Focus on Europe

The EU Resettlement Network and Campaign have been officially launched.  For more information on promoting refugee resettlement in the European Union, visit the web site and Facebook page.

Publications:

"European Perspectives Approach to Asylum and Migration," EIRP Proceedings, vol. 7 (2012) [open access text]

Joint Submission of the International Commission of Jurists and of the European Council on Refugees and Refugees and Exiles to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in the case of M.S.S. v Belgium & Greece (Application no. 30696/09) (ECRE, May 2012) [text]

"La unidad familiar en la Ley 12/2009, de 30 de octubre, reguladora del derecho de asilo y de la protección social subsidiaria," Revista del Ministerio de Trabajo e Inmigración, no. 95 (2011) [text]

Not Here to Stay: Report of the International Commission of Jurists on Its Visit to Malta on 26-30 September 2011 (ICJ, May 2012) [text]

Refused: The Experiences of Women Denied Asylum in the UK (Women for Refugee Women, May 2012) [text]

The Situation of Roma in 11 EU Member States: Survey Results at a Glance (European Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools. 

Focus on Education

New book titles:

Continuum Books is publishing the series "Education as a Humanitarian Response," edited by Colin Brock, the UNESCO Chair in Education as a Humanitarian Response.  The series includes Education, Refugees and Asylum Seekers (published Feb. 2012), Education, Aid and Aid Agencies (forthcoming July 2012), and Education and Internally Displaced Persons (forthcoming Dec. 2012).


Other reports/articles:

"Educating Refugees and the Internally Displaced Persons," Peace and Conflict Monitor (May 2012) [full-text]

Integration of Nutrition Education Classes into English As Second Language Classes for Refugees, Dissertation submitted to Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences (Utah State University, Jan. 2012) [text]

"Lessons from the Field: Teaching a Completely Online 'Global Business' Course to African Refugees in Northern Kenya and Malawi," Jesuit Higher Education, vol. 1, no. 1 (2012) [open access text]

Tagged Publications.   

Humanitarian/Operational Items

Opportunity:

Call for Papers: "South-South Humanitarianism in Contexts of Forced Displacement," Oxford, 6 October 2012 [info]
- Submit an abstract by 22 June 2012.

Publications:

Aid Policy: Supporting Humanitarian Innovations (IRIN, May 2012) [text]

Haiti Humanitarian Assistance Evaluation: From a Resilience Perspective (Tulane University, May 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]
- See also other related documents.

Humanitarians without Borders: Work, Mobility and Wellbeing in UNHCR, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 237 (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

Livelihood Programming in UNHCR: Operational Guidelines (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

Qualitative and Quantitative Research Techniques for Humanitarian Needs Assessment: An Introductory Brief (Assessment Capacities Project, May 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Trends and Challenges in Humanitarian Civil–Military Coordination, HPG Working Paper (ODI, May 2012) [text]
- Literature review.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.   

New Issues of al-Majdal, EASO, EJML, Intl. Migr., Migr. Pol. Pract., RSQ, Ref. Watch

al-Majdal, no. 49 (Spring-Summer 2012) [full-text via ReliefWeb]
- Theme is "Forced Population Transfer Persists… The Struggle for Return Continues."

EASO Newsletter (May 2012) [full-text via EASO Monitor]
- Newsletter from the European Asylum Support Office.

European Journal of Migration and Law, vol. 14, no. 2 (2012) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "EU Asylum Law and Human Rights Protection: Revisiting the Principle of Non-refoulement and the Prohibition of Torture and Other Forms of Ill-treatment."

International Migration, vol. 50, no. 3 (June 2012) [contents]
- Special issue on "Migration and Development Buzz? Rethinking the Migration Development Nexus and Policies."

Migration Policy Practice, vol. II, no. 2 (April-May 2012) [full-text]
- Focus is on "migration trends and policies in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) region."

