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Happy Holidays!
24 December 2013
Tip of the Week! Research Guides
Research guides come in all shapes and sizes. My forced migration research guide is a little more elaborate than most since it functions as a "guide to the literature" as well as an introduction to a field of study. I use a more familiar research guide format for the three other guides I've compiled on IDPs, international refugee law, and statelessness.
Once upon a time, Forced Migration Online (FMO) commissioned experts to prepare guides on different forced migration topics and country situations. Unfortunately, these are now out-of-date, but for a while there, they were very popular and constituted one of the most visited sections of the web site.
A variation on the research guide is the "library subject guide." A popular application that libraries use to generate these guides is called LibGuides. The Refugee Studies Centre library has produced a very useful one for refugee studies. It directs visitors to relevant materials both in the Bodleian Social Science Library and online, and suggests strategies for locating specific document types as well as for conducting online searches. The UN Office at Geneva Library has also used LibGuides for its research guide on "refugees and asylum seekers."
Other examples of guides produced by libraries include:
- Humanitarian Entrants and Asylum Seekers: A Quick Guide to Key Internet Links (Parliamentary Library of Australia, Dec. 2013) [text]
- Refugees (Peace Palace Library, 2013 - updated on an ongoing basis) [access]
Of course, the key to a good research guide - or any information resource, for that matter! - is to be up-to-date. So one of my New Year's resolutions is to make a more concerted effort to check my guides more regularly!
[Image credit: Information Center, Stanford University Libraries & Academic Information Resources]
Tagged Tips.
23 December 2013
CFPs/New Issues of AJDA, AWR, Disasters, GIJL, IMR, Intl. Rev. Red Cross, JIRS, Reset. News, Rev. Humanit., RQDI
CFPs:
Forced Migration Review [info]
- Articles sought for a theme issue on "Afghanistan’s Displaced People: 2014 and Beyond." The submission deadline is 3 February 2014.
Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration [info]
- Deadline for submissions for vol. 4, no. 1 is 15 February 2014.
*Journal of International Criminal Justice [info]
- Articles sought for special issue on "The Interaction between Refugee/Migration Law and International Criminal/Humanitarian Law"; submit abstracts by 28 February 2014.
Issues:
L'Actualité Juridique Droit Administratif, no. 41 (2 Déc. 2013) [contents]
- Includes dossier on "Actualité du droit des réfugiés."
AWR Bulletin, vol. 51, nos. 1-2 (2013) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "Information and Counselling, Legal Assistance and Representation of Asylum Seekers according to the Recast of the Asylum Procedure Directive."
Disasters, vol. 38, no. 1 (Jan. 2014) [free full-text]
- Mix of articles.
Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, vol. 27, no. 1 (Fall 2012) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "Ensuring Protection or Opening the Floodgates?: Refugee Law and Its Application to Those Fleeing Drug Violence in Mexico."
International Migration Review, vol. 47, no. 4 (Dec. 2013) [contents]
- Mix of articles.
International Review of the Red Cross, vol. 94, no. 887 (Autumn 2012) [full-text]
- Theme is "Business, Violence and Conflict."
Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, vol. 11, no. 4 (2013) [contents]
- Special issue on "Migrant Domestic and Care Workers in Circularity." Also includes three articles on refugees.
Resettlement News, no. 28 (July 2013) [full-text]
- Lead article is "The World Bank is Bringing Back Big, Bad Dams."
Revue humanitaire, no. 36 (2013) [full-text]
- Focus is on "Les humanitaires au défi des marges de nos villes."
Revue Québécoise de Droit International (Hors-série nov. 2013) [full-text]
- Focus of this issue is "Defending the Human Rights of Migrants in the Americas : The Nadège Dorzema et al v Dominican Republic Case."
*updated
Tagged Periodicals and Events & Opportunities.
Forced Migration Review [info]
- Articles sought for a theme issue on "Afghanistan’s Displaced People: 2014 and Beyond." The submission deadline is 3 February 2014.
Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration [info]
- Deadline for submissions for vol. 4, no. 1 is 15 February 2014.
*Journal of International Criminal Justice [info]
- Articles sought for special issue on "The Interaction between Refugee/Migration Law and International Criminal/Humanitarian Law"; submit abstracts by 28 February 2014.
Issues:
L'Actualité Juridique Droit Administratif, no. 41 (2 Déc. 2013) [contents]
- Includes dossier on "Actualité du droit des réfugiés."
AWR Bulletin, vol. 51, nos. 1-2 (2013) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "Information and Counselling, Legal Assistance and Representation of Asylum Seekers according to the Recast of the Asylum Procedure Directive."
Disasters, vol. 38, no. 1 (Jan. 2014) [free full-text]
- Mix of articles.
Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, vol. 27, no. 1 (Fall 2012) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "Ensuring Protection or Opening the Floodgates?: Refugee Law and Its Application to Those Fleeing Drug Violence in Mexico."
International Migration Review, vol. 47, no. 4 (Dec. 2013) [contents]
- Mix of articles.
International Review of the Red Cross, vol. 94, no. 887 (Autumn 2012) [full-text]
- Theme is "Business, Violence and Conflict."
Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, vol. 11, no. 4 (2013) [contents]
- Special issue on "Migrant Domestic and Care Workers in Circularity." Also includes three articles on refugees.
Resettlement News, no. 28 (July 2013) [full-text]
- Lead article is "The World Bank is Bringing Back Big, Bad Dams."
Revue humanitaire, no. 36 (2013) [full-text]
- Focus is on "Les humanitaires au défi des marges de nos villes."
Revue Québécoise de Droit International (Hors-série nov. 2013) [full-text]
- Focus of this issue is "Defending the Human Rights of Migrants in the Americas : The Nadège Dorzema et al v Dominican Republic Case."
*updated
Tagged Periodicals and Events & Opportunities.
