promoting ambitious approaches for confronting the climate crisis, and safe, orderly, humane migration management in Africa and around the world.

Learn more about PRM’s new approach to address the impacts of climate change on migration and displacement.

Office of the Spokesperson

Today, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced nearly $163 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Sudan and neighboring countries during her visit to Chad.  This assistance includes nearly $103 million provided through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and nearly $60 million through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.  This brings total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the Sudan emergency response to nearly $710 million in Fiscal Year 2023, including for Sudan, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic to respond to the needs of refugees, internally displaced persons, and persons affected by conflict in the region.

The United States is the largest single donor for the Sudan emergency response.  More than 24.7 million people in Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance – including 3.6 million people newly displaced inside of Sudan.  Additionally, over 1 million Sudanese refugees, refugees from other countries who had sought safety in Sudan, and other people affected by the conflict have fled to countries across the region since renewed hostilities began in Sudan on April 15 and urgently need humanitarian aid.

With this assistance from the American people, the United States supports a wide range of life-saving humanitarian programs for internally displaced persons, refugees, refugee returnees, other vulnerable groups and host communities.  U.S. assistance provides food assistance; emergency shelter; access to health care including mental health support; water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies; and protection for vulnerable groups including women, youth, older persons, and survivors of violence.  Our assistance also includes support for communities throughout the region generously hosting Sudanese refugees and welcoming returnees.

We urge the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to end the bloodshed and the suffering of the Sudanese people. There is no military solution to this conflict.  We further urge authorities to remove the onerous bureaucratic and security restrictions that hinder delivery of life-saving aid, grant visas to humanitarian workers, and allow conflict affected populations the freedom to seek safety.

For more information on U.S. assistance in Sudan, please see the Sudan Fact Sheet.

Office of the Spokesperson

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma met today with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles to address key priorities in the U.S.-Costa Rica bilateral relationship and a range of regional issues.

Deputy Secretary Verma and President Chaves discussed joint efforts to promote economic prosperity and greater investment in cybersecurity and technology, as well as cooperation on safe, orderly, and humane migration management and security.

The Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the United States will continue to work with Costa Rica to deepen our partnership on these critical challenges.

Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson

The Kyrgyz Republic’s repatriation of 95 people from al-Hol and Roj displaced persons camps in northeast Syria marks another important step towards resolving the humanitarian and security challenges in the region.  This is the second such repatriation effort that the Kyrgyz Republic has carried out this year, following the repatriation of 59 women and children in February.

Approximately 35,000 individuals, most of whom are vulnerable children under the age of 12, from more than 60 countries outside Syria remain in the al-Hol and Roj camps.  Repatriation is the only durable solution for this population. The United States supported Kyrgyz Republic’s repatriation of its nationals and stands ready to assist other nations in their repatriation efforts.

We are also grateful to our local partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, and the Government of Kuwait, for their support in returning displaced persons at al-Hol and Roj to their countries of origin.  More than 2,390 people have been repatriated to their countries of origin from these camps this year, helping to ease the burden of providing humanitarian services and reducing the risk of further radicalization.

Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights

It is my sincere honor to speak with you today as we commemorate six years since the start of the horrific genocide against Rohingya.

Let me start by thanking the organizing committee for arranging this important remembrance.  By doing so, you have ensured that we take time to remember those lives lost and to galvanize our efforts to hold accountable those who perpetrated these crimes.

The abundance of speakers joining us today – from all over the world – makes clear how important it is to so many of us to take this time to reflect and to explore what more we can do to prevent recurrence of such atrocities.

I would also like to thank the members of the Rohingya diaspora who are with us.  I applaud your resilience in the face of ongoing persecution.

Over the course of 2016 and 2017, Burma’s military brutally attacked Rohingya communities.  Systematic acts of violence, including torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and mass killings, led to largescale displacement and loss of thousands of innocent lives.  They targeted one of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in Burma, forcing over 740,000 Rohingya to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

The rippling impact of those attacks continues today – six years later.  Bangladesh hosts nearly one million Rohingya refugees, with significant numbers seeking refuge in nearby countries.  Many more remain internally displaced in Rakhine State.  During my visit to Bangladesh in July, I met with Rohingya refugees, who shared personal stories of the horrific violence they and their families endured in Burma and the fear of continued persecution that prevents their return.