Refugee Survey Quarterly, vol. 31, no. 2 (June 2012) [contents]
- Articles include "Armed Conflict in Asylum Law: The 'War-Flaw'," "Illegal Refugees: Competing Policy Ideas and the Rise of the Regime of Deterrence in American Asylum Politics," "Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum in Sweden: Living Conditions from a Child-Centred Perspective," "Asylum-Seekers’ Perspectives on Work and Proof of Identity: The Norwegian Experience," and "The Impact of Socially Ir/responsible Resettlement on the Livelihoods of Internally Displaced Persons in Georgia."

Refugee Watch Online (May 2012) [full-text]
- Online companion to Refugee Watch journal.

Tagged Periodicals.

Protection-related Issues

Addressing Gaps in Child Protection: 10 Recommendations from the Field (ICMC, May 2012) [text]

Iconic Afghan Asylee Adapts to Life in the U.S. (The Asylumist, May 2012) [text]
- Comment on gender-based persecution.

Responding to the Changing Dynamics of Displacement, Keynote Address at CARFMS Conference, Toronto, 16-18 May 2012 [text]

The Road to Safety: Strengthening Protection for LGBTI Refugees in Uganda and Kenya (Human Rights First, May 2012) [text] [exec. summary]
- See also related audiovisual and comments from U.S. State Dept.

Seeking Meaning: An Anthropological and Community-based Approach to Witchcraft Accusations and their Prevention in Refugee Situations, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 235 (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications.  

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011

The U.S. Department of State released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices today.  Some 200 countries are surveyed in this year's edition.  Several changes in the production and format are described as follows:

This year, we made the human rights reports easier to read online. Readers can jump directly to topics of interest with a new table of contents, share reports on social media, and research topics across countries with the Build a Report tool. Our goal is to allow readers to gather information quickly across regions on the issues that most interest them.
We have also attempted to make the reports more accessible to a broader spectrum of readers. Over the past 35 years, the length of the human rights reports had expanded... . This year, we have developed a streamlined format for each country report. As a result, we do not attempt to catalog every incidence, however egregious, of a particular type of human rights abuse in a country. Rather, we spotlight examples that typify and illuminate the types of problems frequently reported in 2011 in that country. The mention of fewer cases in a particular report should not be interpreted as a lessening of concern for the overall human rights situation in any particular country. Rather, our goal is to shed light on the nature, scope, and severity of the reported human rights abuses. For the first time, we have also added an executive summary at the top of each report.

Previous editions can be accessed via my wiki.

Tagged Publications. 

Amnesty International Report 2012

Amnesty International released its flagship annual report today, a survey of the state of human rights in 155 countries and territories.  In addition to country profiles, the report provides a global update, regional overviews, and facts and figures. Full-text downloads in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish are available.

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

Tagged Publications. 

Focus on Africa

Crisis in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel: The Cost of Late Response to Early Warnings, Washington, DC, 22 May 2012 [info]
- Audio of event available.

'If You Come Back We Will Kill You': Sexual Violence and Other Abuses against Congolese Migrants during Expulsions from Angola (Human Rights Watch, May 2012) [text]

In the Shelter of Each Other: Notions of Home and Belonging amongst Somali Refugees in Nairobi, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 233 (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

Kenya-Sudan-South Sudan: Back in Kakuma Camp Again (IRIN, May 2012) [text]

Little Comfort for Mali’s Refugees in Bleak Burkina Faso (Refugees International Blog, May 2012) [text]
- Includes photo report.

Migration: Trauma Travels Too (IRIN, May 2012) [text]
- Psycho-social needs in Africa.

Struggling to Find Solutions: Liberian Refugees in Ghana, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 234 (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.   

New Resource: Collection of Papers

Asylum, Migration and Humanitarian Action: 

