# Population, Refugees, and Migration – United States Department of State

- Assistant Secretary Noyes Travels to Colombia Office of the SpokespersonAssistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) Julieta Valls Noyes will travel to Bogotá, Colombia May 27-30. She will accompany Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma and other delegation members in the 11th round of the U.S.-Colombia High-Level Dialogue to underscore areas of shared interest including migration management, counternarcotics and security, human rights and equity, education, economic opportunities, energy transition, and climate action. Assistant Secretary Noyes will also meet with PRM partners, staff and applicants at the Bogotá Safe Mobility Office and the Resettlement Support Center, and UNHCR and IOM representatives.
- Joint Statement on United States – Brazil Bilateral Dialogue on Migration Policies, Humanitarian Issues, and Refugee Protection Office of the SpokespersonThe text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Brazil on the occasion of the Bilateral Dialogue between the United States and Brazil on Migration Policies, Humanitarian Issues, and Refugee Protection.Begin TextThe Governments of Brazil and the United States of America met in Washington, D.C., on Monday, April 29, 2024, for their first Bilateral Dialogue on the topic of Migration Policies, Humanitarian Issues, and Refugee Protection. The dialogue highlighted our countries` shared goals of advancing access to international protection and safe, orderly, humane, and regular migration.The delegations shared best practices and identified common opportunities and challenges to their migration and refugee responses. This includes Brazil`s Operation Welcome, which has helped the country receive and integrate over 500,000 Venezuelans since 2018; expanding and strengthening access to regular pathways as a meaningful alternative to irregular migration; a presentation on the Safe Mobility Initiative; responsibility sharing; the importance of supporting host communities, cities and municipalities, civil society, and the private sector in refugee and migrant integration; and ways to advance shared priorities in key multilateral migration and refugee fora.The historic number of people on the move in the Western Hemisphere requires continued partnership and collaboration. This United States-Brazil Bilateral Dialogue on Migration Policies, Humanitarian Issues, and Refugee Protection reflected our shared recognition that no single country can meet the challenges and opportunities of migration and protection alone. The two governments committed to continued dialogue and future collaboration on this key shared policy priority.End Text
- United States Provides More Than $25 Million for Refugee Assistance in Uganda Office of the SpokespersonThe United States, through the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and USAID, is providing more than $25 million in additional humanitarian funding to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to assist refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda. PRM is contributing more than $14 million to UNHCR, while USAID is providing $11 million to WFP. This additional funding brings the United States’ total humanitarian assistance in Uganda to more than $178 million since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2023.These additional contributions to UNHCR and WFP will support the provision of essential services such as health, education, protection, food assistance, and income-generating activities to the more than 1.6 million refugees in Uganda and will also benefit generous host communities across the country.&nbsp; &nbsp;Uganda hosts the highest number of refugees of any African country and received more than 130,000 new refugees last year alone, primarily fleeing conflict in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Sudan.The United States is committed to serving all people in Uganda without discrimination. We will continue to monitor program implementation and assistance to ensure that there is zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harmful activities.The United States remains the largest humanitarian donor in Uganda and will continue to support refugees sheltering in the country. We urge other donors to join us in supporting WFP and UNHCR and other humanitarian partners to assist the most vulnerable people affected by conflict and other crises throughout the region.						Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration																																Humanitarian Aid																															Office of the Spokesperson																																Refugees																															Uganda																																United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- Secretary Blinken’s Call with Palestinian Authority President Abbas HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;Secretary Blinken’s Call with Palestinian Authority President Abbas				hide		if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}																										Secretary Blinken’s Call with Palestinian Authority President Abbas																																		Readout																														April 1, 2024																																							The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. Secretary Blinken reiterated that the United States looks forward to working with the new PA cabinet to promote peace, security, and prosperity and urged the implementation of necessary reforms. Secretary Blinken emphasized that a revitalized PA is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza. The Secretary stressed that the United States continues its urgent work of advancing a ceasefire as part of a hostage deal, which would also facilitate a surge of crucial humanitarian assistance into Gaza and create a pathway to a more enduring peace. The Secretary also underscored the U.S. commitment to the realization of the creation of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.						Tags																					Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs																								Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration																																Hostage Recovery																																							Humanitarian Aid																															Israel																								Office of the Spokesperson																								Palestinian Territories																																														Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance																															The Secretary of State																								Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs
- U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Lenderking’s Travel to Saudi Arabia and Oman HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Lenderking’s Travel to Saudi Arabia and Oman				hide		if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}																										U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Lenderking’s Travel to Saudi Arabia and Oman																																		Media Note																														April 1, 2024																																							U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking is traveling to Saudi Arabia and Oman this week to meet with partners to discuss the need for an immediate cessation of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which are undermining progress on the Yemen peace process and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Yemen and other countries in need.The United States remains firmly committed to supporting a durable peace in Yemen and alleviating the complex humanitarian and economic crises harming the Yemeni people. The United States supports a return to UN-led peace efforts once the Houthis halt their indiscriminate attacks.Special Envoy Lenderking will meet with regional counterparts to discuss the steps to de-escalate the current situation and renew focus on securing a durable peace for the Yemeni people.						Tags																					Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs																								Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration																																Humanitarian Aid																															Office of the Spokesperson																																Official International Travel																															Oman																																Peace																																							Red Sea																																																					Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance																															Saudi Arabia																																Seas																																							United Nations																															Yemen
- Under Secretary Zeya’s Travel to Canada Office of the SpokespersonUnder Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya will travel to Ottawa, Canada from March 11-12, 2024.In Ottawa, Under Secretary Zeya will meet with senior Canadian officials to advance our close partnership on regional and global issues, including human rights, humanitarian relief, civilian security, and migration.  In addition, she will provide keynote remarks at a seminar on the human rights situation in Tibet, hosted by the University of Ottawa in partnership with Canada Tibet Committee and the U.S. Embassy in Canada.For further information, please follow @UnderSecStateJ  on X/Twitter.
