Publications: Burmese/Thailand, Forced Migration/EU, Ref. Protection/US, Refugees & Minorities, Rescue at Sea & State Resp.

Aircraft Carrier Left Us to Die, Say Migrants (EJIL: Talk, May 2011) [text]

The European Union and the Challenges of Forced Migration: From Economic Crisis to Protection Crisis?, EU-US Immigration Systems 2011/07 (European University Institute, 2011) [text]

The Faltering US Refugee Protection System: Legal and Policy Responses to Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Others in Need of Protection (Migration Policy Institute, May 2011) [text]

"Myanmar's Refugees: Bordering on Despair," The Economist (May 2011) [text]

Protection of Refugees Who Belong to Minorities: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Pamphlet no. 12 (OHCHR, 2011) [text via Refworld]

- Part of the UN Guide for Minorities.

Rescuing 'Boat People' in the Mediterranean Sea: The Responsibility of States under the Law of the Sea (EJIL: Talk, May 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Reports on Natural Disasters

On 1 June 2011, the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement will "host a discussion exploring the challenges humanitarian agencies and governments face as they respond to an increasing number of deadly natural disasters each year." They will also officially launch their report, "A Year of Living Dangerously: A Review of Natural Disasters in 2010," referenced earlier in this post.

In the interim, here are two new reports that also tracked disaster trends in 2010:

• Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2010: The Numbers and Trends (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, May 2011) [text]
• Time's Bitter Flood: Trends in the Number of Reported Natural Disasters (Oxfam, May 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.

New Issues of Fahamu Refugee News, J. Intl. Humanit. Legal Stud., J. Palest. Ref. Stud., RSQ/Other Journal Resources

New Issues:

Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 16 (June 2011) [full-text] [blog]

- Lead article is "Expert advice in asylum cases: Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom."

Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies, vol. 1, no. 2 (Dec. 2010) [contents]

- Mix of articles, including "Wasted Lives: Internally Displaced Persons Living in Camps in Kenya" and "The Interplay Between International Humanitarian Law and Refugee Law."

Journal of Palestinian Refugee Studies, vol. 1, no. 1 (Spring 2011) [full-text]

- New journal; articles include ""Palestinian Refugees - A Brief Overview," "Syria’s Palestinian Refugees: a Brief Overview," "An Introduction to Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon, No way out?," "Internal Displacement in the Occupied Palestine Territories," "UNRWA, Meeting Evolving Goals in the Face of Challenges," "International Refugees Law and the Palestinian Issues: A Double Standard Approach to Protection and Return?," "The Refugee Issue and the Peace Process," "Palestinian Refugees and the Mainstream Media," and "The Right of Return Is Inevitable."

Refugee Survey Quarterly, vol. 30, no. 2 (June 2011) [contents]
- Articles include "Failed Asylum-Seekers’ Responses to Arrangements Promoting Return: Experiences from Norway," "Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in India: Rehabilitation Mechanisms, Livelihood Strategies, and Lasting Solutions," "Danger, Loss, and Disruption in Somalia After 1991: Practicalities and Needs Behind Refugee Decision-Making," "The Unwanted Service Provider: Implementation of WTO and EU Liberalisation of Service Mobility in the Dutch Legal Order," and "Asylum Claims Made in Bad Faith Under the Refugees Convention – The Australian Experience."

Other Journal Resources:

1948: Sixty Three Years On… (Institute for Palestine Studies) [access]

- Resource created to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba, with articles selected from the Journal of Palestine Studies. See esp. section on "Exodus and Refugees."

Historical Archive of PDF Journals (Association of Jewish Refugees) [access]

- Includes issues of the AJR Journal dating back to 1946. AJR was established to provide "financial assistance to Jewish victims of Nazi persecution living in Great Britain."

Field Exchange Digest (Emergency Nutrition Network) [access]

- A digest of key articles in Field Exchange from the past year. Produced annually.

Tagged Periodicals and Web Sites/Tools.

New Issue of JRS

A new issue of the Journal of Refugee Studies (JRS) is now available. Vol. 24, no. 2 (June 2011) includes the following articles:

• A Mixed Blessing: Karen Resettlement to the United States [abstract]
• The Reception of Cambodian Refugees in France [abstract] [preprint]
• Exploring Barriers to Higher Education in Protracted Refugee Situations: The Case of Burmese Refugees in Thailand [abstract] [initial study]
• Integration of Internally Displaced Persons in Urban Labour Markets: A Case Study of the IDP Population in Soacha, Colombia [abstract]
• The UN Principles on Housing and Property Restitution for Refugees and Displaced Persons (The Pinheiro Principles): Suggestions for Improved Applicability [abstract]
• Marginal Women, Marginal Rights: Impediments to Gender-Based Persecution Claims by Asylum-seeking Women in Australia [abstract]
• The Place of Complementary Therapies in an Integrated Model of Refugee Health Care: Counsellors’ and Refugee Clients’ Perspectives [abstract]
• Sacrifice as Coping: A Case Study of the Cultural-Political Framing of Traumatic Experiences among Eelam Tamils in Norway [abstract]
• Legal Aid for Asylum Seekers: Progress and Challenges in Italy [abstract]

Also included are 10 book reviews.

