Seeking Asylum During COVID-19: Jesuit Refugee Service’s Continued Advocacy on Behalf of Asylum Seekers

The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) will virtually host the “Seeking Asylum During COVID-19: Jesuit Refugee Service’s Continued Advocacy on Behalf of Asylum Seekers” webinar, with Danielle Vella, director of reconciliation and social cohesion for Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS).

With almost 20 years of service to JRS, Vella brings an incredible depth of knowledge and experience serving forcibly displaced people. In her position, Vella leads the organization’s efforts to build bridges and create spaces of hospitality and welcome for refugees, host communities, and JRS teams around the world.

Vella will discuss how COVID-19 has aggravated the challenges faced by asylum-seekers as they access their right to protection by adding more layers of discrimination and hardship to what was already a huge struggle. Based in Malta, her home country, Vella will offer both a global and a local perspective.