24 December 2011

Admin: Winter Break

This blog will be quiet until the new year. Until then, happy holidays!

23 December 2011

New Issues of AWR, Food Nutrition, JIRS, Resettlement, Monday Dev.

AWR Bulletin, vol. 49, no. 3 (2011) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "Migration Trends in Europe."

Food Nutrition Bulletin, vol. 32, no. 3 (Sept. 2011) [contents]
- Special section on "Assessing the impact of micronutrient interventions under special circumstances such as refugee camps and emergency operations."

Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, vol. 9, no. 4 (2011) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "Temporary Citizens: U.S. Immigration Law and Liberian Refugees," "Changing Images of Refugees: A Comparative Analysis of Australian and New Zealand Print Media 1998−2008," "English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL): Improving English Language Acquisition for Preliterate and Nonliterate Adult African Refugees," and "Between 'Voluntary Migrants' and War Refugees: The Health of the Shan Burmese Migrant Workers in Northern Thailand."

Linking-in EU Resettlement, no. 1 (Nov. 2011) [full-text]
- Newsletter of a joint IOM, UNHCR, ICMC project.

Monday Developments, no. 29 (Dec. 2011) [info]
- The theme is "2011: The Year in Relief & Development."

Tagged Periodicals.

Working Papers

Displacement in Post-War Southern Sudan: Survival and Accumulation within Urban Perimeters, Research Working Paper, no. 57 (MICROCON, Nov. 2011) [text]

Forced Migration, Female Labour Force Participation, and Intra-household Bargaining: Does Conflict Empower Women?, Research Working Paper, no. 56 (MICROCON, Nov. 2011) [text]

The 'Next Generation' Visa: Belt and Braces or the Emperor’s New Clothes?, CEPS Paper on Liberty and Security in Europe (Centre for European Policy Studies, Oct. 2011) [text]

Precarious Housing and Hidden Homelessness among Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Immigrants in the Toronto Metropolitan Area, Working Paper, no. 87 (CERIS, Dec. 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

22 December 2011

Climate/Environmental Displacement

Publications:

"Climate Refugees": Legal and Policy Responses to Environmentally Induced Migration (European Parliament, Dec. 2011) [text]

Gérer les déplacements des populations dus aux phénomènes climatiques extrêmes (Exil Climatique, avril 2011) [text]

Preparation for Climate Displacement Too Slow, Experts Say (AlertNet, Dec. 2011) [text]

"Toward a New Definition of 'Refugee': Is the 1951 Convention Out of Date?", European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, vol. 37, no. 1 (2011) [full-text]

Upcoming events:

RSC Seminar Series: Critical Approaches to Environmental Displacement, Oxford, 18 January-7 March 2012 [info]
- The first two seminars in January will address "Environmental Displacement: future scenarios and modes of protection re-examined" and "Environmental Displacement and the Challenge of Rights Protection," respectively.


Holiday Reading...

Recommendations from Jeff Crisp:

The Accidental City: Violence, Economy and Humanitarianism in Kakuma Refugee Camp Kenya, Dissertation submitted to Disaster Studies (Wageningen University, 2011) [info]
- "My book of the year award goes to Bram Jansen's 'The Accidental City: Violence, Economy and Humanitarianism in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya'. While much has been written about Kakuma, this is by far the most fascinating, informative and readable account of life in the camp, illuminating a wide range of policy and operational issues that are of direct interest to the refugee studies and humanitarian communities." (Note: Happily, the full-text will become available via the a/m link in April 2012!)

"The Ethiopian Refugees in Kenya," Journal of the Royal African Society, vol. 38, no. 152 (July 1939) [info]
- "Insecurity, epidemics, environmental degradation, blockages in the food pipeline... . Just a few of the problems that have arisen in recent months in Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp. But there is nothing new about these issues. This fascinating article, published in the Journal of the Royal African Society in 1939, examines the humanitarian response to an influx of Ethiopian refugees in Kenya, back in the days when the territory was still a British colony." (Note: This journal is available via these libraries.)

Tagged Publications.

21 December 2011

New Book on Julia Taft

This new title was recommended to me, so I wanted to pass it along:

Off to Save the World: How Julia Taft Made a Difference, by Ann Blackman (Maine Authors Publishing, 2011)
- "The biography of an eminent humanitarian administrator, focusing on her experiences in countries such as Sudan, Armenia, Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan."

For more information, read this blog post on WorldBridge by the author, and visit the companion web site.

Any other recommendations for the winter holidays?


Tagged Publications.