A Collection of Papers on Refugee-related Issues 

by Jeff Crisp

Head, Policy Development and Evaluation Service, 

 UNHCR 

1. Policy challenges of the new diasporas: migrant networks and their impact on asylum flows and regimes, 1999

2. "Who has counted the refugees?" UNHCR and the politics of numbers, 1999

3. A state of insecurity: the political economy of violence in refugee-populated areas of Kenya, 1999

4. Africa’s refugees: patterns, problems and policy challenges, 2000

5. Mind the gap! UNHCR, humanitarian assistance and the development process, 2001

6. Refugee protection and migration management: the challenge for UNHCR, 2002 (with Damtew Dessalegne)

7. No solutions in sight: the problem of protracted refugee situations in Africa, 2003

8. A new asylum paradigm? Globalization, migration and the uncertain future of the international refugee regime, 2003

9. The local integration and local settlement of refugees: a conceptual and historical analysis, 2004

10. Forced displacement in Africa: dimensions, difficulties and policy directions, 2006

11. Beyond the nexus: UNHCR’s evolving perspective on refugee protection and international migration, 2008

12. Globalization, poverty and mobility: an introduction to the developmental dimensions of international migration, 2008

13. A surrogate state? The role of UNHCR in protracted refugee situations, 2009 (with Amy Slaughter)

14. In harms way: the irregular movement of migrants to Southern Africa from the Horn and Great Lakes regions, 2011 (with Katy Long)


Tagged Publications.  

Migration-related Items

Upcoming event:

Call for Papers: Reconfiguring Borders and Mobility in Times of Crisis, Copenhagen, 26-28 September 2012 [info]
- Submit an abstract by 28 May 2012.

Publications:

Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development: A Handbook for Policymakers and Practitioners in Home and Host Countries (IOM & Migration Policy Institute, April 2012) [access]

Handbook of Research Methods in Migration (Edward Elgar, March 2012) [info]
- "Covering both qualitative and quantitative topics, the expert contributors explore fundamental issues of scientific logic, methodology and methods to practical applications of different techniques and approaches in migration research."

"Migration and Development Buzz? Rethinking the Migration Development Nexus and Policies," Special issue of International Migration, vol. 50, no. 3 (June 2012) [contents]

The Migration Industry and Future Directions for Migration Policy (DIIS, April 2012) [text]

Migration Policy Practice (IOM & Eurasylum) [access]
- Bimonthly review for policymakers.

Moving to Safety: Migration Consequences of Complex Crises, Geneva, 24-25 April 2012 [access]
- "The key objectives of the workshop are to gain a better understanding of the variety of migratory patterns that can result from complex crises; to examine the usefulness of migration policy tools in addressing crises; and to raise awareness of the role of mobility in overcoming crises, specifically the predicament of 'trapped' populations, unable to move."

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.  

Events & Opportunities: June 2012

THP Global Hearing on Refugees and Migration, The Hague, 4-5 June 2012 [info]
- Aim is to "evaluate the trends, advances and challenges that have defined the field of refugees and migration in the last ten years. Representatives from the broad community of stakeholders will have the opportunity to collaborate in developing a new road map for the decade to come."

Summer School: European Law and Policy on Immigration and Asylum, Brussels, 2-13 July 2012 [info]
- Application deadline is 8 June 2012.

"Contested Spaces and Cartographic Challenges," IASFM14, Kolkata, India, 6-9 January 2013 [info]
- Note: The deadline for submitting papers has been extended to 15 June 2012.

Call for articles: "Preventing Displacement," Forced Migration Review [info]
- The deadline has been extended to 25 June 2012.


"Unsettling Resettlement," Center for Forced Migration Studies' Summer Institute, Evanston, IL, 8-14 July 2012 [info]
- Registration is open through 30 June 2012 for non-visa applicants.


Tagged Events & Opportunities. 

Focus on Children

The final report of a COMPAS project on undocumented migrant children in the UK has just been released: No Way Out, No Way In: Irregular Migrant Children and Families in the UK.

Other new resources that focus on children include:

"Children and Young People in Immigration Detention," Current Opinion in Psychiatry, Advance Access, 7 May 2012 [abstract]
- "This article reviews evidence about the impact of immigration detention and other restrictive immigration policies on the mental health of children, young people and the adults who care for them."

"Children and Young People who are Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons or Survivors or Perpetrators of War, Mass Violence and Terrorism," Current Opinion in Psychiatry, Advance Access, 7 May 2012 [abstract]
- "This article draws upon articles published since 2009 to identify research evidence about the psychosocial aspects of children and young people's responses to their exposure to war, collective violence and terrorism."

