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News

Mexico

Latin American migrants in the U.S. condemn massacre against their brothers and sisters in Mexico

CHICAGO, 26 August 2010 (NALACC)—On Wednesday August 24, 2010, news began to come out about one of the worst massacres ever occurred in Mexico, near the border with Brownsville, TX. According to news reports, the 72 bodies discovered were all Latin American migrants, mostly from El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador and Brazil. In response to this abhorrent and sad news, leaders of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC), the largest umbrella organization of Latin American and Caribbean immigrants in the U.S., issued the following statement.Read more

France

Suspicion of 'racist' thinking on Roma expulsions

28 August 2010 (AFP)—The Czech Republic's foreign minister on Saturday condemned France's expulsion of Roma Gypsies and said he could not avoid the suspicion that 'racist' thinking played a part in the policy.Read more

Pakistan

Pakistan flood survivor: "I have nothing but my family"

ISLAMABAD, 24 August 2010—As flood waters continue to cover acres of land in Pakistan, ICMC makes an urgent appeal to donors to support the organisation’s front-line response to the medical needs of thousands of families in flood-affected areas.

An estimated 18 million people have been affected by Pakistan’s most recent natural disaster, and the sheer scale of the catastrophe has been described by United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon as “almost defying comprehension.” “This is far more than a disaster for Pakistan alone,” he said earlier this week, “this represents one of the greatest tests of global solidarity in our time.”

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Malaysia

Hundreds of Indonesian workers face execution

JAKARTA, 27 August 2010—Indonesian Church spokesmen and a group of NGOs have criticized the government over its apparent lack of concern for hundreds of imprisoned migrant workers who face the death penalty in Malaysia.Read more

Saudi Arabia

Nails removed from 'tortured' Sri Lankan maid

27 August 2010—Doctors have removed 13 nails and five needles from a Sri Lankan housemaid who said her employer in Saudi Arabia hammered them into her body.Read more

Mexico

Church urges justice for migrants after Mexico massacre, says crime cannot go unpunished

MEXICO CITY, 27 August 2010 (Zenit)—The Church in Mexico is calling for justice and respect for all immigrants, as authorities in the nation are trying to identify the bodies of 72 Central and South Americans slain as they tried to reach the United States.Read more

2009 Annual Report

Restoring dignity, inspiring change

August 2010—ICMC has released its 2009 Annual Report, offering a snapshot of the organization’s ongoing work on behalf of vulnerable migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons over the course of the past year.Read more

World Humanitarian Day

ICMC celebrates dedication, determination of staff and colleagues

GENEVA, 19 August 2010—On the occasion of the second annual World Humanitarian Day, ICMC pays tribute to the courage, dedication and sacrifices of all humanitarian staff working under extreme conditions to support those most in need of protection.Read more

Pakistan floods

Ban Ki Moon: Pakistan needs our help, now

18 August 2010 (NY Times)—Standing under leaden skies in Pakistan last Sunday, I saw a sea of suffering. Flood waters have washed away thousands of towns and villages. Roads, bridges and homes in every province of the country have been destroyed.Read more

Canada

Toronto archbishop leads by example, sponsors Iraqi refugee family

TORONTO, 17 August, 2010 (CNS)—For Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins, the fate of Iraqi Christians trapped in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon is not just another tough case in an unfair world full of too much heartbreak. For him, the situation is personal.Read more

Pakistan

Pakistan flood survivor: "I have nothing but my family"

ISLAMABAD, 24 August 2010—As flood waters continue to cover acres of land in Pakistan, ICMC makes an urgent appeal to donors to support the organisation’s front-line response to the medical needs of thousands of families in flood-affected areas.

An estimated 18 million people have been affected by Pakistan’s most recent natural disaster, and the sheer scale of the catastrophe has been described by United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon as “almost defying comprehension.” “This is far more than a disaster for Pakistan alone,” he said earlier this week, “this represents one of the greatest tests of global solidarity in our time.”

 Read more

2009 Annual Report

Restoring dignity, inspiring change

August 2010—ICMC has released its 2009 Annual Report, offering a snapshot of the organization’s ongoing work on behalf of vulnerable migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons over the course of the past year.Read more

World Humanitarian Day

ICMC celebrates dedication, determination of staff and colleagues

GENEVA, 19 August 2010—On the occasion of the second annual World Humanitarian Day, ICMC pays tribute to the courage, dedication and sacrifices of all humanitarian staff working under extreme conditions to support those most in need of protection.Read more

Pakistan

Pakistan's Humanitarian Forum calls for urgent international support

16 August 2010— The Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF) urges the international community to play its part in meeting the immediate needs of millions of Pakistanis, as well as tens of thousands of Afghan refugees, and also warns that without long-term funding, rebuilding this devastated country will prove virtually impossible.Read more

Pakistan

ICMC Pakistan flood response: Addressing the needs of the most vulnerable

GENEVA, 6 August 2010—Humanitarian disaster faces Pakistan in the aftermath of the heaviest monsoon rains in the country’s history. Heavy flooding due to these rains has left over 1500 dead and has affected at least 6 million people,most of whom are in urgent need of food, safe drinking water, as well as medical services.Read more

Brazil

Church in Brazil strengthens commitment to preventing human trafficking, supporting victims and their families

BRAZIL, 6 August 2010—Concerned by continuing upward trends in human trafficking, representatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Brazil (CNBB), the Ministry of Justice of Brazil, community leaders, members of civil society and members of the press joined with the Church organization Sector Pastoral da Mobilidade Humana (Sector of Human Mobility) of Brazil to reaffirm their commitment to strengthen anti-human trafficking efforts, launching a new publication entitled, Confronting human trafficking.Read more

European refugee resettlement

Resettlement training offers fresh perspective on reception, integration

SINTRA, PORTUGAL, 16 June 2010—Over 45 participants and facilitators from 13 European countries gathered in Sintra last week for three days of networking and targeted knowledge-sharing on the reception and integration of resettled refugees.Read more

Australia

ICMC Governing Committee member honoured by Queen for outstanding service to refugees

AUSTRALIA, June 2010—Longserving ICMC Governing Committee Member Sister Maryanne Loughry R.S.M., received Australia’s highest honours last month, when she was granted a Member of the Order of Australia award in recognition of decades’ worth of service to migrants and refugees.Read more

Geneva

“The opportunity and necessity of a new International Convention on Domestic Workers appears undeniable,” says Holy See

GENEVA, June 2010—The rights and responsibilities of migrant domestic workers took centre stage at the International Labour Organization’s 99th Annual Conference in Geneva last month, where ICMC joined with the Holy See and faith-based organizations including Caritas Internationalis, Kolping International and numerous civil society groups in insisting upon the urgent need for formal guarantees of international protection.Read more

A hearing at the UNHCR Annual Consultations with Non-Governmental Organizations

Different people, different needs and the right to protection

GENEVA, 28 June 2010—Join UNHCR and ICMC on Thursday, July 1 2010 from 13:15-14:45 (Palais des Nations, Geneva, Room XXII) at YOUR presentation—a hearing board on how the needs of displaced people forced to flee by boat can be differentiated and matched to their rights, and to practical responses of protection and assistance.Read more