ICC Note:

Tin keeps her one must-have possession–a well worm Bible–near her and her phone well charged in case the US Embassy calls. Her and her family of 7 are now less sure than ever if they will be granted refugee visas to the United States. Myanmar’s Christians are under severe persecution by the military of Myanmar. A decades long conflict has seen hundreds of thousands displaced and many detained, tortured, and executed. Myanmar seems to be trying to force Christian and Muslim ethnic groups out of their country entirely by attacking and destroying their villages, and then attacking their refugee camps. Catholic source Cruxnow discusses how persecuted Christians may also be affected by the travel ban in the US. While the main focus of the travel ban has been on six Muslim nations, the plan also reduces visas for other nations by 55% (a reduction of 60,000). An analysis by the Associated Press found that the group that stands to be affected the most by this ban are actually Myanmar refugees, most of whom are Christians fleeing persecution. Over the past few months Christian groups have been sandwiched between their neighboring country, China. and their home country, which is trying to drive them out. For many of them being granted asylum in another country is their only hope for survival. 

3/17/2017 Myanmar (Crux Now) – Persecuted Christians in Myanmar (or Burma) might be the first to suffer President Donald Trump’s reduction of available refugee visas.

Tin, her husband and five children have cleared years of refugee hurdles to come to the U.S.: blood tests, interviews, DNA and fingerprints, background checks. She has her one must-bring possession within reach, a well-worn Bible, and keeps their phone charged for the U.S. Embassy to call.

But the odds of that happening dropped precipitously.

President Donald Trump’s 16-page travel ban bars new visas for people from six Muslim-majority countries and shuts down America’s refugee program through mid-July. His executive order had been set to take effect Thursday, but a federal judge put it on hold hours before it was to begin.

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