19 December 2013
Regional Focus: Oceania
Australia’s Asylum Seeker Policy (La Trobe University, Nov. 2013) [access]- Follow link for podcast.
"Carceral Society on Guam and Saipan: US Territorial Struggles over Asylum, Entry, and Exclusion in the Margins," Society and Space, 24 Sept. 2013 [text]
Darwin Detention: Damaging Children (Chilout, Dec. 2013) [text]
- Report of a "Visit to Darwin Alternative Places of Detention December 6th-8th, 2013." See also related Guardian news article.
Of Relative Rights and Putative Children: Rethinking the Critical Framework for the Protection of Refugee Children and Youth, Sydney Law School Research Paper, no. 13/95 (University of Sydney, Dec. 2013) [text via SSRN]
Refugees and Asylum Seekers: Finding a Better Way (Australia 21, Dec. 2013) [text]
- "This is a collection of essays by an unprecedented range of Australian leaders in the law, military, human rights, religion and politics as well as refugees themselves, all seeking new ways of framing the public conversation about refugees and asylum seekers."
"Use of Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department by Immigration Detainees in 2011," Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 199, no. 11 (2013) [full-text]
Tagged Publications.
Regional Focus: Syria
The Escalating Syrian Refugee Crisis Challenges the International Community's Ability to Respond (Migration Information Source, Dec. 2013) [text]
European Union Donates €63 Million to UNHCR for Syria Operations (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text]
Exploring an Education Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Beirut, 11-12 Dec. 2013 [access]
- Follow link for concept note, country profiles, and photographs.
*Management Response to the Recommendations of the Real-time Evaluation of UNHCR’s Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
New EU Regional Development and Protection Programme for Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq (European Commission, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
"Refuge: 18 Stories from the Syrian Exodus," Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2013 [access]
- Follow link for interviews, photos, and video.
*Syrian Refugees and the Challenge to Jordan (INSS, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
Syrian Refugees: How to Organise and Support International Assistance? (Council of Europe, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
What Do You Miss Most? Syrian Refugees Respond (Jadaliyya, Dec. 2013) [text]
*updated
Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.
18 December 2013
News: International Migrants Day
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is calling 2013 the "year of desperation," focusing on the many migrants who have perished in search of a new life. Visit IOM's theme page for more information, including statistics on and locations of migrant deaths, an animated infographic, news stories, and a link to the "What Migrants Bring" campaign.
See also this joint statement by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, François Crépeau; the Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, Abdelhamid El Jamri; and the Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrants of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Felipe González.
Tagged Events & Opportunities, Publications and Web Sites/Tools.
Regional Focus: North America
"Asylum Abuse: Is it Overwhelming our Borders?", U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Hearing, Washington, DC, 12 Dec. 2013 [access]- Follow link for webcast video, witness testimonies, and statement of the chairman. See also related statements from AILA and Human Rights First, and blog posts from The Asylumist and Immigration Impact.
"Asylum Claims Plummet after Reforms to Refugee System," The Record, 13 Dec. 2013 [text]
"The Culture of Rights Protection in Canadian Refugee Law: Examining the Domestic Violence Cases," McGill Law Journal, vol. 58, no. 3 (2013) [full-text]
"Immigration: Claims for Asylum Soar," Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2013 [text]
- Note: This article references a newly released report from the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS). However, it's unclear if the "report" is really a new CRS report or rather testimony from a CRS expert at the above-mentioned hearing on asylum abuse. If the former, I will include a link when the text becomes publicly available.
Litigating Refugees: An Empirical Examination of Trends in Canadian Federal Court Jurisprudence Prior to Refugee Reform and Legal Analysis of Common Issues against International Norms (UNHCR Ottawa, Nov. 2013) [text]
Media Conference Call on U.S. Asylum System at the Mexican Border (Human Rights First, Dec. 2013) [text]
Refugee Claimant Service Providers: Negotiating Shifting Policies, Practices and Perceptions in Atlantic Canada, Working Paper, no. 50 (Atlantic Metropolis Centre, May 2013) [text]
Refugee Congress Gathering Brings New Voice to US Policy Debate (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text]
Temporariness in Canada: Establishing a Research Agenda, Working Paper, no. 99 (CERIS, March 2013) [text]
Tagged Publications.
Regional Focus: Africa
4 Recommendations for Next Steps in Central African Republic (IDMC Blog, Dec. 2013) [text]"Asylum Space in Kenya: Evolution of Refugee Protection over 20 Years," Forced Migration Review 25th Anniversary Collection (Nov. 2013) [open access text]
Baseline Survey on Safe Access to and Use of Cooking Energy in Nzulo Camp and the Surrounding Villages in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Women's Refugee Commission, Nov. 2013) [text]
Central African Republic: The Forgotten Crisis (Development Initiatives, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees' Relations with Host Communities (GSDRC, Nov. 2013) [text]
Durable Solutions to Internal Displacement in South Sudan: A Roundtable Discussion, Washington, DC, 14 Nov. 2013 [text]
- Follow link for roundtable report.
High Level Panel sees New Momentum towards Solutions (High Commissioner's Global Initiative on Somali Refugees, Dec. 2013) [text]
- Note: "A full report on the deliberations and recommendations will follow soon."
Talking to the Other Side: Humanitarian Negotiations with Al-Shabaab in Somalia, HPG Working Paper (ODI, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also related HPG Policy Brief and opinion.
Tagged Publications.
