NORTH AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN l Greater participation by current and former refugees and IDPs in decision making on issues affecting their lives led to concrete progress towards durable solutions. The Refugee Congress involving 60 participants identified key issues and concerns for refugees, and led to follow-up advocacy by refugees with the United States Congress, and officials at the state and local levels on issues such as preserving benefits for disabled and elderly refugees. l In Haiti, undocumented IDPs were given birth certificates and identity documents, while survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) were provided shelter, mainly in dedicated safe houses, as well as livelihood support. l In 2011, approximately 43,000 persons were accepted for resettlement in the United States of America and almost 7,000 in Canada, with the latter country announcing a 20 per cent increase in its resettlement quota for 2012. Working environment The political climate in the United States did not permit progress on legislative proposals related to refugees, including those linked to protection and the overhaul of the immigration system. Meanwhile, additional security measures put in place in the United States, resulted in substantial delays in resettlement admissions and more denials. Nevertheless, admissions to the United States accounted for more than 70 per cent of all resettlement facilitated by UNHCR. In Canada, irregular migration played a central role in the political and social debate. The Government enforced the removal of foreign nationals who had broken the law. Following the 2010 arrival by sea of a significant number of 334 UNHCR Global Report 2011 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers, the Government introduced legislation in Parliament intended to discourage migrants from using smugglers by imposing long detention periods, restrictions on family reunification and other measures. In the Caribbean and in Belize, the difficult economic situation and security-related issues affected the capacity of host countries to deliver protection. The quality of protection safeguards and screening in maritime mixed-migration flows remained of concern. A significant number of “boat people”, largely from Haiti, have perished at sea, while countless migrants are systematically intercepted, detained and summarily returned. With few exceptions, most countries in the Caribbean do not observe the advisory on the returns of Haitians issued by UNHCR and OHCHR in 2011. Some countries allow UNHCR to assist with processing refugee claims and permit refugees to remain on their territory, albeit with no local integration prospects, while UNHCR tries to find durable solutions for them. A surge in transnational organized crime in the Caribbean countries contributed to the hardening of attitudes against asylum-seekers and refugees. Achievements and impact In the United States, the goals of UNHCR’s campaigns marking the anniversaries of the Refugee and Statelessness Conventions were to ensure that: RSD decision-makers adopt an appropriate refugee definition; asylum-seekers have access to territory; detention conditions and alternatives to detention are in line with international standards; and unaccompanied and separated children receive special attention. UNHCR also sought to encourage the