Tagged Periodicals.

Publications: Asylum/EU, Asylum/Italy, Credibility/US, Medical Evidence, Urban Displ. Bib.

Annual Report on Immigration and Asylum (2010) (European Commission, May 2011) [text]

Body of Evidence: Treatment of Medico-legal Reports for Survivors of Torture in the UK Asylum System (Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, May 2011) [text]

The Italian Approach to Asylum: System and Core Problems (Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers, April 2011) [text]

"Searching for the Key in the Wrong Place: Why 'Common Sense' Credibility Rules Consistently Harm Refugees," Boston University International Law Journal, vol. 30, no. 1 (2011) [preprint via SSRN] [full-text]

Selected Bibliography: Displacement to Urban Areas (UNHCR, updated May 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

A Few More May/June Events & Opportunities

Expert Seminar: Shared Responsibility in International Refugee Protection, Amsterdam, 30 May 2011 [info]

- Organized by the SHARES Research Project at the University of Amsterdam.

Responding to Natural Disasters, Washington, DC, 1 June 2011 [info]

- Discussion hosted by the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement.

Vacancy Announcement: Communications and Information Coordinator, RSC [info]
- Apply by 3 June 2011.

Canada and Refugee Resettlement: Research and Innovation for the 21st Century, Richmond, BC, 20-22 June 2011 [info]
- Sponsored by the Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and Centre for Refugee Studies at York University.

Tagged Events & Opportunities.

Publications: Irregular Migration/Canada, MSS Case, Ref. Children/UK, Refugees/Kenya, Relevance of Ref. Conv., Tanzanians w/ Albinism/US

"Among the Asylum Seekers," The Pennsylvania Gazette, vol. 109, no. 5 (May/June 2011) [full-text]

"[Book Review of Seeking Asylum: Human Smuggling and Bureaucracy at the Border]," Surveillance & Society, vol. 8, no. 3 (2011) [full-text]

Global Refugee Problem Bigger Than Ever (IPS, May 2011) [text]

"Magic, Mutilation, and Murder: A Case for Granting Asylum to Tanzanian Nationals with Albinism," Pace International Law Review Online Companion, vol. 2, no. 8 (March 2011) [full-text]

The MSS Case: Shifting Burdens and Evading Responsibilities? (SHARES, April 2011) [text]

Working with Refugee Children: Current Issues in Best Practice (ILPA, May 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Commemorating the Refugee & Statelessness Conventions

(updated)

Upcoming events:

Honouring Refugee Rights: 60th Anniversary of the Refugee Convention, Hamilton, 26-28 May 2011 [info]

- Canadian Council for Refugees Spring Consultation.

Saving International Refugee Law, Dublin, 13 June 2011 [info]
- Hosted by the Irish Refugee Council, this seminar with James Hathaway will look "at the crisis in the international refugee systems and offer suggestions for solutions."

Year of International Human Rights 2011-2012, Webster University [info]

- The theme will be "Refugee and Migrant Rights, to mark the 60th anniversary of the refugee convention. Check the web page for a listing of events scheduled throughout the year.

Past Events:

British Sociological Association Annual Conference, London, 6-8 April 2011 [info]
- A panel entitled "60 Years of the 1951 Refugee Convention: Sociological Perspectives on Rights and International Solidarity Obligations" was held under the "Law, Crime & Rights Stream" of the conference. While papers have not been posted in full-text, you can read abstracts of them.

Commemorations Newsletter, no. 1 (May 2011) [full-text]

- Highlights past events and initiatives relating to the upcoming convention anniversaries.

Expert Meeting on Preventing Statelessness among Children, Dakar, 23-24 May 2011 [info]
- Convened by UNHCR and the Open Society Justice Initiative.

Protection Gaps & Responses: Challenges and Opportunities, New York, 27 April 2011 [info]
- This report was prepared to provide background for the "discussion of the gaps in the implementation of the international protection framework for displaced and stateless persons"; also available are presentations by Adamo, Frelick, and Marshall.

"'The Refugee Convention at 60: Still fit for its Purpose? - Protection Tools for Protection Needs," Workshop on Refugees and the Refugee Convention 60 Years On: Protection and Identity, Prato, 2 May 2011 [text]
- Statement by Erika Feller, Assistant High Commissioner (Protection), UNHCR.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.

New Issue of International Migration

Following on from my post yesterday on "Climate Change and Migration," International Migration has published a supplement to its vol. 49 which focuses on "Environmentally-induced Migration in the Context of Social Vulnerability." As of this writing, all articles are freely available.