17 December 2013
Tip of the Week! Forced Migration Library
If you are a regular user of this blog, then you may have noticed that every month, I create a new board on my Pinterest page to highlight books that are due to be published sometime during that month. However, unless you have also joined Pinterest and chosen to "follow" me, you may not realize that I add references at other times too, sometimes to the most recently created board, but also to other boards. So, for example, I just added a new pin to the Dec. 2013 board to alert visitors to five forthcoming titles in Springer's new Migration Studies series. I also added a pin to the New Legal Texts board for James Hathaway's edited volume, Human Rights and Refugee Law, from Edward Elgar. And while the primary emphasis is on new books, I also maintain boards for certain categories of books, like reference titles, series, open access items, and kids literature. So if you are interested in building up your own collection, please become a patron of the Forced Migration Library and check in regularly to learn about new additions!
Tagged Tips.
Regional Focus: MENA
The "Arab Spring" and Refugees in the Middle East, Insight No. 496 (INSS, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]Asylum Seekers in Israel: Legal, Illegal or Somewhere Unclear in the Middle? Thoughts from the Perspective of International Law regarding the Prevention of Infiltration Law - Offenses and Adjudication (SSRN, Dec. 2013) [text]
- Note: The complete paper is available in Hebrew.
The Prevention of Infiltration (Amendment no. 4) Bill: A Malevolent Response to the Israeli Supreme Court Judgment (Interest Group on Migration and Refugee Law, Dec. 2013) [text]
Sana’a Declaration: Fine Intentions in a Complex Reality (RMMS, Dec. 2013) [text]
The State of Human Rights in Israel and the OPT 2013 (Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
"We Risk our Lives for our Daily Bread": Findings of the Danish Refugee Council Study of Mixed Migration in Libya (Danish Refugee Council, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
Tagged Publications.
Regional Focus: Europe
Access to Protection: A Human Right. National Report - Malta (People for Change Foundation, Dec. 2013) [access]- Follow link for both the text and more info. about the "Access to Protection" project.
Accommodating the Internally Displaced in South-central Albania in 1918, New Issues in Refugee Research, Paper, no. 267 (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text]
EASO Fact Finding Report on Intra-EU Relocation Activities from Malta (EASO, July 2012) [text]
Refugee Situation in Bulgaria: External Update (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text]
Stricter Rules for Lodging Complaints at the European Court (ECHR Blog, Dec. 2013) [text]
Working Arrangement between the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (EASO & UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text]
Tagged Publications.
News: 2013 HC Dialogue on Protection Challenges
The sixth High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges was held 11-12 December 2013. The focus this year was on internally displaced persons (IDPs). This earlier post provided an overview of the available documentation.Here are a few of the statements/news stories from the Dialogue:
- Key NGO messages [text]
- Opening remarks by the High Commissioner [text] [press release]
- Norwegian statement [text]
- U.S. statement [text]
*- Closing remarks by the High Commissioner [text]
*This document summarizes the discussion and findings. You can also follow some of the discussions that took place via #HCDialogue on Twitter.
A related side event also took place.
A list of follow-up actions will eventually be made available.
*updated
[Image credit: Permanent Mission of Norway in Geneva]
Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.
16 December 2013
Thematic Focus: Detention
Centres et Locaux de Rétention Administrative: Rapport 2012 (ASSFAM, Forum réfugiés-Cosi, France terre d’asile, La Cimade and Ordre de Malte France [text via AIDA]Dignity Denied: LGBT Immigrants in U.S. Immigration Detention (Center for American Progress, Nov. 2013) [text]
"The European Union Returns Directive: Does It Prevent Arbitrary Detention?," Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 3, no. 2 (Nov. 2013) [full-text]
- Scroll to p. 23.
Knesset Passes Revised Law for Detention of African Asylum Seekers (+972, Dec. 2013) [text]
- For background, see also Amnesty's media release.
"UN Committee against Torture Criticises Belgium's Detention of Asylum Seekers in 'Dublin' Procedures," ECRE Weekly Bulletin, no. 70 (2 Dec. 2013) [text]
UNHCR Provisional Comments and Recommendations on the Draft Amendments to the Law on Asylum and Refugees (UNHCR Sofia, Dec. 2013) [text]
- Section IV includes comments re. proposed grounds for detention. See also related UNHCR and ECRE news stories.
Tagged Publications.
Thematic Focus: Children
Child Protection Issue Brief : Child Recruitment (UNHCR, Sept. 2013) [text]
Double Catastrophe: Voices from a War on Childhood (War Child UK, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
The Future of Syria: Refugee Children in Crisis (UNHCR, Nov. 2013) [access]
- Includes videos and photographs. See also related press release.
Offshore Processing Centres are no Place for Asylum Seeker Children (The Conversation, Nov. 2013) [text]
A Passport to Protection: A Guide to Birth Registration Programming (Unicef, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
Seeking Asylum in Ireland: A Guide for Children and Young People (Irish Refugee Council, 2013) [access]
Syria Crisis: Education Interrupted - Global Action to Rescue the Schooling of a Generation (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also related press release.
Tagged Publications.
Double Catastrophe: Voices from a War on Childhood (War Child UK, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
The Future of Syria: Refugee Children in Crisis (UNHCR, Nov. 2013) [access]
- Includes videos and photographs. See also related press release.
Offshore Processing Centres are no Place for Asylum Seeker Children (The Conversation, Nov. 2013) [text]
A Passport to Protection: A Guide to Birth Registration Programming (Unicef, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
Syria Crisis: Education Interrupted - Global Action to Rescue the Schooling of a Generation (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also related press release.
Tagged Publications.
