The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is in a number of situations unable to provide meaningful protection to Uyghur refugees, partly as a consequence of Chinese interference, partly as a consequence of UNHCR shortcomings.

The Uyghur Human Rights Project’s new report highlights the plight of Uyghur asylum seekers in the U.S. suffering long delays in the asylum process. There are an estimated 500 to 1,000 Uyghurs waiting for resolution of their asylum applications. UHRP’s research highlights wait times of up to eight years. Under U.S. law, cases are supposed to be resolved within six months.

This report argues that China’s actions in the Uyghur region constitute what UNESCO calls “strategic cultural cleansing”: the deliberate targeting of individuals and groups on the basis of their cultural, ethnic or religious affiliation, combined with the intentional and systematic destruction of their cultural heritage.