Contents include the following:

• A Decision Framework for Environmentally Induced Migration
• Multidimensional Re-creation of Vulnerabilities and Potential for Resilience in International Migration
• The Thin Line Between Choice and Flight: Environment and Migration in Rural Benin
• North-South Migration in Ghana: What Role for the Environment?
• Economic or Environmental Migration? The Push Factors in Niger
• Flooding and Relocation: The Zambezi River Valley in Mozambique
• Western Sahara: Migration, Exile and Environment
• Environmental Degradation and Migration on Hispaniola Island
• Drought Triggered Temporary Migration in an East Indian Village
• Migration and Displacement Triggered by Floods in the Mekong Delta
• Contrasted Views on Environmental Change and Migration: the Case of Tuvaluan Migration to New Zealand

Tagged Periodicals.

Round-up of Resources on Climate Change & Migration

Ongoing debates over types of protection, numbers and labels... .

Past Event:

Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Migration, Geneva, 29-30 March 2011 [info]

- See esp. Session III on Day 2: "Protecting and assisting environmental migrants: Building and strengthening frameworks and capacities," with presentations on "The Kampala Convention and environmentally induced displacement in Africa," "Climate Change, Displacement and the Role of International Law and Policy" and "Filling Gaps in the Legal and Normative Framework."

Publications:

News: UN Embarrassed by Forecast on Climate Refugees (Towards Recognition, April 2011) [text]

New Scientist, vol. 210, no. 2810 (April 2011) [contents]

- Includes an editorial, "A question of climate refugees," and a brief article, "Climate refugees exist but we don't know how many there are." (Note: The latter is reproduced in this blog poston Asian Correspondent.)

Surviving Alone: Improving Assistance to Colombia’s Flood Victims (Refugees International, May 2011) [access]

- Link provides access to text of report and related video.

Vietnam: Sea-level Rise Could "Displace Millions" (IRIN, May 2011) [text]

Podcasts:

Stephen Castles Speaks on Climate Refugees (BBC, May 2011) [access]

"Environmental Refugee" Not Accurate for Pacific (Radio Australia, May 2011) [access]

Tuvaluans Don't Want to be Called Refugees (Radio Australia, May 2011) [access]

Tagged Events & Opportunities, Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

Publications: Asylum/Italy, Human Traff./Asia, Immigration Terminology, Iraqi Refugees, Somalis/Europe, Urban Ref. & Microfinance

"Alien Language: Immigration Metaphors and the Jurisprudence of Otherness," Fordham Law Review, vol. 79, no. 4 (March 2011) [full-text]

Asylum Procedure and Reception Conditions in Italy: Report on the Situation of Asylum Seekers, Refugees, and Persons under Subsidiary or Humanitarian Protection, with Focus on Dublin Returnees (Swiss Refugee Council & and the Norwegian Law Student's Legal Aid Office (Juss-Buss), May 2011) [text]

Beyond Making Ends Meet: Urban Refugees and Microfinance (Duke University, Sanford School of Public Policy, April 2011) [text]

Legal and Policy Review: Responses to Human Trafficking in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka (UNODC, April 2011) [text]

Meanwhile, Back in Iraq… (IntLawGrrls, May 2011) [text]

Reconsidering the Role of Conflict in the Lives of Refugees: The Case of Somalis in Europe, Working Paper no. 45 (MICROCON, May 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

African Union Meetings: Human Trafficking, IDPs

Two back-to-back African Union meetings are scheduled over the next few days. The first is the "AU Regional Consultative Meeting on Implementation of the Outcomes of the AU Special Summit on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons in Africa," to be held in Kinshasa on 20-21 May 2011. For more information, here is the draft agenda, draft programme, and a concept note, entitled "Addressing Challenges of Forced Displacement and Humanitarian Situations of Affected Populations on the Continent."

Next up is the "Operationalizing the Ouagadougou Action Plan to Combat Trafficking In Human Beings Especially Women and Children: Communication, Information and Awareness Rising as Tools for Prevention and Protection Against Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants." This meeting will be held in Arusha on 24-25 May 2011. Here is the draft agenda. For more information about the aims of the conference, read the concept note, this document outlining the strategy for combating human trafficking, and the Ouagadougou Action Plan.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.

Publications: HAP Report, Health & Social Services/Ireland, Reg. Dialogues w/ Women, Settlement/Australia, Young Asylum-seekers/UK

The 2010 Humanitarian Accountability Report (Humanitarian Accountability Partnership, 2011) [text]

"The Impact of Direct Provision Accommodation for Asylum Seekers on Organisation and Delivery of Local Primary Care and Social Care Services: A Case Study," BMC Family Practice 12:32 (May 2011) [open access article]

Regional Dialogues with Refugee Women and Girls, Reports (It Begins with Me..., 2011) [access]

- See earlier post for more information.

Settlement Outcomes of New Arrivals (Australian Government, Dept. of Immigration and Citizenship, April 2011) [text]

Tearing Down the Bridge to Inclusion for Young Asylum Seekers (openDemocracy, April 2011) [text]

[Picture credit: UNHCR]

Tagged Publications.