- CARE Coordinator Tekach’s Travel to Texas Office of the SpokespersonCoordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts Mara Tekach will participate in a panel at the South by Southwest Conference  with National Security Council Chief of Staff Curtis Ried, AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver, and Honor the Promise CEO Lyla Kohistany in Austin, Texas on March 10, 2024. The event will take place from 4-5 p.m. CT at the Hilton Austin Downtown Hotel in Salon Room A.The panel, “AfghanEvac: Civic Engagement Changed the Course of History ,” will cover the unprecedented partnership between the U.S. government and civil society that enabled the safe resettlement of tens of thousands of Afghan allies and partners following the August 2021 withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces from Afghanistan.  Panelists will highlight how Americans can get involved with their community, including supporting Afghan newcomers through Welcome Corps.The event is open to the press. For more information on obtaining a media pass to attend South by Southwest Conference and Festival, please click here.
- Secretary Antony J. Blinken, Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena, and Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martínez before the U.S.-Mexico-Guatemala Trilateral Migration Ministerial Meeting Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateBenjamin Franklin RoomSECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you and good morning, everyone.  Alicia, Carlos Ramiro, colleagues – welcome.  It’s wonderful to have you here today.  We have the opportunity today to host two of our most important partners in the region, Mexico and Guatemala.  And I have to tell you how much we appreciate the cooperation and the collaboration that we’ve had starting, of course, with the López Obrador administration.  I had the opportunity speaking to this yesterday to note that, at least from my perspective, the collaboration, the work between the governments of Mexico and the United States has never been stronger, never been greater.  The challenges are also significant but we are facing them together across the board, and that’s something that the United States deeply appreciates.And indeed, the collaboration that we have in many ways represents a model for what we would hope to see throughout our hemisphere, including with Guatemala.  And here I have to say how much we both appreciate and admire the work of the new Arévalo administration – very, very pleased to see the transition take place and the government not only in place but acting strongly to meet the challenges of our moment, including the challenge of irregular migration.  And of course, we know as Mexico heads into an election season as well, we wish our Mexican friends every success.Today we are really here to double down on the collaboration that we have in dealing with migration flows.  We know that all of us are living in what is genuinely a historic time – around the world, more people on the move than at any time in recorded history, and the same is true of course in our own hemisphere.  We have a shared commitment to safe, orderly, humane migration, and we want to make sure that the work that we are doing continues to move us in that direction.At the same time, I think we’re all well attuned to the importance of focusing on root causes.  In effect, people should have a right to remain in their own countries, but that means that the conditions have to exist that really make it not only possible but attractive for them to remain.  The bottom line for so many people around the world is if you can’t put food on the table for your kids, you’ll try to figure out anything necessary to do that, including leaving your own country, your own community, your own family, your own language, your own culture.  So creating those opportunities is a critical piece of addressing this challenge.  Vice President Harris has led a major effort that’s producing major results in terms of private-sector investment in Guatemala, in Honduras, in El Salvador.  We’ve already seen results, and those results are translating into new opportunities for people at home.We also, of course, are looking at other important things that we can and should be doing together, including expanding lawful pathways to migration, including expanding protection for migrants, including supporting and expanding the processes of asylum and other ways for people in other countries to stay where they are.So in all of these areas our countries are working together, and that only underscores the fact that when it comes to irregular migration we have to meet this together, not only among Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States but all the countries in our region.  That was the spirit of the Los Angeles Declaration and of the meeting that took place during the Summit of the Americas, a commitment by countries of origin, countries of transit, countries of destination to work together, because no single country can effectively deal with this challenge alone.So I’m looking very much forward today to hearing from our colleagues about the progress that we’ve made.  And of course, we’ve had intense collaboration with Mexico, including in recent weeks, with multiple virtually monthly high-level meetings among us and then weekly – even daily – engagements among our officials.  And I look forward as well to talking about how we can move forward with the Los Angeles Declaration and the work that we will be doing there.So with that, again, welcome to everyone.  Alicia, let me turn it over to you.FOREIGN SECRETARY BÁRCENA:  (Via interpreter) Thank you very much and good morning, everyone.  Dear Secretary Antony Blinken, dear friend Alejandro Mayorkas, Liz Sherwood-Randall, Richard Verma, Isobel Coleman, Lisa Monaco, Ken, dear friend Carlos Ramiro, Antonio Escobedo, Francisco Villagran, Vivian Arenas – good morning.  