TED Talks Daily A safe pathway to resettlement for migrants and refugees | Becca Heller
May 2, 2022
Becca Heller, a human rights lawyer and founder of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), advocates for safe pathways for migrants and refugees. She passionately discusses the legal challenges faced by displaced individuals and how IRAP empowers them through legal knowledge. Heller highlights the importance of humane migration policies, especially after recent crises like the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. She also compares the treatment of various refugee groups and emphasizes the role of technology in helping refugees navigate their rights.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Family Reunification
- Aaron and Miriam, siblings separated from their mother, fled Eritrea as children.
- IRAP helped reunite them in Germany after their reunification application was initially denied due to lack of passports.
Systemic Change
- Individual cases can reveal systemic issues within refugee resettlement processes.
- By identifying patterns in these obstacles, legal advocates can push for broader reforms.
Afghan Allies Visa Program
- The US visa program for Afghan allies, meant for quick resettlement, took over four years on average.
- IRAP sued the government and won, leading to faster processing of backlogged applications.