Innovation through Refugee Children’s Participation (Centre for Migration Policy Research, 2012) [info]
- New project funded by Humanitarian Innovation Fund small grant.

"Medical, Statistical, Ethical and Human Rights Considerations in the Assessment of Age in Children and Young People Subject to Immigration Control," British Medical Bulletin, Advance Access, 14 May 2012 [abstract]
- "The article reviews the existing evidence on the reliability of medical and non-medical techniques for the assessment of chronological age."

Navigating the System: Advice Provision for Young Refugees and Migrants (Children's Legal Centre, May 2012) [text]

Not a Minor Offence: Unaccompanied Children Locked Up as Part of the Asylum System (Refugee Council, May 2012) [text]

Protecting Children Affected by Armed Conflict: Advancing the Agenda of the Last 10 Years (UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, March 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]
- Conference report.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Focus on Asia

Burmese Refugee Women and the Gendered Politics of Exile, Reconstruction and Human Rights (Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, 2012) [text]

"Burmese Refugees Not Tempted by New Myanmar," Wall Street Journal, 16 May 2012 [text via Refugee Caselaw Blog]

India Needs an Asylum Policy (The Asylumist, May 2012) [text]

The Search: Protection Space in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines and Cambodia in Practice (JRS Asia Pacific, 2012) [access]

UNHCR Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Members of Religious Minorities from Pakistan (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications. 

Maps/Multimedia

Asylum Seekers Mapped: Where Did They Come from Where Are They Going? (DataBlog, April 2012) [access]

Dublin's Trap: Another Side of the Greek Crisis (Vimeo, April 2012) [access]

Expert Q&As (Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, May 2012)
- The Evolution of Internally Displaced Persons Policy [access]
- The Importance of International Support for the Internally Displaced [access]
- The Project on Internal Displacement [access]

Helsinki Refugee Film Festival [access]
- Check back for film schedules.

Migrant Boat Tragedy – Interactive (The Guardian, March 2012) [access]

The Plight of Internally Displaced Persons (Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, April 2012) [access]

Tagged Web Sites/Tools.

Focus on Africa/Africans

Internal Displacement in Africa: An Overview of Trends and Opportunities, Presentation at "African Refugee and Immigrant Lives: Conflict, Consequences, and Contributions," Arlington, VA, 2-4 May 2012 [text]

Ownership and Sense of Belonging for the Displaced: Integrating Somali Refugees into Wellington City, Thesis submitted to the School of Architecture (Victoria University of Wellington, April 2012) [text]

Rights Displaced: The Effects of Long-term Encampment on the Human Rights of Refugees, Working Paper, no. 4 (Refugee Law Initiative, May 2012) [text]

Rwandan Refugees Face no Choice but Repatriation (Open Democracy, May 2012) [text]

UNHCR Position on Returns to Mali (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Focus on Statelessness

The RSC is offering a short course on "Statelessness and International Law," scheduled for 27-28 October 2012 in Oxford.  Follow this link for more information and an application form.

Other related items:

"Institutionalizing Statelessness: The Revocation of Residency Rights of Palestinians in East Jerusalem," International Journal of Refugee Law, Advance Access, 9 May 2012 [abstract]
- Eprint available via SSRN.

Kuwait: Security Forces Forcibly Disperse Stateless Residents (Human Rights Watch, May 2012) [text]

"People of Nowhere: Stateless in South Asia," Refugee Watch Online (May 2012) [text]

Roundtable Debate: How Gendered is Citizenship? Tilburg, Neth., 19 April 2012 [access]
- Follow link for video of the debate.

Statelessness in the Canadian Context: An Updated Discussion Paper (UNHCR, March 2012) [text]

World Map: Parties to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (UNHCR, as of 1 May 2012) [access]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Impact of Climate/Environmental Change

Climate and Conflict in the Sahel (Refugees International Blog, May 2012) [text]

Climate Change and Fragile States: Rethinking Adaptation, SOURCE, no. 16 (UNU-EHS & Munich Re, 2012) [text]

Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Migration, International Dialogue on Migration Publication Series, no. 18 (IOM, 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]
- Report from previously-reported conference.

