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GSF Stands with Refugees of Mass Atrocity Crimes

Posted: February 1, 2017
Written by: Genocide Survivors Foundation

The recent immigration ban by the US president Donald Trump sent shockwaves across US and around the world as it is seen by many as discriminatory in as far as it focuses on immigrants, including refugees, from prominently Muslim countries, namely Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and Syria.

For a country like US which is known to be a country of immigrants and has a long history of welcoming refugees, the recent executive order by Trump is seen as departure from US policies and American values and has led to hundreds of protests across the country.

Genocide Survivors Foundation (GSF) understands that every government has the right and the obligation to protect its citizens from terrorism and that a country’s immigration system must constantly strive to make sure that terrorists and others wishing to do harm are not able to enter a country’s borders alongside legitimate refugees of mass atrocity crimes.

Fortunately, the US refugee admission system is already one of the most rigorous vetting systems in the world, taking many months and requiring a lot of background checks. Efforts to constantly improve it even more to ensure Americans’ safety and security are of course to be encouraged. However, as an organization which speaks on behalf of and advocates for victims of mass atrocity crimes, GSF stands against any executive order or other acts which discriminates against refugees based on their country of origin or religious affiliation.

Legitimate refugees have rights and those rights must be protected. We must also remember that for refugees of mass atrocity crimes such as those currently being committed in Syria today, being denied entry to a safe country for any specific amount of time can mean the difference between life and death.

GSF commends the efforts of the lawyers and the judges who have been working hard to challenge the constitutionality of the executive order and the millions of Americans who are using their voices to speak out against discrimination against any group of people.

Legitimate refugees of mass atrocity crimes should not be treated as suspected terrorists but should be provided with the safety and security that they need and deserve.

Category: News