20 December 2011

New Publications on Detention, Employment Rights, Integration, Migrant Smuggling, Statelessness

The Employment Rights of Refugees in Africa under the 1969 African Refugee Convention (Refugees and the Right to Work, Dec. 2011) [text]
- Note: The author of this post, Marina Sharpe, recently wrote a New Issues in Refugee Research working paper entitled "Engaging with Refugee Protection? The Organization of African Unity and African Union since 1963."

From Deprivation to Liberty: Alternatives to Detention in Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom (JRS Europe, Dec. 2011) [text]

Mapping Statelessness in the Netherlands (UNHCR, Nov. 2011) [text]

Polishing Treadmills at Midnight: Is Refugee Integration an Elusive Goal?, Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum, vol. 1, no. 1, art. 9 [full-text]

Smuggling of Migrants by Sea (UNODC, Dec. 2011) [text via Migrants at Sea]


Tagged Publications.

January Events & Opportunities

Winter Short Courses, Cairo, 29 January-18 February 2012 [info]
- Courses offered include: 1) Demographics Measures of Migration (January 29- February 2, 2012); 2) Migration and Refugee Movements in the Middle East and North Africa (February 5-9, 2012); 3) Palestinian Refugees (February 12-16, 2012); and 4) Training Skills for Trainers of Psychosocial and Mental Health Workers in Countries Affected by Emergencies (February 18-23, 2012). Apply by 10 January 2012.

Teaching Fellowship, U.C. Hastings Refugee and Human Rights Clinic, San Francisco [info]
- Two-year fellowship, 2012-214; apply by 15 January 2012.

CFP: Righting Wrongs Journal [info]
- For special issue on refugees and migration; submit paper by 16 January 2012.

Short Course: The International Protection of Refugees and Other Displaced Persons, London, Feb.-March 2012 [info]
- Deadline for submitting applications is now 24 January 2012.

Tagged Events & Opportunities.

19 December 2011

Recent Comments on Legal Decisions

Anniversary to Celebrate (UNHCR Malta, Dec. 2011) [text]
- Note re. Malta's Constitutional Court that found that two Somalis "had been denied their rights when they had been forcibly returned to Libya after arriving here in 2004."

Citizenship and the European Court on Human Rights: The Case of Genovese v. Malta (Statelessness Programme Blog, Dec. 2011) [text]
- Note re. a "case relating to gender discrimination in Maltese nationality law."

Court of Justice’s Judgment on the Exclusion Clauses: Hope for Ex-Khad/Wad Members in the Netherlands? (SSRN, Dec. 2011) [text]
- Analysis re. European Court of Justice's "interpretation of Article 12(2) of the Qualification Directive on the situation of ex-Khad members in the Netherlands on whom Article 1F of the Refugee Convention is applied."

"ECtHR Allows Extradition to Rwanda of Alleged Hutu Genocidaire with Refugee Status in Denmark; UNHCR does not Intervene," Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. (Dec. 2011) [text]
- Scroll to p. 10.

Eleventh Circuit on FGM, Senegal, Relocation: Seck v. Atty. Gen. (Immigration Law Community, Dec. 2011) [text via CRGS]
- "The Court vacated and remanded a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) that denied asylum to a woman from Senegal."

French Roma Policy Violates European Social Charter (Strasbourg Observers, Dec. 2011) [text]
- Summary of European Committee of Social Rights decision.

"Trends and Inconsistencies in Immigration and Refugee Board Case Decisions," Poster at Western Migration Conference Series, London, Ontario, 28-30 April 2011 [access]
- "[I]llustrates the need for reform to correct current inconsistencies in the IRB decision-making process."

Tagged Publications.

Self Study Resources

Integrating the Environment into Humanitarian Action and Early Recovery (UNEP) [access]
- Training toolkit.

Nutrition in Emergencies (Emergency Nutrition Network) [access]
- This course "covers basic concepts around the humanitarian system and reform, undernutrition and response in emergencies, individual assessment and micronutrients."

Protection of Internally Displaced Persons (Advanced Training Programme on Humanitarian Action) [access]
- Interactive video on IDPs and IHL.

Resettlement Learning Programme (UNHCR) [access]
- Revised self-study module.

The Role of International Law in Humanitarian Assistance (Advanced Training Programme on Humanitarian Action) [access]
- Online training module.

Using the Great Lakes Conference to Combat Sexual and Gender Based Violence: A Primer (International Refugee Rights Initiative) [access]
- "This primer is intended to assist the work of civil society and other actors in relation to SGBV during, and in the wake of, the summit [of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)]."