Climate Change Roundtable for Researchers and Practitioners, Washington, DC, 3 April 2012 [access]
- Follow link for meeting report and list of participants.

Countering Climate Extremes Really Does Take a Village (Refugees International Blog, May 2012) [text]

Development Cooperation, Climate Change and Conflict, Policy Brief (DIIS, April 2012) [text]

Environmental Migrants: A Myth? Research Brief, no. 18 (IFPRI, May 2012) [access]

Learning Lessons: Intense Climate-related Natural Disasters in Asia and the Pacific (Asian Development Bank, April 2012) [text via PreventionWeb]

Population Distribution, Migration and Climate Change in Australia: An Exploration (ACCARNSI, Dec. 2011; revised March 2012) [text]

Resettlement of Ecological Migrants in Georgia: Recent Developments and Trends in Policy, Implementation, and Perceptions, Working Paper, no. 53 (ECMI, Jan. 2012) [text]

Rethinking Durable Solutions to Displacement in the Context of Climate Change (Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, May 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

New Items from UNHCR

Six years after the last edition, a new State of the World's Refugees is due to be published this month by Oxford University Press (OUP).  The theme is "In Search of Solidarity."  Previous editions are available on the Publications page of the UNHCR web site (right side).

For more information on this flagship publication, check out the table of contents; here is part of the description:

Drawing on UNHCR's direct experience, eight chapters address key challenges, starting with the diminishing space for humanitarian action in places like Somalia and Afghanistan. Protracted conflicts mean that fewer refugees are able to return home, yet restrictive state policies limit possibilities for local integration and resettlement, and threaten the institution of asylum. Rising numbers are displaced within their own countries, driven from their homes by climate change and natural disasters, as well as by conflict and human rights abuses. Refugees and displaced people increasingly live in cities rather than in camps, and are harder to reach. Statelessness, an anachronism in the 21st century, is prevalent on all continents, leaving millions of lives in limbo. The closing chapter addresses the book's central theme: how to develop international solidarity to help states shoulder their responsibilities for the forcibly displaced. Case studies drawn from UNHCR's work in the field illustrate the issues.

[Note: For a 20% discount off UK orders, enter the code AAFLY12 in the promotional code box at check out.]

Other recent items from UNHCR include:

But When Will Our Turn Come? A Review of the Implementation of UNHCR’s Urban Refugee Policy in Malaysia, PDES/2012/02 (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

In the Shelter of Each Other: Notions of Home and Belonging amongst Somali Refugees in Nairobi, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 233 (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

Light Years Ahead: Innovative Technology for Better Refugee Protection (UNHCR, March 2012) [text]

Statelessness in the Canadian Context: An Updated Discussion Paper (UNHCR, March 2012) [text]

UNHCR Position on Returns to Mali (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

UNHCR Submission on Bill C-31: Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act (UNHCR Canada, May 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications. 

Focus on Human Trafficking

For information about a recent asylum case involving a family targeted by an Albanian human trafficker, read "DHS Grants Asylum in Demiraj v. Holder Case" on the ImmigrationProf Blog.  Some background on the case is here, and briefs and documents are available on the the SCOTUSBlog.

Publications:

Asylum Seeking Victims of Human Trafficking in Ireland: Legal and Practical Challenges (Immigrant Council of Ireland, Nov. 2011) [text]

Children, Adolescents and Human Trafficking: Making Sense of a Complex Problem, Issue Paper, no. 5 (Rights Work, May 2012) [text]

Hidden Exploitation: Women in Forced Labour, Marriage and Migration. Understanding the Gaps in Prevention and Protection Needs in Trafficking and Exploitation of Women and Girls in Australia: An Evidence Review (Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, Feb. 2012) [access]

Organised Crime and Trafficking in Persons, Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, no. 436 (Australian Institute of Criminology, March 2012) [text]

Pro Bono Attorneys Obtain Asylum for a Survivor of Human Trafficking (National Immigrant Justice Center, Sept. 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications. 

