FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 07/02/24
Contact:
Assefash Makonnen, Communications Manager
646- 629-7131
87 ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO DESIGNATE MALI FOR TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS & SPECIAL STUDENT RELIEF
Humanitarian protection is essential given violent conditions and humanitarian crises
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Tuesday, July 02, 2024, a group of 87 organizations led by African Communities Together (ACT) and Malian community leaders, delivered a letter to President Joe Biden, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to urge an initial 18-month Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Special Student Relief designation for Mali, due to ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, and extraordinary and temporary conditions in the country.
The letter outlines the conditions that have unfolded in Mali in the last decade, including the thousands of civilians who have been killed as a result of ongoing armed conflict, and nearly one million people who have been forced to flee their homes. “Since 2023,” the letter reads, “the armed conflict in Mali has escalated with extremist groups gaining control of major territories in the country. In areas under their control, these groups commit extrajudicial killings, rape women and girls, and conduct targeted attacks. Recent attacks have led to the displacement of over 575,000, including 375,000 internally displaced people and 205,000 refugees in neighboring countries.”
For many Malians, access to necessities, such as healthcare, water, and sanitation has become almost impossible and nearly one million children under the age of 5 are facinging threat of malnutrition. Furthermore, the impact of climate change has resulted in desertification, mining, loss of biodiversity, and water pollution. TPS and SSR designations are critical to mitigating the ongoing humanitarian crisis present throughout the country that continues to displace thousands.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a status that provides critical protection to non-citizens of designated countries in the United States, including undocumented immigrants, who cannot be safely returned to their home country. Congress created TPS as a mechanism to provide humanitarian relief to those who cannot and should not be returned to dangerous conditions.
"The armed conflict in Mali makes it almost impossible for our Malian brothers and sisters in the US to safely return home. TPS for Mali will save lives, keep families together, and strengthen our communities," said Nils Kinuani, Federal Policy Manager, African Communities Together.
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About African Communities Together
African Communities Together is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for African families in the U.S. and worldwide. ACT connects African immigrants to critical services, helps Africans develop as leaders, and organizes African immigrant communities on the issues that matter.
Twitter/Instagram: @AfricansUS
Facebook: facebook.com/AfricansUS
Website: www.africans.us