Middle East

The Honeymoon between Syrian Refugees and the Erdogan Government Has Ended

Omar al-Muqdad – a prominent journalist, documentary filmmaker, and former Syrian refugee – writes a regular blog for CMS titled, “Dispatches from the Global Crisis in Refugee Protection.” This series covers the Syrian Civil War, the experiences of Syria’s immense and far-flung refugee population, the global crisis in refugee protection, religious persecution, and US refugee and immigration policies. Mr. al-Muqdad’s work has been featured by the BBC, CNN, and in many other media outlets. Resettled in the United States in 2012, Mr. al-Muqdad became a US citizen in Spring 2018. CMS features this series in its weekly Migration Update and on its website.

Refugees Have Few Options, We Have a Lot More

Challenging Ethnic Citizenship: German and Israeli Perspectives on Citizenship

David Abraham of University of Miami School of Law reviews Challenging Ethnic Citizenship: German and Israeli Perspectives on Citizenship by Daniel Levy and Yfaat Weiss. Daniel Levy and Yfaat Weiss show tht in contrast to most other countries, both Germany and...

Transnational Politics: Turks and Kurds in Germany

Nedim Ögelman of University of Texas at Austin reviews Transnational Politics: Turks and Kurds in Germany by Eva Østergaard-Nielsen. Eva Østergaard-Nielsen uses the Turkish and Kurdish communities in Germany as a case study, offering a unique analysis of trans-state political loyalties...

The Legal Protection of Refugees with Disabilities: Forgotten and Invisible?

Mansha Mirza of the University of Illinois at Chicago reviews The Legal Protection of Refugees with Disabilities: Forgotten and Invisible? by Mary Crock, Laura Smith-Khan, Ron McCallum and Ben Saul. Mary Crock, Laura Smith-Khan, Ron McCallum and Ben Saul focus on...

US Admissions Ban Endangers and Separates Families

Omar al-Muqdad — a prominent journalist, documentary filmmaker, and former Syrian refugee — writes a bi-monthly blog for CMS titled, “Dispatches from the Global Crisis in Refugee Protection.” In this blog, al-Muqdad shares the story of Remi Hassoun, a Syrian refugee resettled in Maryland after a vetting process that involved 15 months of waiting and interviews with US immigration and United Nations officers. Despite reaching safety in the United States, Hassoun cannot leave or otherwise see his family. While life may become easier as a US citizen, he worries that he may never reunite with his mother and sisters due to the Trump administration’s ban on admissions of people from specific countries, including Syria.

For Syrian refugees, another year has gone by, but most see no sign of hope on the horizon

Omar al-Muqdad – a prominent journalist, documentary filmmaker, and former Syrian refugee – writes a bi-monthly blog for CMS titled, “Dispatches from the Global Crisis in Refugee Protection.” This series covers the Syrian Civil War, the experiences of Syria’s immense...

Russian-US Repatriation Plan Not Supported by Syrian Refugees

Omar al-Muqdad – a prominent journalist, documentary filmmaker, and former Syrian refugee – discusses the agreement entered into by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump to repatriate Syrian refugees.

Nationalism, Refugee Protection, and Migration Policy | Hon. Judge Mohamad Abou Zeid

On May 2, 2018, CMS hosted the event “Nationalism, Refugee Protection, and Migration Policy,” a side event to the interfaith conference, “Sharing the Journey of Migrants and Refugees: An Interfaith Perspective on the Global Compacts.” This side event covered...

My Life as a Refugee

Omar al-Muqdad describes the circumstances in his home country of Syria that led to him becoming a refugee, and the kindness he encountered when resettled in the United States.