It’s such a pleasure to have you across the table this morning.I wanted to extend the warmest greetings, first of all, from our president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and especially thank Secretary Blinken for the warm welcome he has given us once again in Washington, both to the Mexican delegation with me – we are very well represented here with our ambassador Esteban Moctezuma, with Martín Borrego, Christina Planter, Ana Luisa Fajer – and I would like to say to you that I believe that we have a unique opportunity at this trilateral meeting between the U.S., Guatemala, and Mexico.It truly is a pleasure to work with Carlos Ramiro and with Antony Blinken in these efforts.  Mexico shares thousands of kilometers with Guatemala and the U.S., and this is a deep-rooted history.  And the symbolism of brotherhood with no borders is what brings us together today.Guatemala and Mexico share common cultural roots over the millennia.  Our common dream has seen a civilization rise, perhaps one of the largest in the Americas, which is from the Maya culture.  And last August we were happy to attend the democratic ceremony whereby Guatemala resolved to elect as its leader Bernardo Arévalo in January of this year.  We made a call to the Government of Guatemala so that this constitutional mandate would go into effect.  I believe that this has happened, and President Bernardo Arévalo, Karin Herrera, the vice president, have a bright path ahead of them.  The Mexican Government applauds the fact that this transfer of power did take place, and we affirm our firm support for Bernardo Arévalo and his administration.In the framework of respect for our sovereignty, Mexico reiterates its interest in strengthening this relationship between Guatemala and the U.S. with Mexico.  The difficult paths that migrants in our continent take towards the north to seek better and more opportunities in life is transcendental.  It stops at the line that separates the U.S. and Mexico, and Chiapas, Campeche, Tabasco, with Guatemalan provinces. These geographical circumstances means that as countries, we face most of the cycles of the migration process.  Guatemala and Mexico are origin, transit, destination, and return.  And beyond that, we have the human reality.  This links us as countries that must work together to face migration and solve these challenges.That is why I’m glad we have a shared vision and we have worked bilaterally with the U.S.  And I feel very proud of that because, as Secretary Blinken said, this is the best time of our relationship, but we also face the greatest challenges of our history, possibly.  So I think that finding solutions to these challenges with a more regional perspective will truly be transcendental, and I think it will be unheard of because we are developing a unique migration model.  And that is the truth.I think that this can even be a model for other regions throughout the world to go beyond unilateralism and things that are simply situation-based.   I think – I would say that we are very excited about finding specific measures for cooperation, for the development of our societies, for a holistic vision, the well-being of our people, and to transform human mobility from a condition that is imposed to an option.We look at migrants as people who are moving for work.  That is what we see.  We see people who are seeking opportunities.  And that is why we believe that this is a time where to turn migration into an option and not an obligation, we need to look at the root causes.  And that is one of the topics on our agenda that will be a very important one.  And the second one will be:  how do we strengthen regular pathways for labor mobility?  Deep down, then, how do we help people who are seeking opportunities to find them?And that is why we need to mobilize our industrial sector.  We need to mobilize the private sector and really all stakeholders involved.  And I think that Guatemala as a country historically has been characterized by a search, a long-enduring search for peace and well-being of their people, Mexico and the United States as well.  But Guatemala is a country of illustrious people such as Juan José Arévalo, Miguel Ángel , Jacobo Árbenz, who are well-remembered; Rigoberta Menchú, whose words are still very much relevant today.  And that is why I would say, in the words of Rigoberta Menchú, peace is not only the absence of war.  As long as there is poverty, racism, and discrimination and exclusion, it will be difficult for us to achieve peace in the world.Thank you very much.  We are ready for a very productive agenda with concrete results.FOREIGN MINISTER MARTÍNEZ:  (Via interpreter) Good morning.  Thank you very much to our hosts, to the U.S. delegation led by Secretaries Blinken and Mayorkas.  Thank you to Mexico, Alicia Bárcena, foreign minister, and Mexican officials of the delegation.I would like to start by thanking the U.S. and Mexico for the support you provided my country.  And I say my country and not an elected administration because it was truly Guatemala that received your support in our search for a space to ensure democracy, for respect for our votes, so that President Arévalo, the president-elect, could take power on a long, long day on January 14th.  There were difficult months, and you were with us throughout them.  And we received significant support from the international community as well, and I believe that if that had not been the case, I would not be sitting here today in this room speaking to you.I think that the commitment of President Arévalo’s administration is clear and evident.  It is clear in the sense that we must keep working with the U.S. and with Mexico on these issues – in this specific case, irregular migration.  