Refugee Caselaw

The University of Michigan Law School's Refugee Caselaw site has undergone a significant makeover. The essentials remain the same, although the collection has certainly grown and is more up-to-date. (My search for cases decided between January 2010 and May 2011 produced 95 hits, with the most recent being a UK case from April 2011.) Visitors can use the "guided search" to locate decisions from over 30 different jurisdictions. As before, they can retrieve specific cases by court, date, claimant's country of origin, Hathaway numbers (i.e., "chapter and section numbers of Professor James Hathaway's treatise, The Law of Refugee Status"), concepts (or keywords), and case name.

In addition, the site now offers more personalized features for those who become members. Specifically:

By registering, you may receive e-mail updates for any search criteria based on your personal preferences, timed to arrive when you prefer. You may also post requests for advice, and respond to the advice requests of others. As a member, you may also save cases to your personal briefcase between visits - allowing you to print or otherwise access the results of your searches whenever it is most convenient for you.

The opportunity to ask for advice may prove to be particularly appealing to new members, as well as the ability to save searches and set up alerts for new cases when they are uploaded to the database.

Another draw for visitors will no doubt be the free full-text of the aforementioned book by James Hathaway, The Law of Refugee Status. You can access the text via the left-hand sidebar displayed on every page of the site, which offers the option to "access chapters." (See image.)

While the Refugee Caselaw collection is smaller than Refworld's, its customizable search options allow users to hone in on very specific concepts and to review a basic summary of a case before proceeding to the full-text. These are definitely useful features when undertaking legal research.

Value-added resources like these are challenging to maintain over the long-term, requiring both dedicated managers and content providers. Hopefully, the current contributors and those who join in the future will continue to add new cases in a timely fashion to help ensure the relevance of this site over time.

Tagged Web Sites/Tools.

Focus: Australia-Malaysia Refugee Agreement

Here is a sampling of some of the reactions to and analyses of the recent announcement by the Australian government of a bilateral agreement with Malaysia. If/when finalized, Australia would transfer the next 800 asylum seekers who arrive on its shores by boat to Malaysia for RSD processing, in exchange for resettling 4000 recognized refugees.

• Australia-Malaysia Agreement Sends Asylum-seekers to UNHCR RSD (RSDWatch, May 2011) [text]
• Australia-Malaysia Asylum Seeker Swap Good for Refugee Rights: UNHCR (ABC Online, May 2011) [text]
• Australia's Asylum-seekers: Eyeing a Malaise Solution (The Economist's Banyan Blog, May 2011) [text]
• Concerns over the Proposed Australia-Malaysia Refugee Transfer Arrangement (APRRN, May 2011) [text]
• In Praise of Gillard's Malaysia Solution (Club Troppo, May 2011) [text]
• Refugees: Now We have the Malaysian Solution, But What’s the Problem? (The Conversation, May 2011) [text]
• Regional Cooperation and the Malaysian Solution (Inside Story, May 2011) [text]
• Regional Processing or Trading Refugees? (New Mandala, May 2011) [text]
• Trading Refugees (Inside Story, May 2011) [text]

More generally, here are several new items that discuss Australia's policy toward asylum-seekers:

Boat Arrivals in Australia since 1976 (Parliamentary Library, updated Feb. 2011) [text]

A New Approach: Breaking Australia’s Stalemate on Refugees and Asylum Seekers (Centre for Policy Development, forthcoming) [info]

Plaintiff M61/2010E v Commonwealth; Plaintiff M69 v Commonwealth (Asylum & Refugee Law Project, April 2011) [text]
- References High Court decision re. the legality of offshore refugee processing and changes to RSD by the Australian government.

For the larger context, here are a few earlier studies that discuss regional cooperation/protection frameworks in Asia:

Developing an Asia-Pacific Protection Framework (Refugee Council of Australia, March 2011) [text]

"A New Comprehensive Plan of Action: Addressing the Refugee Protection Gap in Southeast Asia through Local and Regional Integration," Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 1, no. 1 (Feb. 2011) [text]

Possibilities for an Asia Pacific Regional Protection Framework, Presentation to 3rd Asia Pacific Consultation on Refugee Rights (La Trobe, Nov. 2010) [access]

Refugee Protection in ASEAN: National Failures, Regional Responsibilities (People's Empowerment Foundation, Nov. 2010) [text via FMO]

Regional Approaches to Refugee Protection, Presentation to 3rd Asia Pacific Consultation on Refugee Rights (UNHCR, Nov. 2010) [access]

[Image credit: Boat Arrivals in Australia since 1976]

Tagged Publications.

New Issues of APRRN News, EJML, HRQ, JEMS, JHA

APRRN Newsletter (May 2011) [full-text]

- Information on the activities of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network.