Thematic Focus: Health
"Access to Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis B/C among Undocumented Migrants, Asylum Seekers and People without Health Insurance in Six European Countries," European Journal of Public Health, vol. 23, suppl. 1 (2013) [free full-text]
"Comparing Approaches to Integrating Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Healthcare Professionals in Canada and the UK," Healthcare Policy, vol. 9, Special Issue (Oct. 2013) [free full-text]
"Health Changes of Refugees from Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia: Role of Residence Status and Experienced Living Difficulties in the Resettlement Process," European Journal of Public Health, vol. 23, suppl. 1 (2013) [free full-text]
"Natural Disasters, Armed Conflict, and Public Health," New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 369, no. 19 (Nov. 2013) [free full-text]
Paralysis: How Political Deadlock is Failing to Stop Polio in Syria (Sur le Vif Blog, Dec. 2013) [text]
"Trauma- and Stressor Related Disorders in the Tuareg Refugees of a Camp in Burkina Faso," Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, vol. 9 (2013) [open access text]
"Use of Medicines in Communities of Palestinian Refugees: A Mixed-methods Study," The Lancet, vol. 382 (Dec. 2013) [free full-text]
- Registration required to access text.
Tagged Publications.
"Comparing Approaches to Integrating Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Healthcare Professionals in Canada and the UK," Healthcare Policy, vol. 9, Special Issue (Oct. 2013) [free full-text]
"Health Changes of Refugees from Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia: Role of Residence Status and Experienced Living Difficulties in the Resettlement Process," European Journal of Public Health, vol. 23, suppl. 1 (2013) [free full-text]
"Natural Disasters, Armed Conflict, and Public Health," New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 369, no. 19 (Nov. 2013) [free full-text]
Paralysis: How Political Deadlock is Failing to Stop Polio in Syria (Sur le Vif Blog, Dec. 2013) [text]
"Trauma- and Stressor Related Disorders in the Tuareg Refugees of a Camp in Burkina Faso," Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, vol. 9 (2013) [open access text]
"Use of Medicines in Communities of Palestinian Refugees: A Mixed-methods Study," The Lancet, vol. 382 (Dec. 2013) [free full-text]
- Registration required to access text.
Tagged Publications.
Regional Focus: Syria
- See also related news story.
The Consequences of Limited Legal Status for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: NRC Lebanon Field Assessment - Aarsal and Wadi Khaled (Norwegian Refugee Council, Dec. 2013) [text]
An International Failure: The Syrian Refugee Crisis (Amnesty International, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also related press release and news story.
Let's Hear It for the Hosts (RI Blog, Dec. 2013) [text]
Reproductive Health Services for Syrian Refugees in Zaatri Refugee Camp and Irbid City, Jordan (Women's Refugee Commission, Nov. 2013) [access]
Syria Crisis: Education Interrupted - Global Action to Rescue the Schooling of a Generation (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also related press release.
Tagged Publications.
Thematic Focus: Human Trafficking
*"How Conflict and Displacement Fuel Human Trafficking and Abuse of Vulnerable Groups. The Case of Colombia and Opportunities for Real Action and Innovative Solutions," Groningen Journal of International Law, vol. 1, no. 2 (2013) [text via SSRN]
"Human Trafficking: The Case of Burmese Refugees in Thailand," International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, vol. 37, no. 4 (2013) [free full-text]
The Human Trafficking Cycle: Sinai and Beyond (Wolf Legal Publishers, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also related launch videos and Guardian news story.
Invisible Immigrants: A Profile of Irregular Migration, Smuggling of Migrants and Trafficking in Persons in Trinidad and Tobago (ACP Observatory on Migration, Oct. 2013) [text] [exec. summ.]
The New Middle Passage: Journeys of Modern Day Slaves (The Asylumist, Dec. 2013) [text]
The Protection Project Review of the Trafficking in Persons Report (Protection Project, July 2013) [text]
Special Report: Thailand Secretly Dumps Myanmar Refugees into Trafficking Rings (Thomson Reuters Foundation, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also related Reuters news story.
*UPDATED
Tagged Publications.
13 December 2013
Regional Focus: Europe
Upcoming event:
EDAL Conference 2014: Reflections on the Current Application of the EU Asylum Acquis, Dublin, 17-18 January 2014 [info]
- "As we see the fruits of the second phase of the CEAS begin to be implemented, the EDAL Conference provides a space to critically and constructively reflect on the reality of the achievements of the CEAS to date and to consider the potential for greater levels of protection and harmonisation in the future." Registration now open.
Publications:
Direct Provision: Framing an Alternative Reception System for People Seeking International Protection (Irish Refugee Council, Dec. 2013) [text]
European Refugee Policy: Pathways to Fairer Burden-Sharing (Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration, Dec. 2013) [text]
From Africa to Europe: A Surprisingly Dangerous Journey for Migrants (Take Part, Dec. 2013) [text via ImmigrationProf Blog]
"Outside the Moral Circle - Polish Political Refugees in Norway: Between the Established and the Outsiders," Human Figurations, vol. 2, no. 3 (Nov. 2013) [open access text]
Protecting the EU's Borders: "Saving lives should be mandatory" (European Parliament, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also links on right under "Further Information."
Refugees in Bulgaria Trapped in Substandard Conditions (Amnesty International, Dec. 2013) [text]
UNHCR Provisional Comments and Recommendations on the Draft Amendments to the Law on Asylum and Refugees (UNHCR Sofia, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also related news story.
UNHCR-Vorschläge für Verbesserungen im Flüchtlingsschutz anlässlich der Bildung der Österreichischen Bundesregierung für die XXV. Regierungsperiode (UNHCR Vienna, Oct. 2013) [text]
- See also related news story (in German).
New resource:
European Migration Law (EuropeanMigrationLaw.eu) [access]
- "[A]ims to make quick and simple information [available] about legislative and case law developments in the areas of asylum and migration available to professionals and practitioners... ."
Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.
EDAL Conference 2014: Reflections on the Current Application of the EU Asylum Acquis, Dublin, 17-18 January 2014 [info]
- "As we see the fruits of the second phase of the CEAS begin to be implemented, the EDAL Conference provides a space to critically and constructively reflect on the reality of the achievements of the CEAS to date and to consider the potential for greater levels of protection and harmonisation in the future." Registration now open.