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

16 December 2011

Focus on Humanitarian Assistance

(updated)

Publications:

Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: The MSF Experience (MSF, Dec. 2011) [text]

IASC Evaluation of the Humanitarian Response in South Central Somalia 2005-2010 (DARA, Dec. 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Meeting Humanitarian Challenges in Urban Areas: Review of Urban Humanitarian Challenges in Port-au-Prince, Manila, Nairobi, Eldoret (UN HABITAT, 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

OCHA on Message: Inter-Agency Standing Committee (OCHA, Dec. 2011) [text]

UN Integration and Humanitarian Space: An Independent Study Commissioned by the UN Integration Steering Group (ODI & Stimson Center, Dec. 2011) [text]

Past event:

31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Geneva, 28 Nov.-1 Dec. 2011 [info]
- The theme was "Our World, Your Move - For Humanity." Follow above link for conference documents.

Upcoming event:

The Urban Challenge: Adapting humanitarian response to a changing world, Chennai, India, 17-19 January 2012 [info]
- "Participants will consider the specific nature of humanitarian action in urban environments, and will hear about the main system-wide responses to the urban challenge. Expert speakers will present lessons from preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction activities and participants will have the opportunity to identify improvements in their own organisation and within the humanitarian system as a whole."

Web sites:

Advanced Training Program on Humanitarian Action (ATHA) [access]
- ATHA's aim is "to enhance the capacity of relevant actors operating in the humanitarian context, to strengthen the respect for and knowledge about Humanitarian Action including International Humanitarian Law and Humanitarian Principles, and to create greater awareness and knowledge of the relationship between development cooperation and humanitarian action in emergencies."

Humanitarian Practice Network (HPN) [access]
- The web site has been revamped to improve navigation and facilitate the location of resources. A new section called the "Humanitarian Space" has been added; this area is for HPN members to post resources, events, and other announcements.


Rescue at Sea Resource

A brief follow-up to my earlier post that focused on "Distress at Sea": UNHCR has just made available a second edition of Rescue at Sea, Stowaways and Maritime Interception: Selected Reference Materials. Here's a description of its contents:

The involvement of refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR in mixed maritime movements can implicate different areas of international law, including the international law of the sea, international refugee law, international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law. This binder compiles selected provisions from each of these bodies of law to assist governments, UNHCR colleagues and other interested professionals to identify the legal framework applicable to refugees and asylum-seekers travelling irregularly by sea. ... . In addition to international law, the binder includes selected guidelines, recommendations, submissions, advisory opinions and policy papers issued by UNHCR and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). These materials provide further guidance on how relevant standards may be operationalized in practice. The binder also contains selected materials from a number of meetings and conferences convened by UNHCR on these issues.

Tagged Publications.

New Publications on Dublin Returnees in Hungary, Horn of Africa, Iraqi Returnees, Microfinance, South Sudan

Access to Protection Jeopardised: Information Note on the Treatment of Dublin Returnees in Hungary (Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Dec. 2011) [text]

Between Two Societies: Review of the Information, Return and Reintegration of Iraqi Nationals to Iraq (IRRINI) Programme (Chr. Michelsen Institute, Dec. 2011) [text]
- See also related press release.

Horn of Africa: Not the Time to Look Away (Refugees International, Dec. 2011) [text]

Investing in Solutions: A Practical Guide for the Use of Microfinance in UNHCR Operations (UNHCR, Dec. 2011) [text]

South Sudan: Displacement Plagues World's Newest Nation (Refugees International, Dec. 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

15 December 2011

ETDs in American Studies, Communication, Business, Gender Studies, Geography, Law, Linguistics, Social Work, Sport Studies

Asylum Seekers Involvement in Self Employment: Study of the Influencing Factors on Business Start-up in Sweden, Thesis submitted to School of Business (Umeå University, May 2011) [text]

Burmese Muslim Refugee Women: Stories of Civil War, Refugee Camps and New Americans, Thesis submitted to the Dept. of American Studies (Utah State University, Aug. 2011) [text]

Europe and Extraterritorial Asylum, Dissertation submitted to Faculty of Law (Leiden University, April 2011) [delayed access]

Negotiating Tensions across Organizational Boundaries: Communication and Refugee Resettlement Organizations, Dissertation submitted to the Dept. of Communication Studies (Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln, Oct. 2011) [text]

Reconstituting the Role of Law in Development-induced Displacement and Resettlement: Lessons from Uganda's Bujagali Hydroelectric Project, Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies (Univ. of British Columbia, July 2011) [text]

Refugees Negotiating Academic Literacies in First-Year College: Challenges, Strategies, and Resources, Dissertation submitted to the Dept. of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language (Georgia State Univ., Dec. 2011) [delayed access]

Resiliency amidst the Fragmented Lives of Afghan Refugee Women, Thesis submitted to the Dept. of Social Work (McMaster Univ., Fall 2011) [text]