European Journal of Migration and Law, vol. 13, no. 2 (2011) [contents]

- Mix of articles including "Legislative Update EU Immigration and Asylum Law 2010: Extension of Long-term Residence Rights and Amending the Law on Trafficking in Human Beings" and a review of Susan Kneebone's book Refugees, Asylum Seekers and the Rule of Law: Comparative Perspectives.

Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 2 (May 2011) [contents]
- Mix of articles including "A Note from Bosnia and Herzegovina: Leading a Displaced Life."

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 37, no. 6 (2011) [contents]
- Special issue on "The Limits of the Liberal State: Migration, Identity and Belonging in Europe and the United States."

Journal of Humanitarian Assistance (May 2011) [full-text]
- New article posted entitled "Neo-Realism and Humanitarian Action: From Cold War to Our Days."

Tagged Periodicals.

Publications: Detention Alternatives, FGM & Asylum, Gangs & Asylum, Refugee Conv., Statelessness/Kuwait

Finally, Some Clarity for Gender-Based Asylum Claims (Health Rights Advocate, May 2011) [text]

"Refugee" Status Should Protect Victims of Gang Violence (Health Rights Advocate, May 2011) [text]

There Are Alternatives: A Handbook for Preventing Unnecessary Immigration Detention around the World (International Detention Coalition & La Trobe Refugee Research Centre, May 2011) [text]

The UN Refugee Convention: Still Valid? (Jesuit Refugee Service, May 2011) [text]

Without Citizenship: Statelessness, Discrimination and Repression in Kuwait (Refugees International & Open Society Justice Initiative, May 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Publications: Asylum Seekers & ICC, Public Health Equity, Rohingyas/Bangladesh & Thailand, Women Asylum Seekers/Israel and US

Asylum Claim by Witnesses at International Criminal Court (PhD Studies in Human Rights Blog, May 2011) [text via Migrants at Sea]

No Shelter: Protection Gaps in Israel Facing Refugees Fleeing Gender-based Persecution (ORAM, April 2011) [text]

"Public Health Equity in Refugee Settings," Conflict and Health 5:6 (May 2011) [open access article]

Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh and Thailand: Fact Finding Mission to Bangladesh and Thailand, 4-17 February 2011 (Danish Immigration Service, May 2011) [text via Refworld]

"Securing Gender-based Persecution Claims: A Proposed Amendment to Asylum Law," William & Mary Journal of Women and the Law, vol. 17, no. 3 (2011) [full-text]

Tagged Publications.

More June Events & Opportunities

Annual UNHCR-NGO Consultations, Geneva, 28-30 June 2011 [info]

- Registration deadline is 3 June 2011.

Mitigating Risk of Gender-Based Violence: Implementing Economic Programs as a Tool of Protection, Amman, Jordan, 20-22 June 2011 [info]

- Apply by 3 June 2011.

Ninth Annual Orientation Programme on Forced Migration, Kolkata, India, 1-15 December 2011 [info]

- Apply by 15 June 2011.

CFP: Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 1, no. 2 [info]
- Deadline for submissions is 24 June 2011.

UNHCR-NGO Meeting on LGBTI Asylum-Seekers and Refugees, Geneva, 29 June 2011 [info]

- This meeting will take place during the aforementioned Annual Consultations.

Related post:

- June Events & Opportunities

Tagged Events & Opportunities.

Events after the fact

124th IPU Assembly, Panama City, 15-20 April 2011 [info]

- See also statement by the UNHCR representative in Panama, a brief conference report by UNHCR delegates, report of the Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law (which covers activities relating to refugees and IDPs), and a draft Parliamentary Statement in support of UNHCR and refugee protection.

ASEAN Civil Society Conference/People's Forum, Jakarta, 3-5 May 2011 [info]

- See also a report from a workshop panel organized by the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), held on 4 May.

Eighth Annual Winter Course on Forced Migration, Kolkata, 1-15 Dec. 2010 [info]

- Modules, readings, assignments and other materials from this course have now been posted. See also the final course report.

Expert Meeting on Complementarities between International Refugee Law, International Criminal Law and International Human Rights Law, Arusha, 11-13 April 2011 [info]
- The agenda for this meeting was just posted on the UNHCR web site; see also the concept note that was made available earlier.

Protracted Displacement Challenges Facing Sudan: What Scope for EU-US Cooperation?, Washington, DC, 11 April 2011 [info]

- Note: The wrong title for this event is indicated on the page, but everything else is correct! Webcasts are available.

Protracted Mass Displacement in Afghanistan and Iraq: Preliminary Findings from the Field, Washington, DC, 1 March 2011 [info]

- A webcast of the event is available.

Refugees and the Regional Dynamics of Peacebuilding, New York, 3-4 May 2010

- A meeting note was published in April 2011; the agenda is included as an annex.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.

