UNHCR in the United States and the Caribbean
© UNHCR/M.Redondo
In the United States, the UN refugee agency informs government officials, attorneys and non-governmental organizations about international standards of refugee protection and protection for stateless individuals. Its staff meets regularly with these partners on refugee protection and stateless matters specific to the U.S., provides comments on proposed legislation and regulations, submits “friend of the court” briefs on select issues, monitors compliance with international standards and conducts training sessions and public presentations to a wide range of audiences. The office also monitors detention conditions of asylum-seekers and stateless individuals and works in support of the development and use of alternatives to detention for them.
UNHCR provides information on the laws, policies and procedures for seeking asylum and related protection in the U.S. to asylum seekers, particularly those in immigration detention, to non-governmental organizations and to attorneys and others assisting asylum seekers.
Throughout all these endeavors, UNHCR maintains close communication with government partners at the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and other agencies to ensure our cooperative relationship is maintained.
In the Caribbean, UNHCR works closely with 27 Caribbean States and territories: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the British overseas territories of: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the territories of the Netherlands: Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten and Bonnaire, St. Eustatius and Saba islands. UNHCR also provides operational assistance to UNHCR´s Office in Paris when needed in relation to the French overseas departments in the Caribbean. UNHCR’s activities in Cuba are directed from by UNHCR´s Regional hub in Panama.
In the region, UNHCR provides support and advisory services to governments, interviews and determines the status of asylum seekers, and works with local partners to deliver assistance and durable solutions to recognized refugees. The UN refugee agency also promotes the prevention and reduction of statelessness in the region.
Throughout the Caribbean region, the UN refugee agency relies upon the active support of our network of implementing partners and UNHCR Honorary Liaisons who assist the agency with diverse activities. UNHCR implements comprehensive refugee protection and assistance activities through NGO implementing partners in Belize and Trinidad and Tobago. In the other Caribbean states, UNHCR works through local Honorary Liaisons, who lend their support to UNHCR on a pro bono basis, including engaging in activities such as:
- Alerting UNHCR to new arrivals of asylum seekers and refugees
- Providing counseling and advice to asylum seekers and refugees about their rights and obligations, and assisting them to apply for refugee status with UNHCR or before the competent Government authorities
- Visiting detention centers to counsel migrants, and to identify any asylum seekers or refugees who may be amongst detained migrant populations
- Helping refugee children enroll locally in school, and alerting UNHCR to the special needs of women refugees and refugee families
- Delivering material assistance, facilitating access to public services, and assisting refugees to obtain legal documentation
- Helping refugees find permanent solutions to their plight, by assisting UNHCR to implement voluntary repatriation, local integration in host countries, and third-country resettlement.