The Shadow State and Refugees: The Role of Nonprofit Organizations in Refugee Participation, Thesis submitted to the Dept. of Geography (Univ. of Tennessee, Aug. 2011) [text]

Using Sport to Build Community: Service-Learning with Iraqi Refugees, Dissertation submitted to the Dept. of Kinesiology and Sport Studies (Univ. of Tennessee, Aug. 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

14 December 2011

Focus on Children

(updated)

Publications:

'Best Interests of the Child' as a Uniting Principle for Citizenship (Oecumene Blog, Dec. 2011) [text]

Consultative Meeting: "Challenges faced by young refugees and asylum seekers in accessing their social rights and their integration, while in transition to adulthood," Strasbourg, 17‐18 November 2011 [info] [mapping study]

Core Standards for Guardians of Separated Children in Europe: Goals for Guardians and Authorities (Defence for Children et al., 2011) [text via Refworld]

"Lost in Doctrine: Particular Social Group, Child Soldiers, and the Failure of U.S. Asylum Law to Protect Exploited Children," Florida State University Law Review, vol. 38, no. 3 (Spring 2011) [full-text]

Review of Current Laws, Policies and Practices relating to Age Assessment in Sixteen European Countries (Separated Children in Europe Programme, May 2011) [text]

"Therapy with Unaccompanied Refugees and Asylum-seeking Minors," Today’s Children are Tomorrow’s Parents, nos. 30-31 (2011?) [full-text]

Upcoming event:

Unprotected Unaccompanied Children in Europe: Which Reasons Lead to Their Lack of Protection? Poitiers, 23-24 October 2012 [info]
- Stay tuned for a CFP.


Distress at Sea

ECRE Interview with Tineke Strik Regarding PACE Investigation into Migrants Deaths in Mediterranean (ECRE, Dec. 2011) [text via Migrants at Sea]

MAYDAY! Strengthening Responses of Assistance and Protection to Boat People and Other Migrants Arriving in Southern Europe (ICMC, Sept. 2011) [text]
- Outcome of the DRIVE project, "Differentiation for Refugee Identification and Vulnerability Evaluation."

Refugees and Asylum-Seekers in Distress at Sea: How Best to Respond? Expert Meeting in Djibouti, 8 to 10 November 2011 - Summary Conclusions (UNHCR, Dec. 2011) [text]
- See other materials from this meeting that were posted earlier.

Selected Distress at Sea Incidents Involving Refugees and Migrants in 2011 (UNHCR, Dec. 2011) [text]



13 December 2011

New Publications on Boat People, Domestic Violence Asylum Seekers, Iraqi Refugees, North Koreans, Stateless Rohingya

"From the Border to the Bench: The Barriers to Freedom for Victims of Domestic Violence Seeking Asylum in the United States and Why a Favorable Decision in the Case of R-A- Is Necessary but not Sufficient Protection for Future Claimants," St. Louis University Law Journal, vol. 55, no. 2 (Winter 2011) [full-text]

"Juridical Exceptionalism in Australia: Law, Nostalgia and the Exclusion of 'Others'," Griffith Law Review, vol. 20, no. 2 (2011) [full-text]

State of Exception: An Agambenian Perspective on the Detention of North Koreans in South Korea, Working Paper, no. 2 (Refugee Law Initiative, Dec. 2011) [text]

States of Denial: A Review of UNHCR's Response to the Protracted Situation of Stateless Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh, PDES/2011/13 (UNHCR, Dec. 2011) [text]

U.S. Withdraws Troops from Iraq, But Must Not Abandon Its Refugees (Human Rights First Blog, Dec. 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Last Minute December Events & Opportunities

La fabrique institutionnelle de l’asile, Neuchâtel, 16 décembre 2011 [info]
- A study day that focuses on the institutions of asylum and the practices and experiences of the people within them.

A Day of Global Action Against Racism and for the Rights of Migrants, Refugees and Displaced People, 18 December 2011 [info]

International Migrants' Day, 18 December 2011 [info]

Présentation du rapport "Aux bords de l’Europe : externalisation des contrôles migratoires," Bruxelles, 21 décembre 2011 [info]
- This event will focus on the following themes: "Détention, expulsion, externalisation des contrôles migratoires, Frontex, surveillance maritime, accords de réadmission... ."

Use of ICTs and Social Media for Human Rights Work, e-Learning Course, 1 February-17 April 2012 [info]
- The deadline for applications was 15 November 2011. However, there are still a few places available, but please note that applicants will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis.

Related posts:


Multimedia Resources

Asylum Seeker Policy: International Refugee Law Expert (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sept. 2011) [access]
- Podcast of interview with James Hathaway.