But we have a vast agenda for cooperation, investment, dialogue that bring us together that bring us closer, and this is the fundamental goal of the work of the current administration, the Arévalo administration.With Mexico, as Secretary Bárcena said, we share a history, we share a border, and therefore we also share a series of common challenges that we are trying to manage the best way possible with the support, of course, of the United States.  The challenge of irregular migration, as Secretary Blinken said, in order to make it safe, orderly, and humane, this is fundamental.  We need to look at the causes; we need to look at the roots of this phenomenon.Sometimes it’s called a problem, the migration – irregular migration problem.  We see it as a phenomenon, not a problem.  And we believe that behind this, of course, there is a fundamental task for the Guatemalan state.  We are the first who must manage the needs of our population.  We must create and provide opportunities so that our people do not migrate, so that these flows of Guatemalans seeking opportunities do not continue to grow.  So the first task is a task for the Guatemalan state.And of course, we must work along with the international community and with any support that you can provide so that we can create a space for opportunities and possibilities because in the long term the issue is really development.  Root causes – these may be words that we add to a word that sums it all up, which is development.  That’s what we don’t have.  We have deficiencies in Guatemala.  We have accumulated social debt over decades.  This is an effort that, even if we work over the next four years, we will not correct this scenario, but rather we want to build a foundation upon which to build a new country.I think, as has been mentioned, we need to broaden legal pathways, such as via temporary work.  That is a clear measure for support, for assistance.  We must explore regular pathways for labor mobility.  This is a joint task, as has been mentioned.  A single country cannot manage this issue alone.  We have seen how the phenomena has broadened and expanded to other regions, regions I won’t mention, but it used to be there was barely a trickle; now there are great migration flows, irregular migration.So the work needs to revolve around joint work among countries.  We must have a comprehensive view of the phenomena, and we must, as states, be responsible.  But other stakeholders must be as well.  We can’t cast the private sector aside.  That is a basic instrument as well when it comes to creating jobs.  Guatemala as an origin, transit destination, and return country is committed, and we would like to express this today at this table.  We are committed to find solutions for working together and cooperating with the United States and Mexico.  Thank you very much.
- Junior Professional Officer – Associate Officer, Multiple Locations The following UNHCR JPO vacancies are open for applications:Associate Re settlement &amp; Complementary Pathways Officer &#8211; Guatemala City, Guatemala Associate Child Protection Officer &#8211; Jijiga, Ethiopia Associate Protection Officer – Bangkok (MCO), Thailand  Associate Protection Officer – Cox&#8217;s Bazaar, Bangladesh Associate Programme CBI Officer &#8211; Mexico City, Mexico Associate Programme Officer – Athens, Greece Associate Durable Solutions Officer – Dakar, Senegal If you would like to be notified when new JPO vacancies are announced, you can subscribe here.  If you subscribe, updates will be sent to you from usstatebpa@subscriptions.fcg.gov. Please monitor your spam and junk mail folders to ensure you are not blocking emails from this address.To learn of other international career opportunities available to U.S. Citizens please see the Department of State, Bureau of International Organization’s career website.
- Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II				hide		if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}																										Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II																																		Readout																														February 13, 2024																																							Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan in Washington.&nbsp; The Secretary expressed gratitude for the longstanding partnership between the two nations, acknowledging the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Jordan diplomatic relations.&nbsp; The Secretary emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Jordan partnership as a pillar of stability in the region and underlined the U.S. commitment to working with our Jordanian partners to further regional peace and security.&nbsp; He thanked King Abdullah for Jordan’s continued efforts to bring critical humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza and they discussed ways to expedite the flow of additional aid to Gaza from Jordan.&nbsp;&nbsp;Secretary Blinken and King Abdullah continued discussions about achieving an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza that provides lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike, and Secretary Blinken underscored the U.S. commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, Secretary Blinken also underlined the need to preserve the historic status quo at Jerusalem’s Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount and recognized the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s special role in the Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem.						Tags																					Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs																								Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration																																														Human Rights and Democracy																															Jordan																								Office of the Spokesperson																																														Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance																															The Secretary of State