Amnesty International Report 2011

Yesterday, Amnesty International released its annual human rights survey: Amnesty International Annual Report 2011: The State of the World's Human Rights. The report "documents specific restrictions on free speech in at least 89 countries, highlights cases of prisoners of conscience in at least 48 countries, documents torture and other ill-treatment in at least 98 countries, and reports on unfair trials in at least 54 countries."

You can explore the various sections of the report or download the PDF.

Previous editions of the report can be accessed via my wiki.

Tagged Publications.

Publications: Migration & Intl. HR Law, Migration Trends/EU, MRG Report, North Africans & Migration, Protracted Displ./Sudan

Annual Risk Analysis 2011 (Frontex, April 2011) [access]
- "[R]ecords the main trends in regular and irregular migration into the European Union in 2010 and offers predictions for the coming year’s trends."

Crisis and Opportunity: Protracted Displacement in Sudan (Refugee Cooperation, May 2011) [text]

Migration and International Human Rights Law, Practitioners Guide, no. 6 (International Commission of Jurists, April 2011) [text]

Peoples under Threat 2011 (Minority Rights Group International, May 2011) [access]

Voice after Exit: Revolution and Migration in the Arab World (Migration Information Source, May 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

New Issues of GILJ, Humanitarian Exch., Med., Confl. & Survival, RSC News, Women's Press

(Note: This blog's host, or Blogger, has been doing some maintenance work which resulted in yesterday's post being deleted, so here it is again!)

Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, vol. 25, no. 2 (Winter 2011) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "Welcoming the Unwanted: Italy's Response to the Immigration Phenomenon and European Union Involvement" and "China's 'Way Out' of the North Korean Refugee Crisis: Developing a Legal Framework for the Deportation of North Korean Migrants."

Humanitarian Exchange, no. 50 (April 2011) [full-text]
- Theme is "Humanitarian Partnerships."

Medicine, Conflict and Survival, vol. 27, no. 1 (2011) [contents]
- Special section highlighting student essay winners of the "Holdstock-Piachaud Prize 2010," which includes "Border-controlled health inequality: the international community's neglect of internally displaced persons."

RSC Newsletter, no. 11 (Spring 2011) [full-text]
- Provides details of recent RSC activities.

The Women’s Press, no. 11 (May & June 2011) [full-text]
- Includes articles on Roma refugees and LGBT refugees, among others.

Tagged Periodicals.

Publications: Aid Agencies & Best Practice, Bhutanese/US, COI/NZ, DRC & Peacekeeping, Sahrawi Displ.

Country Information and Evidence Assessment in New Zealand (New Zealand Refugee Law, April 2011) [text]

DR Congo: Support Community-Based Tools for MONUSCO (Refugees International, May 2011) [text]

"Power and Politics in Resettlement: A Case Study of Bhutanese Refugees in the USA," New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 208 (UNHCR, May 2011) [text]

"Protracted Sahrawi Displacement: Challenges and Opportunities Beyond Encampment," Policy Briefing, no. 7 (RSC, May 2011) [text]

"Rhetoric versus Reality: The Best and Worst of Aid Agency Practices," World Development, forthcoming (2011) [preprint]

Tagged Publications.

Publications: Civilian Prot., Disaster Displ., Forced Labour, IDPs/Georgia, IDPs/Mexico, Protracted Ref. Sits. & Iraqis

Displacement in Georgia: IDP Attitudes to Conflict, Return and Justice (Conciliation Resources, Feb. 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2011: Revealing Risk, Redefining Development (UN, 2011) [text]
- See esp. chapter 2 for disaster-induced displacement.

Mexican Internal Forced Displacement Gains Salience (Oxford Analytica, May 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Protracted Refugee Situations: An Iraq Case Study (Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, April 2011) [text]

"Protection of Civilians in 2010: Facts, Figures, and the UN Security Council’s Response," Briefing Paper, no. 147 (Oxfam, May 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Trafficking for Forced Labour and Labour Exploitation in Finland, Poland and Estonia (European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

New Items from UNHCR: Detention Alternatives, EXCOM Members, Iraq Stats., Post-Cold War Displ., Protection/Europe, Right to Work

Back to Basics: The Right to Liberty and Security of Person and 'Alternatives to Detention' of Refugees, Asylum-Seekers, Stateless Persons and Other Migrants (UNHCR, April 2011) [text]

Cash in Hand: Urban Refugees, the Right to Work and UNHCR's Advocacy Activities, PDES/2011/05 (UNHCR, May 2011) [text]

"The End of History? Conflict, Displacement and Durable Solutions in the Post-Cold War Era," New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 207 (UNHCR, May 2011) [text]

EXCOM Membership by Admission of Members (UNHCR, posted May 2011) [text]

"Look Who's Coming to Europe," New York Times, 9 May 2011 [text]

- OpEd by António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Statistical Report on UNHCR Registered Iraqis and Non-Iraqis: Iraq, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and the GCC countries (UNHCR, April 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Tagged Publications.