Ellie Ott on Refugee Studies and Forced Migration (Historical Gadfly, Nov. 2011) [access]

Environmental Refugees (Smith College, 2011) [access]
- Presentation by Greg White; part of the Scholars in Studio video series

Now You See Them, Now You Won’t: On Using Law to Make Refugees Disappear, CERIS-CRS Seminar Series on "Changes in Contemporary Refugee and Immigration Policy and Practice" (RRN, Sept. 2011) [access]

Somalia: The Challenges of Providing Humanitarian Aid (MSF, Oct. 2011) [access]

Tagged Web Sites/Tools.

12 December 2011

Events after the Fact

"Armed Conflict and Refugee Law: Are the Courts Getting it Right?", International Refugee Law Seminar Series, London, 10 Nov. 2011 [text]

An Italian Renaissance: Jewish Refugees in Postwar Europe, 4th Annual Howard Adelman Lecture, Toronto, 1 November 2011 [access]
- Video of lecture.

Joint UNHCR/Council of Europe Colloquium on the Role of Regional Human Rights Courts in Interpreting and Enforcing Legal Standards for the Protection of Forcibly Displaced Persons, Strasbourg, 15-16 June 2011 [info] [conf. report]
- See earlier related post on this issue.

"No Country, No Identity, No Rights?", Tilburg, 3 Nov. 2011 [event summary]
- Official launch of Statelessness Programme at Tilburg University.

Raising Refugee Women’s Voices, Glasgow, 3 Nov. 2011 [access]
- Follow the link for the conference report and video interviews from the conference.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.

Focus on Europe

JRS Europe has launched a new report entitled "Safe and Secure: How Do Refugees Experience Europe's Borders? Modern Challenges to Protection and the 1951 Refugee Convention." Other recent items that focus on Europe include:

Aux bords de l’Europe: l'externalisation des contrôles migratoires (Migreurop, Nov. 2011) [access]

Chronology: European Migration and Asylum Policies (Migreurop, updated Sept. 2011) [access]

Dublin and Beyond: ‘Each According to Its Abilities’? (SHARES Project, Oct. 2011) [text]

Europe and Extraterritorial Asylum, Dissertation submitted to Faculty of Law (Leiden University, April 2011) [delayed access]

"EU-Libya Agreements on Refugees and Asylum Seekers: The Need for a Reassessment," Perspectives, no. 2 (May 2011) [full-text]
- Article begins on p. 270.

I Don't Know Where to Go: The Experiences of Migrants Living in Algeria and Morocco (JRS Europe, Sept. 2011) [text]

Position Paper on the Right to Access to International Protection (Red Cross-EU Office, Nov. 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

10 December 2011

Right to Work

(updated)

Asylum Access posted two right to work analyses of the speeches given by High Commissioner Antonio Guterres and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at last week's Ministerial Meeting.

Other recent employment-related items:

Asylum Seekers Involvement in Self Employment: Study of the Influencing Factors on Business Start-up in Sweden, Thesis submitted to School of Business (Umeå University, May 2011) [text]

CoRMSA Defends the Right to Work as Cabinet Questions the Minimum Rights of Immigrants (CoRMSA, Nov. 2011) [text]

Labour Market in the Gaza Strip: Briefing on First-half 2011 (UNRWA, Dec. 2011) [text]

Labour Market in the West Bank: Briefing on First-half 2011 (UNRWA, Dec. 2011) [text]

Refugees' Labour Market Access in Australia: A Case Study of Eritrea African Immigrants, Citizenship and Globalisation Research Papers, no. 1 (Centre for Citizenship and Globalisation, Dec. 2010) [text]

Skills to Survive: Providing Refugee Women the Right to Work (Huffpost Culture, Dec. 2011) [text]

Work is a Human Right: Seeking Asylum, Seeking Employment (ePublications@SCU, 2010) [text]

Finally, next Spring, look for the forthcoming book, Reworking the Relationship between Asylum and Employment, to be published by Routledge. The author, Penelope Mathew, recently wrote the introductory note for the Michigan Guidelines on the Right to Work.

Tagged Publications.

09 December 2011

Reaffirming Protection...

(updated)

Here's the text of the Ministerial Communiqué adopted yesterday at the "Intergovernmental Event at the Ministerial Level of Member States of the United Nations on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 50th Anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (7-8 December 2011)."

As noted in this news story, it reaffirms the "fundamentals of the international protection regime and of the refugee and statelessness conventions." But challenges remain, as ICVA's NGO Statement (.DOC format) outlines and as these two reports note:
  • Safe and Secure: How Do Refugees Experience Europe's Borders? Modern Challenges to Protection and the 1951 Refugee Convention (JRS Europe, Dec. 2011) [text]
  • Sweet Sixty? The 60th Anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention: Refugee Crises in 2011 and Challenges for the Future (MSF, Dec. 2011) [text]
Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.