Publications:
Direct Provision: Framing an Alternative Reception System for People Seeking International Protection (Irish Refugee Council, Dec. 2013) [text]European Refugee Policy: Pathways to Fairer Burden-Sharing (Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration, Dec. 2013) [text]
From Africa to Europe: A Surprisingly Dangerous Journey for Migrants (Take Part, Dec. 2013) [text via ImmigrationProf Blog]
"Outside the Moral Circle - Polish Political Refugees in Norway: Between the Established and the Outsiders," Human Figurations, vol. 2, no. 3 (Nov. 2013) [open access text]
Protecting the EU's Borders: "Saving lives should be mandatory" (European Parliament, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also links on right under "Further Information."
Refugees in Bulgaria Trapped in Substandard Conditions (Amnesty International, Dec. 2013) [text]
UNHCR Provisional Comments and Recommendations on the Draft Amendments to the Law on Asylum and Refugees (UNHCR Sofia, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also related news story.
UNHCR-Vorschläge für Verbesserungen im Flüchtlingsschutz anlässlich der Bildung der Österreichischen Bundesregierung für die XXV. Regierungsperiode (UNHCR Vienna, Oct. 2013) [text]
- See also related news story (in German).
New resource:
European Migration Law (EuropeanMigrationLaw.eu) [access]
- "[A]ims to make quick and simple information [available] about legislative and case law developments in the areas of asylum and migration available to professionals and practitioners... ."
Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.
New Legal Resources
Australian and New Zealand Decisions on Complementary Protection (Kaldor Centre) [access]
- Summaries of decisions by courts and tribunals; updated weekly.
Compendium of International Legal Instruments on Human Migration (Notre Dame Law School) [access]
- "This Compendium aims to provide an accessible reference for research on international law relating to human migration. It is organized to present information about a significant number of international legal instruments that affect migrants. These legal instruments are organized by topic, and within each topic, they are listed chronologically unless the instrument has been supplemented by subsequent agreements (in which case they are clustered together)."
European Migration Law (EuropeanMigrationLaw.eu) [access]
- "Professionals and practitioners in asylum and migration law may face difficulties to follow the adoption of EU rules and the development of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice in this highly dynamic field. Updated knowledge of rules can safeguard the rights recognised by EU law to migrants. It is on the basis of these facts that the project EuropeanMigrationLaw.eu was designed. It aims to make quick and simple information about legislative and case laws developments in the areas of asylum and migration available to professionals and practitioners... ." In beta.
Medical Evidence in Refugee Status Determination Procedures (Fahamu Refugee Programme) [access]
- "Medical reports documenting asylum seekers’ physical and/or mental health are increasingly being used within Refugee Status Determination (RSD) proceedings as objective evidence to support asylum claims. Below we provide a brief introduction to the use of medical evidence, as well as outline key guidance."
Ravel: A New View on Legal Search (Ravel Law) [access]
- "Ravel Law is a new legal search, analytics, and visualization platform for lawyers and students. Ravel's array of powerful tools, including visualizations and data-driven analytics, transforms how lawyers understand the law and prepare for litigation. At a time when the amount of legal information is rapidly growing in scale and complexity, Ravel provides insight into what's important, why it's important, and how to use it. We make research radically easier, more insightful, and interesting." For more info., read this InSITE review. Note: The focus is on U.S. law, i.e., Supreme Court and Circuit Court cases. In beta.
Tagged Web Sites/Tools.
- Summaries of decisions by courts and tribunals; updated weekly.
Compendium of International Legal Instruments on Human Migration (Notre Dame Law School) [access]
- "This Compendium aims to provide an accessible reference for research on international law relating to human migration. It is organized to present information about a significant number of international legal instruments that affect migrants. These legal instruments are organized by topic, and within each topic, they are listed chronologically unless the instrument has been supplemented by subsequent agreements (in which case they are clustered together)."
European Migration Law (EuropeanMigrationLaw.eu) [access]- "Professionals and practitioners in asylum and migration law may face difficulties to follow the adoption of EU rules and the development of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice in this highly dynamic field. Updated knowledge of rules can safeguard the rights recognised by EU law to migrants. It is on the basis of these facts that the project EuropeanMigrationLaw.eu was designed. It aims to make quick and simple information about legislative and case laws developments in the areas of asylum and migration available to professionals and practitioners... ." In beta.
Medical Evidence in Refugee Status Determination Procedures (Fahamu Refugee Programme) [access]
- "Medical reports documenting asylum seekers’ physical and/or mental health are increasingly being used within Refugee Status Determination (RSD) proceedings as objective evidence to support asylum claims. Below we provide a brief introduction to the use of medical evidence, as well as outline key guidance."
Ravel: A New View on Legal Search (Ravel Law) [access]
- "Ravel Law is a new legal search, analytics, and visualization platform for lawyers and students. Ravel's array of powerful tools, including visualizations and data-driven analytics, transforms how lawyers understand the law and prepare for litigation. At a time when the amount of legal information is rapidly growing in scale and complexity, Ravel provides insight into what's important, why it's important, and how to use it. We make research radically easier, more insightful, and interesting." For more info., read this InSITE review. Note: The focus is on U.S. law, i.e., Supreme Court and Circuit Court cases. In beta.
Tagged Web Sites/Tools.
Thematic Focus: Law/Policy Items
Are Asylum Appeal Hearings the Same Wherever They are Heard? (Free Movement, Nov. 2013) [text]
Criminals Deported to DRC are at Risk says High Court (Free Movement, Dec. 2013) [text]
Ending Secret Asylum Files (if only we could take UNHCR to federal court …) (RSDWatch, Dec. 2013) [text]
LJIL Symposium: [Two Comments on Maarten Den Heijer’s "Diplomatic Asylum and the Assange Case" Article] (Opinio Juris, Nov. 2013)
- See one from Gregor Noll and the other from Roger O'Keefe.