June Events & Opportunities

Unsettling Resettlement: Summer Institute on Forced Migration Studies, Evanston, IL, 10-17 July 2011 [info]
- The registration deadline for non-visa applicants is 1 June 2011.

World Conference on Humanitarian Studies, Medford, MA, 2-5 June 2011 [info]

- Registration is open!

The Nansen Conference: Climate Change and Displacement in the 21st Century, Oslo, 5–7 June 2011 [info]

- Conference participation by invitation only.

Conference on Displacement and Reconciliation, Ottawa, 9-10 June 2011 [info]

- Includes the following panels: "Displacement, transitional justice and reconciliation: Conceptual links and theoretical insights"; "Reconciliation, transitional justice and durable solutions to displacement"; "Reconciliation, peacebuilding and the resolution of displacement: Insights from Africa"; "Reconciliation and exile: Diaspora and host community experiences"; "Displacement, justice and reconciliation in Colombia"; "Displacement and reconciliation in the Middle East: Insights from key cases"; and "Advancing peace, reconciliation and the resolution of displacement in the Middle East: Challenges posed by the Palestinian case."

"European Union Law and Policy on Immigration and Asylum," Odysseus Network Summer School, Brussels, 5-14 July 2011 [info]
- Apply by 10 June 2011.

CFP: Fleeing Homophobia, Amsterdam, 5-6 September 2011 [info]
- Speakers include Jenni Millbank (University of Technology, Sydney), Nicole LaViolette (University of Ottawa), and Thomas Spijkerboer (VU University Amsterdam). Submit abstracts by 15 June 2011.

CFP: "The Five Elements of Civil Society: A New Approach to Participation in Combating Trafficking in Persons," The Protection Project Sixth Annual Symposium, Washington, DC, 2 November 2011 [info]
- Submit an abstract by 30 June 2011.

Tagged Events & Opportunities.

Publications: Humanitarian Asst. & Urban Areas, Protection/Iraq, Protracted Displ./Afghanistan, Refugees/North Africa, Urban Refugees/Bulgaria

IASC Strategy: Meeting Humanitarian Challenges in Urban Areas (IASC, 2010) [text via ReliefWeb]

No Place to Stay: A Review of the Implementation of UNHCR’s Urban Refugee Policy in Bulgaria, PDES/2011/04 (UNHCR, May 2011) [text]

Protracted Displacement in Afghanistan Can Be Mitigated by a Change in Policy (Refugee Cooperation, April 2011) [text]

Providing Fair Protection Processes and Documentation for Internally Displaced and Host Communities: The Experience of the Protection and Assistance Centers (PACs) in Southern Iraq (INTERSOS, April 2011) [text via Refugee Cooperation]

Refugees from North Africa: A Case for Cooperation? (VoxEU, May 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Publications: Children/CAR, Forced Migrants/Yemen & Turkey, Human Traff. & Statistics, Legal Needs& Iraqis, Urban Ref./Tajikistan

Addressing the Legal Needs of the Displaced in Southern Iraq (INTERSOS, May 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Fact or Fiction: What Do We Really Know about Human Trafficking?, Issue Paper no. 3 (Rights Work, May 2011) [text]

Lives in Limbo: A Review of the Implementation of UNHCR’s Urban Refugee Policy in Tajikistan, PDES/2011/03 (UNHCR, May 2011) [text]

Researching Forced Migration from Somalia and Ethiopia to Yemen and Turkey, Presentation at "Survey Research in Gulf: Issues and Policy Implications," Qatar, 28 Feb.-1 March 2011 [slides]

An Uncertain Future? Children and Armed Conflict in the Central African Republic (IDMC & Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, May 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Tagged Publications.

New Web Sites/Resources

Country of Origin Information Service (UK Border Agency) [access]
- "[D]escribes the work of the UK Border Agency's Country of Origin Information (COI) Service, and contains all its products published since January 2011."

CrisisCommons [access]
- "[S]eeks to advance and support the use of open data and volunteer technology communities to catalyze innovation in crisis management and global development."

Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project (Urban Justice Center) [access]
- "[O]rganizes law students and attorneys to provide legal representation to those who have none" and helps "Iraqi refugees navigate the rules and processes of resettlement in the US."

Mama: Together for Safe Births in Crises (Women's Refugee Commission) [access]
- Project that "uses social networking to save the lives of mothers and newborns in crisis-affected regions."

Meeting the Health Needs of Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Resource for Health Workers (UK Home Office) [access]
- Updated resource with "practical information, details of useful contacts and resources and examples of good practice."

Migration Observatory (COMPAS) [access]
- "[P]rovides independent, authoritative, evidence-based analysis of data on migration and migrants in the UK, to inform media, public and policy debates, and to generate high quality research on international migration and public policy issues."

Resources on Complementary Protection (Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law) [access]

- Links to relevant legal materials.

Tagged Web Sites/Tools.

