Migration and Asylum
The Open Society Foundations support groups that work on a broad range of issues affecting the safety and well-being of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Refugee Leadership
Rising from the Ashes of Adversity
![The Global Refugee Network steering committee at the Global Summit of Refugees on June 26, 2018. Photo credit: © Global Refugee Network/Riccardo Pareggiani A group sits behind a table in front of a presentation.](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/5db5b955-d88c-45c4-b1f1-373995487827/20180626-global-refugee-network-summit-3000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C125%2C3000%2C1875)
A UN advocate for refugee rights is forced by violence to seek refuge herself. How that experience helped build a vibrant global refugee group—and how funders can help refugees overcome barriers to success.
Finding Hope in Diaspora
“Cry, Scream, But Be Strong”: Stories of Afghans in Exile
![An Afghan woman checks her scarf at home, where she lives with two sisters, in Houston, Texas, on July 30, 2022. Photo credit: © Meridith Kohut/NYTimes/Redux A woman fixes her scarf in a mirror.](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/9883fed3-4f99-4d70-b617-651fe85fea56/20230810-kohut-texas-afghan-women-3000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C125%2C3000%2C1875)
Afghan Voices of Hope has spent the two years since the Taliban retook control of Kabul capturing the rage, helplessness, and hope of those displaced and struggling to survive as refugees. These are their stories.
A Nation of Immigrants
What the U.S. Still Owes Undocumented Workers
![Workers wait outside a job center in Pasadena, California, on March 19, 2020. Photo credit: © Jenna Schoenefeld/NYTimes/Redux A group of people standing outside a building](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/db51fedf-243e-4e6f-b9d4-16cf06af42eb/20200921-schoenfeld-california-undocumented-workers-coronavirus-3000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C63%2C3000%2C1875)
In the United States today, “essential” workers are more likely to be immigrants, and many of them are undocumented. Given all that these people have risked to keep society afloat, they deserve far more support.
A Holistic Answer
Demanding a Just COVID-19 Response
![A mobile team of doctors returns after visiting patients who reported symptoms of COVID-19, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on April 30, 2020. Photo credit: © Dmitry Motinov for Soros Foundation—Kyrgyzstan Two doctors walking in a hallway](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/7236babd-6d97-4267-8e55-3efedc6262c6/20200716-motinov-kyrgyzstan-doctors-coronavirus-1600.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C33%2C1600%2C1000)
As our grantees, partners, and allies work tirelessly to reduce the damage brought on by the pandemic, we at Open Society are committed to long-term reforms that will address the structural injustices worsened by the virus.
Power for Refugees
Q&A: Empowered Refugees Lead the Way
![Students participate in a class at the Rhino Refugee Camp Settlement, in northern Uganda, on August 9, 2017. Photo credit: © Thomas Koehler/Photothek/Getty Students in a classroom](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/0dee1ccd-72cb-4657-ae13-c2d396394b80/20200618-koehler-uganda-rhino-refugee-camp-education-3000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C125%2C3000%2C1875)
The best way to support and empower refugees in a time of crisis is to recognize that they know best how to address the needs of their communities.
A Promising Step
Q&A: Progress for Migrant Workers in Italy
![Migrant workers from Sri Lanka harvest vegetables, in Caserta, Italy, on April 9, 2020. Photo credit: © Salvatore Esposito/contrasto/Redux Workers in a field of yellow rapeseed plants](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/e4110f2e-a42f-471a-90bc-3aecb2f02d92/20200526-esposito-italy-migrant-workers-coronavirus-3000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C125%2C3000%2C1875)
The government of Italy’s COVID-19 stimulus proposal includes measures to protect migrant laborers working in some of the country’s most important industries. While this is welcome news, more is needed.
Confronting COVID-19
Our Emergency Response to COVID-19
![Grocery store cashiers in protective masks, in New York City, on April 2, 2020. Photo credit: © Stephanie Keith/Getty Two women at the registers in a grocery store](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/f3a0a8ae-700d-4df8-837b-dfe08464e0ad/20200406-keith-new-york-coronavirus-3000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C63%2C3000%2C1875)
To confront the enormous challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Open Society Foundations are committing more than $130 million to support those who are most at risk.
Hope on Lesvos
Q&A: Forging a Bond between Locals and Refugees
![A young refugee from Syria, in Mytilene, Greece, on March 9, 2016. Photo credit: © Alexander Koerner/Getty A refugee standing with a blanket by the water](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/12549980-5173-4738-bdae-ab985e31dcbe/20200117-koerner-greece-lesbos-3000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C125%2C3000%2C1875)
The Greek island of Lesvos remains at the frontlines of refugee arrivals to Europe. Currently, more than 21,000 refugees are held there. A grassroots group called the Starfish Foundation is working to improve the lives of locals and refugees.