Making Refugee Rights a Reality
Making Refugee Rights a Reality
What We Do
The current refugee response system is not serving anyone.
Over 26 million people are currently living outside of their home country because they had to escape widespread or targeted violence and persecution. The system that we’ve used for the last 60+ years to respond to refugees is one that’s based on providing people with humanitarian aid that meets their immediate needs while we wait for them to be able to go home.
However, today the average time in exile is 20+ years, and that number is rising.
Refugees typically are not allowed to work and earn a living, so they can’t feed their families. They’re not allowed to attend school or access national healthcare systems. They’re barred from everything that would allow them to rebuild their lives.
These oppressive policies also prevent refugees from contributing their skills and talents to their new country, which in turn deprives host communities of the value they bring. To welcome and include refugees is to improve society for all.
Asylum Access offers an approach that works for everyone.
Through our legal empowerment, policy change and global systems change programs, we advocate for a world where refugees everywhere can live safely, move freely, work, feed their families, send children to school and contribute to their communities.
Legal Empowerment
As human rights advocates, we know the power of the law, which is why we have developed a legal empowerment program that helps refugee individuals, families and communities to understand, use and shape the law. All our legal services are provided at no cost.
Policy Change
And when current laws are not protecting and empowering refugee families, they must be changed. Through our policy change program, we challenge oppressive laws and help draft new laws that work for everyone.
Global Systems Change
To ensure all refugees can meaningfully rebuild their lives wherever they find themselves, we must find new solutions and create a new response. Through our global systems change program, we are advocating for a refugee response system that prioritizes refugees’ human rights and recognizes their power.