The gradual loss of rights, citizenship, homes, and even their lives in the years leading up to the 2016-2017 outbreak of atrocities made clear that the regime sought to destroy Rohingya communities based on a false, discriminatory narrative of ethnic and religious differences.  This false narrative attempted to obscure the fact that Rohingya have been an integral part of Burma’s society for generations.

The United States remembers what Rohingya have lost and continue to lose.  Today, we are unwavering in our commitment to provide assistance to survivors and victims, seek accountability for those responsible, and pursue justice for the survivors and victims.

In terms of providing assistance, the United States is the leading single donor of life-saving humanitarian assistance to this cause.  We have provided more than $2.1 billion to assist those affected by the crisis in Burma, Bangladesh, and elsewhere in the region since 2017.  Our assistance supports the full gamut of Rohingya humanitarian needs, including shelter, health care, and education, as well as specialized mental health and psychosocial support for survivors of trauma.  We believe such services are essential to minimize the devastating impact of genocide and other atrocities.

Recognizing that Rohingya cannot safely return to their homeland of Burma under current conditions, resettlement is another important way in which we contribute.  Since 2009, the United States has warmly welcomed nearly 13,000 Rohingya from the region, including from Bangladesh.

Our work is not just humanitarian, we also must move towards accountability.  The United States has shared information with The Gambia in connection with the case it brought against Burma under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice for the atrocities committed against Rohingya.

We also provide support to the UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, which has a mandate to collect, consolidate, preserve, and analyze evidence of the most serious international crimes and violations of international law committed in Burma since 2011.  U.S. support includes providing the mechanism with $2 million of funding to strengthen its ability to conduct open-source investigations and to protect witnesses and victims.

We are not alone in seeking accountability.  On Wednesday, we joined 12 other nations on the UN Security Council in a joint statement calling out the continued, unrelenting violence perpetrated by the military regime.  This statement called on the regime to restore the rights of the Rohingya and served to keep high-level focus on your plight.

Also on Wednesday, the United States expanded its Burma-related sanctions authorities to include any foreign individual or entity operating in the jet fuel sector of Burma’s economy and designated two individuals and three entities under this authority.  This expansion follows U.S. sanctions actions already taken this year that designated Burma’s Ministry of Defense, its two largest regime-controlled banks, the Ministry of Energy, and other individual military-affiliated cronies.  We will continue to use our sanctions authorities to deprive the military regime of the resources that enable it to oppress its people and urge others to take similar accountability measures.

Justice for victims is also crucial.  The United States coordinates with international partners and NGOs to support Rohingya courageously seeking justice in the courts of Argentina for the atrocities committed against them.

We actively work with civil society and members of the Rohingya community to document the atrocities and other abuses committed against them.  We stand ready to support a holistic transitional justice process to address the long history of atrocities once such a process becomes viable to respect the demands of victims and survivors for truth, reparation, justice, and non-recurrence.

Secretary Blinken’s determination in March 2022 that members of Burma’s military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Rohingya was a historic occasion.  This marked only the eighth time the United States has come to such a critical conclusion.

But, acknowledging the genocide was the first step, not the last.  We all must take the next steps together to bring an end to the violence and prevent the recurrence of atrocities.  We must take into account the needs of survivors, including creating the conditions to enable refugees’ safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return.  We must address the military’s continued impunity for human rights abuses.  And, we must support the fight for justice for those who have suffered.  Taking these steps is how we can ensure a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Burma that respects the human rights of all.

To the Rohingya – please accept my sincere condolences on this heart-breaking anniversary.  I continue to be inspired by your commitment and resilience.  Please know that the United States stands with you.  We will continue to advocate for respect for your human rights and for justice.  And, we will do so working alongside survivors, advocates, and allies like all of you.

Mr. Tun, thank you again for the honor of speaking at this powerful and moving commemoration.

Office of the Spokesperson

Today, the United States announced more than $16 million in humanitarian assistance as a contribution to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for capacity building efforts through the Western Hemisphere Regional Migration Program (WHP).

The WHP is a U.S. government-supported program that has operated since 2011.  The State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration provides funding as a contribution to IOM to implement the program.

The WHP helps build the capacity of host governments and communities to promote safe, orderly, and humane migration management, in line with the pillars of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection.  The WHP provides critical support to partner countries in the region to address unprecedented levels of forced displacement and irregular migration.  The program also helps reduce migrant vulnerabilities, counter the efforts of human traffickers and smugglers, and decrease irregular migration.