New Issues of Fahamu Refugee News, J. Intl. Humanit. Legal Stud., Perspective, Refugee News, RSQ

Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 21 (Dec. 2011) [full-text] [blog]
- Lead article is on the "Bangkok Principles on the Status and Treatment of Refugees." Others focus on readmission agreements, refugees in Israel, and refugee protection in Latvia.

Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies, vol. 2, no. 1 (Nov. 2011) [contents]
- Mix of articles including "The Right to Education for Children in Emergencies."

Perspective Magazine, no. 2 (2011) [full-text]
- Includes a feature on climate displacement.

Refugee Newsletter (Nov. 2011) [full-text]
- Published by UNHCR's regional office in Australia.

Refugee Survey Quarterly, vol. 30, no. 4 (Dec. 2011) [contents]
- The theme for this issue, "Protracted Displacement: The Challenges of Protection," is based on a research project at the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC).

Tagged Periodicals.

08 December 2011

Ministerial Meeting Wraps Up

(updated)

The Ministerial Meeting is now over. Here's the text of the keynote speech by Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, an "eternally displaced person." This news story notes that "Serbia and Turkmenistan became the two newest states parties to the 1961 and 1954 stateless conventions respectively, joining Panama, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Croatia in having acceded to stateless conventions during this year." And at least 20 other countries have made pledges to accede to one or the other convention. Here is a list of who is acceding to what that I gleaned by browsing through the various Twitter feeds, but it's by no means "official"!

  • Belgium: 1961 Statelessness
  • Burundi: 1961 Statelessness, Kampala Conv.
  • Colombia: 1961 Statelessness
  • Gambia: 1954 Stateless Persons, 1961 Statelessness
  • Guinea: 1961 Statelessness, Kampala Conv.
  • Haiti: 1954 Stateless Persons, 1961 Statelessness
  • Moldova: 1954 Stateless Persons, 1961 Statelessness
  • Mozambique: 1961 Statelessness
  • Paraguay: 1961 Statelessness
  • Sierra Leone: 1954 Stateless Persons, 1961 Statelessness
  • South Africa: 1954 Stateless Persons, 1961 Statelessness
  • South Sudan: 1954 Stateless Persons, 1961 Statelessness, 1951 Refugee, Kampala Conv.
  • Tanzania: 1954 Stateless Persons, 1961 Statelessness, Kampala Conv.
  • Ukraine: 1954 Stateless Persons, 1961 Statelessness
  • Yemen: 1954 Stateless Persons, 1961 Statelessness
  • Zimbabwe: 1961 Statelessness
Other countries made pledges to enhance protection for stateless persons and refugees, with the U.S. presenting a record 28. Here are two initial reactions, from Human Rights First and UNHCR's Washington office.

For another recap of statelessness pledges made, read this post on the Statelessness blog.


New Publications on Asylum & ICC, Cervical Cancer, Export Credit Safeguards, OAU/AU Activities, Refugee Students, Resettlement in Australia

"Asylum, Politics and International Justice – A Muddy Cocktail," International Justice Tribune (7 Dec. 2011) [text]

"Cervical Cancer Screening Outcomes in a Refugee Population," Department of Family & Community Medicine Lectures, Presentations, Workshops, paper no. 10 (Nov. 2011) [text]

"Creating Communities: Working with Refugee Students in Classrooms," Democracy & Education, vol. 19, no. 2 (2011) [open access article]

Engaging with Refugee Protection? The Organization of African Unity and African Union since 1963, New Issues of Refugee Research, no. 226 (UNHCR, Dec. 2011) [text]

Population Displacement and Export Credit: The Safeguards for Human Rights and Livelihoods Need Professional Support and Reinforcement (Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, Dec. 2011) [text]

Refugee Resettlement to Australia: What are the Facts? (Parliamentary Library of Australia, Dec. 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Supporting Refugee Women

The Regional Dialogues with Refugee Women and Girls culminated in Geneva in June 2011, when a team of 10 refugee and IDP women presented at the UNHCR/NGO Consultations. Here is a recap of the process. In addition, a report has just been produced that "summarizes what women and girls reported and suggested during the Dialogues, encapsulating the problems, solutions, hopes and dreams of the participants." Read Protectors, Providers, Survivors: Refugee Women Speak Out - Summary Report (UNHCR, Nov. 2011).

