Suchergebnisse

This paper discusses the current U.S. practices in providing refuge and complying with human rights law. In order better to understand why applications for asylum from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean have a far poorer success rate than those from any other region of the world, the authors explore the history of U.S. asylum legislation with a specific focus on international human rights documents. They suggest that a U.S. asylum system more concordant with human rights law could contribute to a more equitable granting of asylum status and refugee resettlement. En este ensayo se discuta las prácticas legales con respecto de los procuradores de asilo en los Estados Unidos de hoy. Al preguntar porque las aplicaciones de los procuradores de asilo del México, de la América Central, y del Caribe típicamente no tengan mucho éxito en los EEUU, los dos autores exploran la historia del sistema de inmigración de los Estados Unidos con foco especial en documentos internacionales sobre los derechos humanos. Proponen reformar ese sistema, levando las prácticas legales de los EEUU más en acuerdo con las leyes internacionales de derechos humanos para crear situaciones más iguales para todos los procuradores de asilo. Este artigo examina a política atual dos Estados Unidos em asilar refugiados e cumprir com leis internacionais de direitos humanos. Para entender melhor por que os pedidos para asilo de México, América Central, e o Caribe têm um êxito muito menor dos pedidos de qualquer outra região do mundo, os autores examinam a história da legislação estadunidense concernente asilo com um enfoque especial em documentos internacionais de direitos humanos. Os autores sugerem que um sistema de asilo nos Estados Unidos mais concordante com os leis de direitos humanos pode ajudar estabelecer a prática de albergar asilo e tratar com os refugiados de uma maneira mais eqüitativo para todas as regiões do mundo. Dans cet article il s'agit des procédés actuels aux Etats-Unis pour fournir asile aux réfugiés et pour se conformer à la loi des droits humains. Pour mieux comprendre pourquoi les demandes d'asile du Mexique, de l'Amérique Centrale et des îles Caraïbes témoignent d'un taux de succès bien inférieur à celles des autres régions du monde, les auteurs analysent l'histoire de la législation de l'asile aux Etats-Unis avec une concentration spécifique sur des documents internationaux de droits humains. Ils proposent qu'un système d'asile aux Etats-Unis plus concordant avec la loi des droits humains pourrait contribuer à une accordance plus équitable de statut d'asile et de rétablissement des réfugiés.

Background: Prior to implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, one in three Latinos in the United States were uninsured. In Georgia, a state that established a federal Marketplace, nearly half of Latinos lacked health insurance coverage going into the initial enrollment period of October 1, 2013 to April 15, 2014. The ACA provided an opportunity for these uninsured Latinos to gain health insurance coverage, thus increasing their access to necessary medical services. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, from the perspective of key informants, knowledge of Georgia Latinos about the ACA and perceived barriers to enrollment in Marketplace health insurance coverage. Methods: A semi-structured interview guide based on a review of relevant literature and consideration of the study goal and aims was developed. Fourteen in-depth interviews with key informants (participants) from Georgia's Latino community, including nonprofit leaders, health media professionals, and community health promoters, were conducted between June and September 2014. Results: Participants described perceived barriers to enrollment during the initial ACA enrollment period and made recommendations for the design and implementation of future outreach, education and enrollment strategies. Major themes that emerged involved basic health literacy, misinformation, enrollment opportunities, the importance of place and politics, and technology and language as barriers. Conclusions: To target Georgia Latinos, we provide seven recommendations for outreach, education and enrollment, including the organization of one-on-one services in locations of familiarity and comfort to Georgia Latinos and the hiring and training of Spanish-speaking enrollment professionals. When providing ACA education to Latinos, stakeholders should begin with basic health literacy concepts and education regarding the fundamentals of the United States health insurance system. The findings of this study may serve to guide future design and provision of culturally competent outreach, education and enrollment services.

Background: As the world faces the greatest number of displaced persons in history, it is urgent for countries offering refuge and asylum to understand the needs of these vulnerable populations. Asylum seekers face great uncertainty in the US legal system, and female asylum seekers often face additional challenges. The Atlanta Asylum Network (AAN) facilitates access to low or no-cost physical, psychological and gynecological evaluations to enable a fair and complete judicial process. The purpose of this analysis is to assess the presence of various types of violence experienced by a population of female West African asylum seekers, and to make recommendations of how asylum policies can be applied more fairly. Methods: Qualitative analysis was conducted on 15 narrative affidavits from female West African clients of the AAN. These affidavits serve as a legal record of the persecution the asylum seeker faced in their home country. Based in grounded theory, the analysis consisted of data memoing, coding, and the development of thick descriptions. The analysis outcomes were reviewed to ensure they were grounded in the data, with special attention paid to outliers. Results: The key themes that emerged throughout analysis centered on experiences of structural violence and interpersonal violence, as well as significant examples of interaction between the two types. There were also clear differences between the experiences of two deductive subgroups: Gender-based and Gender-biased. Conclusions: In the US asylum process, cases of structural violence tend to be favored over cases of interpersonal violence. However, actual experiences show this is often a false dichotomy. For example, interpersonal violence can become structural when the government fails to protect the victim or punish the perpetrator. Asylum seekers should emphasize experiences of intersectional violence, and asylum law should be more consistently applied through acknowledgement of this complexity and codification in legal guidelines.

Background: In March 2019 the Georgia legislature passed HB 481 described as a "heartbeat bill", prohibiting abortion at around six weeks gestation. Given the prevalence of anti-abortion legislation and the public health implications of abortion restrictions, we sought to understand how Georgia legislators made decisions on this early abortion ban legislation. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with nine legislators from the Georgia House of Representatives who participated in the 2019 legislative session. In-depth interviews were conducted in-person and over the phone. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and inductive codes identified. Codes focused primarily on views of: abortion in general; specific abortion policy; and how information about HB 481 was obtained. A thematic analysis was performed to elucidate legislators' perspectives. Results: Legislators had clear considerations that differed by party affiliation. Democrats described concerns with HB 481 grounded in reproductive autonomy and justice. They claimed concern with the lives of pregnant persons citing the physical and emotional harm bills like HB 481 cause. They questioned the medical evidence used to support HB 481 and argued that it violated the freedom to choose when to have children. Republican legislators evoked a similar harm reduction framework, but were concerned with protecting the lives of the unborn, arguing that a fetus should be considered a person once a "heartbeat" is detected and that abortion after this point is equal to killing a person. Republicans also described aligning with their constituents' values. Despite the arguments and evidence presented during the legislative session, legislators voted according to their previously held beliefs on abortion. Conclusions: Controversial abortion legislation is commonplace, bringing with it heated debates on when life begins and how to protect it. It is important to understand the underlying motives for legislators' decisions to enhance communication and improve policy outcomes related to reproductive health and rights.