"La Notion de Groupe Social au sens de la Convention de Genève dans la Jurisprudence Française," L'Actualité Juridique Droit Administratif, no. 41 (2 Déc. 2013) [full-text via Oppenheimer Chair]
"Refugees, Water, and the Law," Global Policy, 29 Nov. 2013 [text]
"The Transfer and Deportation of Civilians," Chapter in The Geneva Conventions: A Commentary (Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2014) [eprint via SSRN]
See also law review articles in Regional Focus: Americas post.
Tagged Publications.
Criminals Deported to DRC are at Risk says High Court (Free Movement, Dec. 2013) [text]
Ending Secret Asylum Files (if only we could take UNHCR to federal court …) (RSDWatch, Dec. 2013) [text]
LJIL Symposium: [Two Comments on Maarten Den Heijer’s "Diplomatic Asylum and the Assange Case" Article] (Opinio Juris, Nov. 2013)
- See one from Gregor Noll and the other from Roger O'Keefe.
"La Notion de Groupe Social au sens de la Convention de Genève dans la Jurisprudence Française," L'Actualité Juridique Droit Administratif, no. 41 (2 Déc. 2013) [full-text via Oppenheimer Chair]
"Refugees, Water, and the Law," Global Policy, 29 Nov. 2013 [text]
"The Transfer and Deportation of Civilians," Chapter in The Geneva Conventions: A Commentary (Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2014) [eprint via SSRN]
See also law review articles in Regional Focus: Americas post.
Tagged Publications.
12 December 2013
Regional Focus: Americas
"Bringing ATS Litigation into Conformity with U.S. Refugee and Asylum Law," Houston Journal of International Law, vol. 35, no. 1 (2013) [full-text]- Note: ATS = Alien Tort Statute.
Consulta Regional Centroamericana de la Iniciativa Nansen - Desastres y Desplazamiento Transfronterizo en Centroamérica: Nuevas Necesidades, Nuevas Respuestas = Nansen Initiative Central American Regional Consultation - Disasters and Cross-Border Displacement in Central America: Emerging Needs, New Responses, San José, Costa Rica, 2-4 Dec. 2013 [access]
- Follow link for the Consultation's Conclusions (in Spanish) and background materials in both English and Spanish. See also related IDMC paper below.
Desplazamiento Intraurbano en Medellín: Cíclico e Invisible (Instituto Popular de Capacitación, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
New Refugee System – One Year on (Canadian Council for Refugees, Dec. 2013) [text]
"Not Just the Facts: Adjudicator Bias and Decisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (2006-2011)," Journal on Migration and Human Security, vol. 1, no. 4 (2013) [full-text]
Quelles Solutions après le Séisme en Haïti: Une Enquête auprès des Déplacés Internes (ACP Observatory on Migration, 2013) [text]
"Rethinking Review Standards in Asylum," William and Mary Law Review, vol. 55, no. 2 (2013) [full-text]
Technical Paper: The Risk of Disaster-induced Displacement - Central America and the Caribbean (IDMC, Nov. 2013) [English text via ReliefWeb] [Spanish text via ReliefWeb]
Tagged Publications.
New UNHCR Statistical Yearbook
The 2012 edition of UNHCR's Statistical Yearbook has been published. Some of the main findings include:
- "By end-2012, 45.2 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, generalized violence, and/or human rights violations. Some 15.4 million people were refugees, 10.5 million under UNHCR’s mandate and 4.9 million Palestinian refugees registered by UNRWA."
- "By the end of 2012, the total population of concern to UNHCR was estimated at 35.8 million people." Broken down, this figure includes: "10.5 million refugees; 928,200 asylum-seekers; 526,000 refugees who had repatriated during 2012; 17.7 million IDPs protected or assisted by UNHCR; 1.5 million IDPs who had returned to their place of origin in 2012; 3.3 million stateless persons; & 1.3 million others of concern."
- The top five receiving countries for asylum applications were South Africa, the US, Germany, France & Sweden.
- The top five countries of origin for asylum applications were DRC, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan & Eritrea.
- "Refugee status based on the 1951 Convention was granted in 30 per cent of decisions in 2012."
- The top five refugee-hosting countries were Pakistan, Iran, Germany, Kenya and Syria.
- The top five refugee-producing countries were Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and Sudan.
Previous editions of the yearbook can be accessed here.
Tagged Publications.
- "By end-2012, 45.2 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, generalized violence, and/or human rights violations. Some 15.4 million people were refugees, 10.5 million under UNHCR’s mandate and 4.9 million Palestinian refugees registered by UNRWA."
- "By the end of 2012, the total population of concern to UNHCR was estimated at 35.8 million people." Broken down, this figure includes: "10.5 million refugees; 928,200 asylum-seekers; 526,000 refugees who had repatriated during 2012; 17.7 million IDPs protected or assisted by UNHCR; 1.5 million IDPs who had returned to their place of origin in 2012; 3.3 million stateless persons; & 1.3 million others of concern."
- The top five receiving countries for asylum applications were South Africa, the US, Germany, France & Sweden.
- The top five countries of origin for asylum applications were DRC, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan & Eritrea.
- "Refugee status based on the 1951 Convention was granted in 30 per cent of decisions in 2012."
- The top five refugee-hosting countries were Pakistan, Iran, Germany, Kenya and Syria.
- The top five refugee-producing countries were Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and Sudan.
Previous editions of the yearbook can be accessed here.
Tagged Publications.
News: Humanitarian Symposium
Tune in at 9:00am EST/2:00pm GMT today to watch a webcast of OCHA's first Humanitarian Symposium. The moderated high-level event "will convene experts from across the field to answer the question: 'Where will the international humanitarian system stand in 2025?'" You can also follow the discussion on Twitter at #aid2025.