For more information, see:
- an article by the UNHCR UK Legal Officer
- info. on Dialogues with Women in Australia
- a report on the Dialogues with Refugee Women in Finland
- an earlier blog post of mine on the Dialogues
- UNHCR's project page

Another initiative supporting refugee women and girls is "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence," a campaign that runs annually from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10, or from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to International Human Rights Day. Follow Refugees International's blog postings, UNHCR's news stories, and the Women's Refugee Commission's call to action.


07 December 2011

Update on Detention

One of the Migration Information Source's Top 10 Migration Issues of 2011 is "Immigrant Detention under Scrutiny in Australia, United Kingdom, and United States." There have been some recent shifts in Australia's detention policy; the government has decided to begin releasing asylum seekers who were detained because they arrived by boat. At the same time, IRIN recently reported on the mental health consequences of detaining asylum seekers for extended periods.

In the U.S., the New York Times just published an editorial characterizing the immigrant detention system as "broken," despite promises by the administration for reform. A recent PBS FrontLine programme that investigated immigration detention practices has received a lot of attention; see, e.g., the blog series that the ACLU has been running since the documentary aired. See also this recent report from LIRS.

In the UK, children are still being placed in detention even though the government vowed to end the practice. Charges of deliberate misrepresentation have been leveled at officials in the Home Office and UK Border Agency.

Elsewhere, NGOs in both Europe and Asia/Pacific have also called for an end to the detention of immigrant children.

For more profiles of detention policies and practice in different countries, visit the Global Detention Project.

The International Detention Coalition has been hosting workshops in the Americas, South Asia, and Europe to map detention in the various regions, raise awareness and develop action plans.

Tagged Publications.

Tracking Pledges at Ministerial Meeting

(updated)

Various folks attending the Ministerial Meeting in Geneva are tweeting about State pledges, offering a good way to get a quick gist. And you don't have to be on Twitter to follow them. For example, I learned about the following treaty accession pledges from States from @SarnataReynolds:

  • Bosnia & Herzegovina: 1961 Statelessness
  • Cote d'Ivoire: 1951 Stateless Persons, 1961 Statelessness & Kampala IDP Conv. (in 2012)
  • Georgia: 1954 Stateless Persons
  • Luxembourg: 1961 Statelessness
  • Portugal: 1954 Stateless Persons & 1961 Statelessness
  • Serbia: ratified 1961 Statelessness in Oct. 2011
  • Turkey: 1961 Statelessness
  • Turkmenistan: 1961 Statelessness (see also news story)
  • Uganda: 1961 Statelessness

And from #pledges4refugees, I learned that Spain will also accede to 1961 Statelessness.

Apparently, @AEUNHCR will tweet live during the treaty event later today.

The Statelessness Programme is also tweeting comments as the conference unfolds.

For reference, here's a summary of statelessness pledges from today's sessions.


Ministerial Meeting, 7-8 Dec. 2011

The year-long commemorations for the anniversaries of UNHCR and the refugee and statelessness conventions will culminate in a high-level meeting of government officials in Geneva on 7-8 December 2011. The objective is for States to: 1) "make concrete pledges to address specific forced displacement and/or statelessness issues, as well as broader, forward-looking recommendations"; 2) accede to the 1951 Convention relating to Status of Refugees and/or the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, and/or remove any reservations placed on them; and 3) adopt "a Ministerial Communiqué - a short, non-binding, political statement capturing the main challenges relating to statelessness and refugee protection today."

UNHCR has circulated guidance notes with suggestions for the types of pledges that States might make (see here and here). More specifically, here are recommendations for U.S. pledges from Human Rights First and UNHCR's Washington office. The Refugee Studies Centre (RSC) has also compiled a list of key resources to support States in the pledging process. NGOs will likely present their recommendations via ICVA.

The conference will be streamed live. Interested parties can also follow developments via UNHCR's Twitter feed.

Go to this news story for links to the High Commissioner's opening statement, the U.S. Secretary of State's remarks and a video message from the UN Secretary-General.

Also available are remarks by the head of the U.S. delegation, the speech made by the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, the Holy See's statement, and the Kenyan immigration minister's statement.

Stay tuned!



06 December 2011

World Migration Report 2011

The 2011 edition of the World Migration Report was launched today. The theme of the volume is "Communicating Effectively about Migration." Here's part of the blurb:

The World Migration Report 2011 presents available evidence on public perceptions and attitudes regarding migration globally. It analyses the way in which they are shaped and how they can influence and be influenced by policy as well as the media. Furthermore, the media’s role in communicating opinions, reporting trends and framing migration discourse is analysed. Examples of good practice in communicating a positive and balanced image of migrants among government, civil society and the media are also included. Finally, the report suggests several ways to improve communication about migration in order to promote a better understanding and recognition of the benefits of migration, more evidence based policymaking and effective engagement with migrants themselves.