Focus on Australia

"Acculturation Challenges that Confront Sudanese Former Refugees in Australia," Journal of Intercultural Communication, no. 28 (March 2012) [full-text]

Boats, Camps and Barbed Wire Fences: Forced Migration and the Law Conference, Brisbane, 13 April 2012
- See UNHCR Australia news story for overview of conference; audio is available here.

Case Analysis: Sayed Abdul Rahman Shahi v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (Asylum & Refugee Law Project, posted April 2012) [text]
- Concerns "the rights of unaccompanied minors to sponsor immediate family members to join them in Australia."

Humanitarian Family Reunion: The Building Block of Good Settlement (Refugee Council of Australia, April 2012) [text]
- See also related bibliography.

The "Safe Third Country" Approach vs. the Notion of Non-refoulement in International Law: A Critical Examination of Australian Law and Policy, Dissertation presented to the School of Law (University of Western Sydney, Jan. 2011) [text]

[Image credit: Asylum & Refugee Law Project]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Focus on Humanitarian Assistance

Upcoming event:

Is Today’s Humanitarian Aid Sector Fit for Purpose? Seven Things I Wish I Had Known Ten Years Ago, Copenhagen, 16 May 2012 [info]
- Peter Walker, from the Feinstein International Center, will be the guest speaker.

Publications:

Humanitarian Access in Situations of Armed Conflict (Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, 2012) [access]
- Follow the link for the "Handbook on the Normative Framework" and a companion "Field Manual."

In the Eyes of Others: How People in Crises Perceive Humanitarian Action (MSF, 2012) [text]
- See also webcast of online discussion about the book that took place 30 April 2012.

Minimum Standards for Protection Mainstreaming (World Vision, 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

The Myth and Mystique of Humanitarian Space (IRIN, May 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Focus on Europe

(updated)

Europe and Extraterritorial Asylum, Dissertation submitted to Faculty of Law (Leiden University, April 2011) [text]
- Note: Access to this previously-reported title is now available.

"European Asylum Law and the ECHR: An Uneasy Coexistence," Goettingen Journal of International Law, vol. 4, no. 1 (2012) [open access text]

Family Reunion for Refugees in the UK: Understanding Support Needs (British Red Cross, 2011) [text via Refworld]

Implementation of the Greek National Action Plan on Migration Management and Asylum Reform ("the Greek Action Plan") and Border Management Issues: Progress Report – March 2012 (European Commission, March 2012) [text via EASO Monitor]
- See also EU Council agenda for meeting that discussed the plan.

Persistence with Asylum Applications Pays Off (Leiden University, April 2012) [text]
- Summarizes research undertaken for dissertation published in April 2012; note that the text of the dissertation is in Dutch and is temporarily embargoed.

The "Push-back Policy" Struck Down Without Appeal? The European Court of Human Rights in Hirsi Jamaa and Others v. Italy (Istituto Affari Internazionali, March 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Last Minute Events & Opportunities: May 2012

From MONOlogue to DIalogue: Strengthening and Hearing Migrants' Voices in the Debate on Migration, London, 11-12 May 2012 [info]
- Please RSVP for limited places.

Free Seminars on How to Challenge the Conclusions Reached in OGNs, UK, 14-17 May 2012 [info]
- Note: OGNs = UKBA's Operational Guidance Notes.

Opening Keynote Address: Responding to the Changing Dynamics of Displacement, CARFMS12: Restructuring Refuge and Settlement, Toronto, 16 May 2012 [info]
- This event is free and open to the public.

Job Vacancy: Immigration & Refugee Deputy Director, NY, CWS [info]
- Deadline for applications is 18 May 2012.

Job Vacancies: Humanitarian Innovation Project, Oxford, RSC [info]
- Three positions are available: "Part-time Project Coordinator" (applications due 18 May 2012), "Research Officer (Social Sciences)" (applications due 31 May 2012), and "Research Officer (Engineering/Management)" (applications due 31 May 2012).

Applied Research Methods with Hidden, Marginal and Excluded Populations, Colchester, UK, 30 July-3 August 2012 [info]
- While the closing date for applications isn't until 1 June 2012, interested participants are encouraged to apply early as the course fills up quickly.

Tagged Events & Opportunities. 