Tagged Events & Opportunities.
Tagged Events & Opportunities.
11 December 2013
Thematic Focus: Humanitarian Assistance
Contribution to Change: An Approach to Evaluating the Role of Intervention in Disaster Recovery (Practical Action Publishing & Oxfam, Nov. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
E-transfers in Emergencies: Implementation Support Guidelines (Cash Learning Partnership, Nov. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
Help Wanted: Local Aid Workers Need Psychosocial Assistance Too (IRIN, Dec. 2013) [text]
Regional Organisations and Humanitarian Action (ODI, Nov. 2013) [text]
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): Multilateral Aid Review (DFID, 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
World Humanitarian Data and Trends 2013 (OCHA, Dec. 2013) [access]
- "[P]resents global and country-level data and trend analysis about humanitarian crises and assistance. Its purpose is to consolidate this information and present it in an accessible way. It is intended to establish a common baseline of data that can be used to make comparisons across time. The information can be used for analysis of humanitarian crises and assistance, to support humanitarian policy decisions and to provide context for operational decisions."
Tagged Publications.
E-transfers in Emergencies: Implementation Support Guidelines (Cash Learning Partnership, Nov. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
Help Wanted: Local Aid Workers Need Psychosocial Assistance Too (IRIN, Dec. 2013) [text]
Regional Organisations and Humanitarian Action (ODI, Nov. 2013) [text]
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): Multilateral Aid Review (DFID, 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
World Humanitarian Data and Trends 2013 (OCHA, Dec. 2013) [access]- "[P]resents global and country-level data and trend analysis about humanitarian crises and assistance. Its purpose is to consolidate this information and present it in an accessible way. It is intended to establish a common baseline of data that can be used to make comparisons across time. The information can be used for analysis of humanitarian crises and assistance, to support humanitarian policy decisions and to provide context for operational decisions."
Tagged Publications.
Thematic Focus: Resettlement, Integration
6954 Kilometres to Home (Juan Reina) [access via European Resettlement Network]- Watch an excerpt of a film about a refugee family's resettlement journey from the DRC to Finland.
Clarifying UNHCR Resettlement: A Few Considerations from a Legal Perspective, New Issues in Refugee Research, Paper no. 264 (UNHCR, Nov. 2013) [text]
A New Beginning: Refugee Integration in Sweden - It's about Time! (UNHCR, Sept. 2013) [text]
New Beginnings: Refugees Tell Their Story as They Hope for a New Life in the U.S. (ICMC, Dec. 2013) [text]
Postmillenial UNHCR Refugee Resettlement: New Developments and Old Challenges, New Issues in Refugee Research, Paper no. 265 (UNHCR, Nov. 2013) [text]
Reexamining Cultural Orientation Provided to Newly Arrived Refugees, Capstone Collection, Paper no. 2629 (SIT Graduate Institute, Nov. 2013) [text]
Refugee Resettlement in the EU: Between Shared Standards and Diversity in Legal and Policy Frames, KNOW RESET Research Report, no. 2012/03 (European University Institute & ECRE, 2013) [text]
Resettlement of Displaced Persons on the Thai-Myanmar Border (Springer, Dec. 2013) [info]
- An Executive Summary for this text is freely available.
Social Integration of Somali Refugees in Southern Finland: Young Males' Perspective, Bachelor Thesis (Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Autumn 2013) [text]
Towards a New Beginning: Refugee Integration in France (UNHCR, Sept. 2013) [text]
Tagged Publications.
Opportunities: Summer 2014 Courses
Summer Course on Refugee and Forced Migration Issues, Toronto, 12-18 May 2014 [info]
- The Centre for Refugee Studies (CRS) offers a seven-day "non-credit course for academic and field-based practitioners working in the area of forced migration." "Through attending lectures and related small group sessions, course participants develop a deepened understanding of the political, economic, social and cultural contexts of forced migration, and the major state and non-state institutions involved in refugee protection and advocacy. " The deadline for early bird registration and visa applicants is 31 January 2014; for all others, it is 1 April 2014.
CFMS Summer Institute: The Refugee Status Determination Process, Evanston, IL, 1-7 June 2014 [info]
- The Center for Forced Migration Studies (CFMS) offers a "seven-day, non-degree earning certificate program" that "introduces participants to the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol refugee regime, the international legal basis for refugee status and the variations in how UNHCR and authorities in different countries determine whether an asylum-seeker is eligible for refugee status, with a particular focus on the United States." Apply for early bird rates by 2 May 2014.
*European Law and Policy on Immigration and Asylum, Brussels, 30 June-11 July 2014 [info]
- "The aim of the Summer School is to provide its participants with an comprehensive understanding of the immigration and asylum policy of the European Union from a legal point of view. The programme is organised by the "Academic Network for Legal Studies on Immigration and Asylum in Europe", founded with the financial support of the Odysseus Programme of the European Commission and co-ordinated by the Institute for European Studies of the Université Libre de Bruxelles." The closing date for applications is 13 June 2014.
International Summer School in Forced Migration, Oxford, 7-25 July 2014 [info]
- The Refugee Studies Centre (RSC) offers a three-week course "aimed at mid-career or senior policymakers and practitioners involved with humanitarian assistance and policymaking for forced migrants." "Beginning with reflection on the diverse ways of conceptualising forced migration, the course considers the political, legal and well being issues associated with contemporary displacement. Individual course modules also tackle a range of other topics, including globalisation and forced migration, and negotiating strategies in humanitarian situations." The deadline for bursary applications is 1 March 2014; for all others, it is 1 May 2014.
Statelessness Programme Summer Course, Tilburg, Neth., 4-8 August 2014 [info]
- This course will "consider statelessness and the right to nationality from various angles. It will deal with legal and policy issues associated with statelessness. The status of stateless persons, their human rights and international protection will be addressed, as well as ways to research and document statelessness." The application deadline is 1 April 2014.