The full-text of the report is available here. You can also read the executive summary and an NYT article about the report, watch a webcast of the event, follow IOM's Twitter feed, and check out the agency's Facebook page.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.


New Africa-related Publications

Impact of Arab Revolts on Migration, CARIM Analytic and Synthetic Notes 2011/68 (Euro-Mediterranean Consortium for Applied Research on International Migration, 2011) [text]

Poverty Reduction in a Refugee-hosting Economy: A Natural Experiment, IFPRI Discussion Paper 01132 (International Food Policy Research Institute, Nov. 2011) [text]

Sanctuary in the City? Urban Displacement and Vulnerability in Yei, South Sudan, HPG Working Paper (ODI, Dec. 2011) [text]

Stabilising the Congo, Forced Migration Policy Briefing, no. 8 (RSC, Dec. 2011) [text]

Unsafe Return: Refoulement of Congolese Asylum Seekers (Justice First, Nov. 2011) [text]
- See also related comment on openDemocracy.

Tagged Publications.

New Publications on Human Trafficking, Internal Displacement, Refugee Hostages in Sinai, Rescue at Sea, Urban Displacement in Syria

From Responsibility to Response: Assessing National Approaches to Internal Displacement (Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, Nov. 2011) [text]

Hundreds of Refugees Held Hostage in Sinai Torture Camps Need Rescuing (Physicians for Human Rights et al., Nov. 2011) [text]

Prevent. Combat. Protect: Human Trafficking. Joint UN Commentary on the EU Directive – A Human Rights-Based Approach (OHCHR, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, UN Women and ILO, Nov. 2011) [text]

The Risks of Rescue at Sea (IRIN, Dec. 2011) [text]

Sanctuary in the City? Urban Displacement and Vulnerability in Damascus: A Desk Study, HPG Working Paper (ODI, Dec. 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

05 December 2011

Focus on Roma

Anti-Gypsyism and the Politics of Exclusion: Roma and Sinti in Contemporary Italy [contents]
- Special issue of Journal of Modern Italian Studies, vol. 16, no. 5 (2011).

Europe's Roma: A Stateless Minority or a Minority without a State? (Statelessness Blog, Nov. 2011) [access]

Italy: 'Zero Tolerance for Roma': Forced Evictions and Discrimination against Roma in Milan (Amnesty International, Nov. 2011) [access]

Protecting the Rights of Roma (Council of Europe, 2011) [text]

Report by Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, following his visit to Italy from 26 to 27 May 2011 (Council of Europe, Sept. 2011) [text]

"Roma" (Open Society Blog) [access]
- Blog posts relating to Roma.

"Roma Expulsions and Discrimination: The Elephant in Brussels," European Journal of Migration and Law, vol. 13, no. 4 (2011) [abstract]

Romani Mobilities in Europe: Multidisciplinary Perspectives [access]
- Companion blog for conference held in Oxford in Jan. 2010.

"Stateless Roma in the European Union: Reconciling the Doctrine of Sovereignty Concerning Nationality Laws with International Agreements to Reduce and Avoid Statelessness," Fordham International Law Journal, vol. 34, no. 6 (June 2011) [abstract]

Statelessness: Citizenship Hopes Draw Closer for Roma Asylum-seeker (UNHCR, Dec. 2011) [text]

UNHCR Drives Effort to Reduce Statelessness in South-east Europe (UNHCR, Oct. 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Web Resources

Cablegate [access]
- Tool created to facilitate access to Wikileaks' cables.

Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers [access]
- New association established to "serve as an informed national voice on refugee law and human rights, and promote just and consistent practices in the treatment of refugees across Canada."

Migratory [access]
- "An online inventory of sources on migration in Europe, Central Asia and North America."

(non)Citizens of the World [access]
- "A blog about stateless people, undocumented migrants, and refugees."

Protracted Refugee Situations [access]
- Web site created as part of the "Unlocking crises of protracted displacement for refugees and internally displaced persons" research project.

Refugee Consortium of Kenya [access]
- Re-vamped web site for this legal aid and policy development centre.

RSC Resource DVD [info]
- Free DVD that includes all RSC publications available at the time of production.

Support to the UNHCR's State Pledges Process [access]
- Compiled by the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC); listing of key RSC resources organized thematically to assist States with their thinking about issues that will be raised at the upcoming Ministerial-level Meeting in Geneva.

World Migration Map [access]
- Data tool created by Migration Policy Institute to help analyze origins and destinations of international migrants.

Tagged Web Sites/Tools.