Stand with refugees

URGENT: The government has halted all funding for recently arrived refugee families. Your support is needed now!

The browser you are using is not supported. Please consider using a modern browser.

Skip Navigation
Donate
Start of main content.

Press Release // Immigration and Asylum

Global Refuge Opposes Expansion of the Travel Ban

Global Refuge logo

Global Refuge Staff

January 31, 2020

Global Refuge Strongly Opposes The Expansion of Travel Ban Restrictions

Contact: Tim Young | timothy.young@globalrefuge.org | 443-257-6310

Baltimore, MD – On January 31, the Trump administration announced the expansion of its controversial Travel Ban, which currently restricts entry into the United States to nationals of seven countries, to include six additional countries: Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania, Eritrea, Sudan and Burma (also known as Myanmar). If allowed to stand, the restrictions could impact refugee arrivals from the affected countries.

“We are particularly concerned about Burmese refugees who may see America’s doors closed to them at a time of desperate need – including thousands of ethnic Chin, Karen, and Muslim Rohingya, who have fled severe persecution,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the nation.  “Nearly 5,000 Burmese refugees started to rebuild their lives in America last year, many of whom seek to reunite with family still in harm’s way.”

The announcement comes on the heels of the third anniversary of the original travel ban, which targets primarily Muslim-majority countries. The seven countries that were first impacted by these restrictions were Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, and Venezuela.

“This policy has been devastating to thousands of men, women, and children whose only beacon of hope is the safety and prosperity that America can offer,” said Vignarajah. “How can we look at ourselves in the mirror knowing that we are doing less and less, especially when an unprecedented global refugee crisis calls for swift, bold action from the world’s humanitarian leader?”

Earlier this week, Senator Blumenthal introduced an important resolution calling on Congress to defund the Migrant Protection Protocols and urges the President to restore refugee resettlement to historic norms. It also calls for the enactment of the NO BAN Act (S.1123), which would terminate the refugee, Muslim, and asylum bans and make it harder to discriminate against individuals based on country of nationality and religion.

“We are grateful to leaders who are trying to mitigate and prevent the damage these policies have done and restore our role as one of the leading advocates for protections for all vulnerable people, regardless of their country of origin,” said Vignarajah. “We will continue to hope, pray, and act to ensure that America remains the best hope for freedom in this world.”

The Latest

  • Press Release · Refugee Resettlement

    February 2, 2025

    Global Refuge Statement on Misinformation around our Humanitarian Work

    Global Refuge condemns in the strongest possible terms the false accusations lodged against our humanitarian work. As a faith-based nonprofit, we have faithfully walked alongside legally admitted refugees & immigrants for 85 years.

    Read More
  • Press Release · Refugee Resettlement

    January 27, 2025

    Global Refuge Condemns Federal Stop Work Order Halting Refugee Resettlement Assistance

    Global Refuge expresses deep concern and dismay over an unprecedented stop work order issued by the State Department, which halts all refugee reception and placement services under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

    Read More
  • News · Community Engagement

    January 25, 2025

    5 Ways to Help Refugees & Immigrants in 2025

    Discover 5 ways to help refugees and immigrants in 2025. From volunteering to advocacy, learn how you can make a difference through Global Refuge, the nation’s largest faith-based nonprofit dedicated exclusively to serving children, refugees, and immigrants.

    Read More
  • News

    January 24, 2025

    What do the new immigration executive orders mean for refugees and immigrants?

    Here are key immigration executive orders and proclamations that directly impact immigration and how they will affect refugees and other immigrants.

    Read More
  • Press Release · Immigration and Asylum

    January 24, 2025

    Statement on new immigration restrictions and intensified enforcement operations

    Global Refuge expresses its profound concern following this week’s executive actions that halt asylum protections and aggressively intensify interior immigration enforcement.

    Read More

Share