New Issues of Conflict Tr., FRLAN, HRQ, Researcher, Wagadu

Conflict Trends, no. 1 (2012) [full-text]
- Mix of articles.

Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 26 (May 2012) [full-text]
- Mix of news, information and articles for the refugee legal aid community.

Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 2 (May 2012) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

The Researcher, vol. 7, no. 1 (April 2012) [full-text]
- From the Refugee Documentation Centre, Ireland.

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's and Gender Studies, vol. 10 (2012) [full-text]
- Special issue on "Sexual Violence and Armed Conflict: Gender, Society, and the State." Includes "Refugees, Sexual Violence, and Armed Conflict: The Nuances between Victims and Agents" and "Investigating the Role of Government Legislation and its Implementation in Addressing Gender Based Violence Among Returnee Refugee Women in Liberia."

Tagged Periodicals.

Development Displacement/Forced Evictions

Forced Evictions: Global Crisis, Global Solutions (UN-Habitat, 2011) [text]

Oil-Induced Displacement and Resettlement: Social Problem and Human Rights Issue, Paper presented at (New) Debates on Belonging: A Graduate Student Conference on Contemporary Issues in Immigration, New York, 14 Oct. 2011 [text via SSRN]

R.I.P COHRE? (TerraNullius, April 2012) [text]
- See also comments associated with this post.

Safeguard Social Policies in Africa: A Continent-Wide Public Debate (Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, March 2012) [text]

Sharing the Water, Sharing the Benefits: Lessons from Six Large Dams in West Africa (International Institute for Environment and Development, 2011) [text]
- See also related news story.

Towards Developing a Social Impact Assessment: Involuntary Resettlement in the San Roque Dam Case, Philippines, Thesis submitted to the Department of Sociology and Anthropology (Simon Fraser University, Summer 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.  

Focus on Detention

Bill C-31: Tories' Human Smuggling Reforms Could Land More Asylum Seekers in Canada's Jails (Huffington Post, April 2012) [text]

Concerns over the Detention and Deportation of Asylum-seekers in Hungary (UNHCR, April 2012) [text]

The Harmful Effects of Detention and Family Separation on Asylum Seekers' Mental Health in the Context of Bill C-31, Brief submitted to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration concerning Bill C-31, the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act (April 2012) [text]

Immigration-related Detention (Congressional Research Service, Jan. 2012) [text]

Joint Select Committee on Australia’s Immigration Detention Network: Final Report (Parliament of Australia, March 2012) [access]

Lack of Immigration Court Review of Detention Violates U.S. Commitments under International Law (Human Rights First, April 2012) [text]

Not Crossing Red Lines: A Negotiator's Checklist on Minimum Detention Safeguards (ECRE et al., May 2012) [access]

Walls of Shame - Accounts from the Inside: The Detention Centres of Evros (Pro Asyl et al., April 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Law/Policy Items

"Deciphering Motive: Establishing Sexual Orientation as the 'One Central Reason' for Persecution in Asylum Claims," Columbia Human Rights Law Review, vol. 43, no. 2 (Winter 2012) [full-text]

Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy (U.S. Congressional Research Service, March 2012) [text]

"Suffering in Silence: Asylum Law and the Concealment of Political Opinion as a Form of Persecution," Connecticut Law Review, vol. 44, no. 3 (Feb. 2012) [full-text]

Until our Hearts are Completely Hardened: Asylum Procedures in Israel (Hotline for Migrant Workers, 2012) [text]

"When is a Refugee not a Refugee?," The Researcher, vol. 7, no. 1 (April 2012) [full-text]

"Why Do You Persecute Me? Proving the Nexus Requirement for Asylum," University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review, vol. 18, no. 2 (2011) [full-text]

Tagged Publications.

Statelessness Update

Refworld's Statelessness page now highlights "Recent Accessions to the Statelessness Conventions." The latest is Burkina Faso, which acceded to the 1954 Convention on 1 May 2012.

