Devon Cone is the senior advocate for women and girls at Refugees International. Prior to joining Refugees International, Devon was the director of protection programs at HIAS where she was responsible for providing technical expertise to HIAS’ protection-related programming globally. Previous to HIAS, Devon worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon, Uganda, Egypt, and Kenya and for a variety of NGOs providing services to refugees. As part of her work, Devon has developed curriculum and led trainings on refugee protection for government officials, NGO staff, and UN agencies. At the request of the U.S. State Department, in 2015, Devon conducted an independent evaluation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) which is responsible for choosing, vetting, and resettling refugees into the United States.
Devon holds a Master’s degree from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. She also holds a certificate in Forced Migration from Oxford University, a certificate in International Migration Law from the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, and a certificate in Humanitarian Studies from Harvard University. Devon’s writing has been published in Foreign Policy, the Forced Migration Review, and the Huffington Post.
Publications by the Author
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and especially the eastern part of the country, has endured decades of conflict, pitting government forces against rebel groups.
Donor countries must urgently increase funding for a humanitarian response that was insufficient even before the latest conflict.
The ramifications of Pakistan's large-scale deportation campaign are disastrous for Afghans.
The Pakistani government has ordered all undocumented Afghans leave the country or face forced expulsions.
Devon Cone unpacks the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border.
It is time for the United States to support and prioritize brave Afghan women journalists who have nowhere else to turn.
Afghans who have fled to Pakistan since August 2021, especially women and girls, face serious risks and challenges. Learn more.
Ten years since the civil war began in South Sudan, South Sudanese women and girls have faced sexual violence year after year with impunity.
This International Women's Day, we caught up with Marwa Dashti, a young Afghan woman named Marwa when we were in Albania in 2021.
Romania needs to pivot to a longer term response amid the Ukraine crisis. Devon Cone shares her recommendations for a way forward.