New Issues of Fahamu Refugee News, Ref. Watch Online, REMI, Revue Tiers Monde

Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 15 (May 2011) [full-text] [blog]

- Lead article is "The Situation of Refugees in the Russian Federation: Some Background for Legal Aid Providers." Also included is "Kenyan Refugees Heard Away from Home: The Inclusion of Refugees in Transitional Justice Processes."

Refugee Watch Online (April 2011) [full-text]

- This issue focuses on Bangladesh, with these three articles: "Bangladesh’s Climate Displacement Nightmare," "Another Time: Coming up Another Occasion to Displace People," "The Politics of Silence and ‘Invisibility’: Methodological Dilemmas of working with Undocumented Bangladeshi Migrants in Delhi." Two more general articles include "Climate Change and Forced Migration: An Overview" and "Nationalising Space: Coming to Terms with Rights of Migrants."

Revue Européenne des Migrations Internationales, vol. 26, no. 3 (2010) [contents]
- Theme is "Migrations en Asie centrale et au Caucase." Includes "Réfugié ou déplacé? Les enjeux d’une requalification: l’exemple de la Géorgie après la guerre de 2008."

Revue Tiers Monde, vol. 2010/4, no. 204 (2010) [contents]
- Special focus on "Réfugiés climatiques, migrants environnementaux ou déplacés?," with the introduction available in full-text.

Tagged Periodicals.

E-Learning: Human Rights Topics, Humanitarian Action, Managing GBV Programmes, Reporting on Emergencies

AlertNet for Journalists: E-learning (AlertNet) [access]

- Provides access to six online tutorials covering various humanitarian topics, including "Reporting on refugees and displacement."

HREA Distance Learning Programme (Human Rights Education Associates) [access]
- "[O]ffers introductory e-learning courses, short and specialised courses via distance education for human rights defenders and educators, development workers, and staff members of social justice organisations, international and inter-governmental organisations."

IASC E-Learning Portal (Inter-Agency Standing Committee) [access]

- Currently, only one course available: "Different Needs - Equal Opportunities: Increasing Effectiveness of Humanitarian Action for Women, Girls, Boys and Men."

Managing Gender-based Violence Programmes in Emergencies (UNFPA) [access]

- Download the four course modules as Microsoft Word documents or listen to the audio versions.

To view e-learning opportunities reported on earlier in this blog, browse the "distance study," "manuals" and "training materials" labels.

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

Publications: Detention/Hungary, Durable Solutions/Philippines, Env. Refugees & Security, Ref. Settlement/US, Tamils/Norway

"Environment, Security and Environmental Refugees," Journal of Animal & Environmental Law, vol. 1, no. 2 (Spring 2010) [full-text]

"Communal Proactive Coping Strategies among Tamil Refugees in Norway: A Case Study in a Naturalistic Setting," International Journal of Mental Health Systems 5:9 (April 2011) [open access article]

The Search for Durable Solutions: Armed Conflict and Forced Displacement in Mindanao, Philippines (World Bank, March 2011) [text]

'Starting with Spoons': Refugee Migration and Settlement in Upstate New York, Paper presented at Conference on U.S. Immigration Reform, with Special Reference to New York City, New York, 3 March 2011 [text]

Stuck in Jail: Immigration Detention in Hungary 2010 (Hungarian Helsinki Committee, April 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

More Anniversary Events

(updated)

These events are being/were held to commemorate the 60th anniversaries of the refugee convention and UNHCR:

Rescue and Refuge: Tribute to Persons of Courage, Washington, DC, 6 April 2011 [info]

- Remarks by U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and Asst. Secretary, Eric Schwartz.

Workshop on Refugees and the Refugee Convention 60 Years on: Protection and Identity, Prato, Italy, 2-3 May 2011 [info]

- Note: Some draft papers have already been uploaded.

UNHCR at 60: A Discussion with António Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Washington, DC, 5 May 2011 [info]

- Hosted by the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement.

International Refugee Law Seminar Series, London [info]

- 9 May 2011: James Hathaway's topic will be "Is the Dublin regime really legal?" ; 9 June 2011: Geoff Gilbert's topic will be "The law of exclusion from refugee status: recent developments"

"Unsettling Resettlement," Summer Institute on Forced Migration Studies, Evanston, IL, 10-17 July 2011 [info]

- "One-week certificate program [that] actively engages participants in the interdisciplinary study of forced migration through lectures, focused group discussion, experiential learning and simulation exercises." Final registration deadline is 1 June 2011.

GRAMNet Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Colloquium: The 1951 UN Refugee Convention - 60 Years On, Glasgow, 13 June 2011 [info]

- Scroll down to view event info. A selection of papers from the colloquium proceedings will be published in the University’s Postgraduate online journal eSharp.

Other anniversaries are being celebrated this year as well, including:

• IOM 60th Anniversary, 1951-2011 [info]
• ODI at 50 [info]
• Refugee Council, Sixty Years of Refugee Protection [info]

Tagged Events & Opportunities.