Recent publications:

Bureaucratic Mess in Juba Puts Millions on Path to Statelessness (Refugees International Blog, April 2012) [text]

The Compatibility of Nationality Laws in Vietnam and Relevant International Standards (Statelessness Programme Blog, April 2012) [text]

"Living on the Margins: 'Illegality,' Statelessness, and the Politics of Removal in Twentieth-Century Europe and the United States," Washington, DC, 9-11 Feb. 2012 [info]
- An overview of the conference is available here.

Myanmar: State of Statelessness (Statelessness Programme Blog, April 2012) [text]

"Soft Law" Entrepreneurship and the Right of the Child to a Nationality in an Era of Migration (Statelessness Blog, May 2012) [text]

Statelessness Prevention in Indonesia: Strengthening the Nationality Legislation (Statelessness Programme Blog, April 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.   

Armed Conflict and Transitions

ODI's Humanitarian Policy Group and the Post-War Reconstruction and Development Unit at the University of York are offering an advanced course on "Conflict, Crisis and Transitions," 18-25 July 2012. While the initial deadline has passed, applications are still being accepted.  Here's a partial description:

The past decade has seen a surge in attention to supporting countries affected by and recovering from conflict. A parallel growth has also occurred in the number of professionals working in the fields of humanitarian, development and post-conflict recovery policymaking and practice. They are faced with a myriad of challenges associated with contexts transitioning from conflict to peace, yet rarely have the opportunity to reflect upon the critical concepts, practical challenges and policy dilemmas involved in supporting effective transitions.

The concept of "transitions" is also addressed in this recent policy paper from the International Peace Institute: "Aid Effectiveness in Fragile States: Lessons from the First Generation of Transition Compacts." Moreover, the Refugee Studies Centre has issued a new policy briefing that examines legacies of past conflicts entitled, "Displacement, Transitional Justice and Reconciliation: Assumptions, Challenges and Lessons."

Recent resources that focus on armed conflict include:

Alert 2012! Report on Conflicts, Human Rights and Peacebuilding (Escola de cultura de pau, 2012) [info]
- Check back for the PDF.

The Causes, Character and Conduct of Armed Conflict, and the Effects on Civilian Populations, 1990-2010, Legal and Protection Policy Research Series, no. 26 (UNHCR, April 2012) [text]

Conflict Barometer 2011 (Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research, 2012) [access]
- Place an order for the print version or follow the instructions for downloading the digital version.

"Predicting Armed Conflict, 2010-2050," International Studies Quarterly, Forthcoming, 2013 [text]

Real-time Analysis of African Political Violence, Conflict Trends, no.1 (Armed Conflict Location & Event Dataset, April 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]
- "Focus countries include Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, and Somalia."

The Role of Women in Conflict Situations, Washington, DC, 2 May 2012 [access]
- Audio of discussion hosted by the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement "on the intersections between conflict, displacement and peace—with a focus on the contributions women can make and the importance of incorporating gender perspectives into humanitarian and peacebuilding policies."

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.   

Focus on Afghanistan/Pakistan

Displaced Afghans:

An international conference on Afghan displacement wrapped up today in Geneva. The "International Conference on the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees to Support Voluntary Repatriation, Sustainable Reintegration and Assistance to Host Countries" was held 2-3 May 2012 to discuss a strategy developed by Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and UNHCR to address the protracted Afghan refugee situation.  The text of the "Solutions Strategy" is available here; a Joint Communique issued today notes that conference participants "welcomed and supported" it.

For speeches, UNHCR news updates and other background information, visit the conference page.  IRIN also prepared a briefing on the event.  On a related issue, read IDMC's recently updated overview of the IDP situation in Afghanistan.

IDPs in Pakistan:

Daily Updates on Khyber IDP Influx (UNHCR, 2012) [access via ReliefWeb]

Initial Observation Report: Focusing on Off-camp Internally Displaced People from Bara Tehsil in Khyber Agency, FATA, Pakistan (Save the Children, April 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Inter-Agency Rapid Assessment: Report on Khyber off-camp IDPs in Peshawar, Nowshera and Kohat-KP (IOM, WFP & IVAP, April 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Tough Times for IDPs Living Outside Camps (IRIN, May 2012) [text]

More generally, visit UNHCR Pakistan's new web site.

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