*updated
Tagged Events & Opportunities.
- The Centre for Refugee Studies (CRS) offers a seven-day "non-credit course for academic and field-based practitioners working in the area of forced migration." "Through attending lectures and related small group sessions, course participants develop a deepened understanding of the political, economic, social and cultural contexts of forced migration, and the major state and non-state institutions involved in refugee protection and advocacy. " The deadline for early bird registration and visa applicants is 31 January 2014; for all others, it is 1 April 2014.
CFMS Summer Institute: The Refugee Status Determination Process, Evanston, IL, 1-7 June 2014 [info]
- The Center for Forced Migration Studies (CFMS) offers a "seven-day, non-degree earning certificate program" that "introduces participants to the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol refugee regime, the international legal basis for refugee status and the variations in how UNHCR and authorities in different countries determine whether an asylum-seeker is eligible for refugee status, with a particular focus on the United States." Apply for early bird rates by 2 May 2014.
*European Law and Policy on Immigration and Asylum, Brussels, 30 June-11 July 2014 [info]
- "The aim of the Summer School is to provide its participants with an comprehensive understanding of the immigration and asylum policy of the European Union from a legal point of view. The programme is organised by the "Academic Network for Legal Studies on Immigration and Asylum in Europe", founded with the financial support of the Odysseus Programme of the European Commission and co-ordinated by the Institute for European Studies of the Université Libre de Bruxelles." The closing date for applications is 13 June 2014.
International Summer School in Forced Migration, Oxford, 7-25 July 2014 [info]- The Refugee Studies Centre (RSC) offers a three-week course "aimed at mid-career or senior policymakers and practitioners involved with humanitarian assistance and policymaking for forced migrants." "Beginning with reflection on the diverse ways of conceptualising forced migration, the course considers the political, legal and well being issues associated with contemporary displacement. Individual course modules also tackle a range of other topics, including globalisation and forced migration, and negotiating strategies in humanitarian situations." The deadline for bursary applications is 1 March 2014; for all others, it is 1 May 2014.
Statelessness Programme Summer Course, Tilburg, Neth., 4-8 August 2014 [info]
- This course will "consider statelessness and the right to nationality from various angles. It will deal with legal and policy issues associated with statelessness. The status of stateless persons, their human rights and international protection will be addressed, as well as ways to research and document statelessness." The application deadline is 1 April 2014.
*updated
Tagged Events & Opportunities.
Regional Focus: Australia's Offshore Processing Centres
After a research visit to Australia's offshore processing centre on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea on 11-16 November 2013, Amnesty International has published a report that "details how asylum seekers are being held in a prison-like regime, in extremely cramped compounds in stifling heat, while being denied sufficient water and medical help." The report is available here:
"This is breaking people": Human Rights Violations at Australia’s Asylum Seeker Processing Centre on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea (Amnesty International, Dec. 2013) [text]
- See also AI's "The Truth about Manus Island."
Other recent reports evaluating conditions at offshore processing centres on Manus Island and Nauru include (organized in reverse chronological order):
- UNHCR Monitoring Visit to Manus Island, Papua New Guinea: 23 to 25 October 2013 (UNHCR Canberra, Nov. 2013) [text]
- UNHCR Monitoring Visit to the Republic of Nauru: 7 to 9 October 2013 (UNHCR Canberra, Nov. 2013) [text]
- UNHCR Monitoring Visit to Manus Island, Papua New Guinea 11-13 June 2013 (UNHCR Canberra, July 2013) [text]
- UNHCR Mission to Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, 15-17 January 2013 (UNHCR Canberra, Feb. 2013) [text]
- UNHCR Mission to the Republic of Nauru 3-5 December 2012 (UNHCR Canberra, Dec. 2012) [text]
- What We Found on Nauru (Amnesty International, Dec. 2012) [access]
Apparently, media access to the detention facilities on PNG and Nauru has been severely limited. A journalist resorted to hidden cameras to access centres at both locations for this Four Corners report.
Tagged Publications.
10 December 2013
New Issue of RSQ
The latest issue of the Refugee Survey Quarterly (RSQ) is now available. Articles in vol. 32, no. 4, Dec. 2013 include:- From Zero Tolerance to Harm Reduction: “The Asylum Problem Problem” [abstract] [earlier version]
- Assessing Refugee Camp Characteristics and the Occurrence of Sexual Violence: A Preliminary Analysis of the Dadaab Complex [abstract]
- The UNHCR and Zimbabwean Refugees in Mozambique, 1975–1980 [abstract]
- Coping Strategies of Sudanese Refugee Women in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya [abstract]
- EU Labour Immigration Policy: Discourses and Mobility [abstract]
- Consistency in Refugee Decision-Making: A Judicial Perspective [abstract]
Tagged Periodicals.
News: Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day is commemorated annually on 10 December, the day when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. 2013 marks several milestones: the 65th anniversary of the UDHR and the 20th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, which called for the establishment of a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The theme of this year's Human Rights Day is therefore "20 Years of Working for Human Rights."
In recognition of Human Rights Day, Refworld has launched a Russian version of its database. This development is part of the Asylum Systems Quality Initiative in Eastern Europe and South Caucasus project, which started in Spring 2013 and aims to improve the "asylum procedures and refugee protection in six EU neighboring countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine."
Tagged Events & Opportunities and Web Sites/Tools.
In recognition of Human Rights Day, Refworld has launched a Russian version of its database. This development is part of the Asylum Systems Quality Initiative in Eastern Europe and South Caucasus project, which started in Spring 2013 and aims to improve the "asylum procedures and refugee protection in six EU neighboring countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine."Tagged Events & Opportunities and Web Sites/Tools.