Regional Focus: Australia

Asylum-seekers on Bridging Visas in Australia: Protection Gaps (UNHCR Canberra, Dec. 2013) [text]

A Comparison of Coalition and Labor Government Asylum Policies in Australia since 2001 (Parliamentary Library of Australia, Feb. 2014) [text]
- See also related blog post.

Factsheets on Asylum Law and Policy (Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law) [access]
- See, e.g., the most recent one on Offshore Detention: Australia's Responsibilities and another on Debunking Myths.

Guide to Refugee Law (Legal Services Section, Refugee Review Tribunal & Migration Review Tribunal, updated Jan. 2014) [access]

Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Regaining Control Over Australia's Protection Obligations) Bill 2013 [access]
- Follow link for information about the bill, submissions (here are the ones from RCOA and from UNHCR), and other documentation; a final report will be issued on 3 March 2014.  Note that this committee recently concluded another inquiry relating to the Migration Amendment Bill.

Use of Temporary Humanitarian Concern Visas as an Alternative to Temporary Protection Visas (Refugee Council of Australia, Feb. 2014) [text]

For weekly news round-ups, see:

Asylum Insight [access]

Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law [access]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Australia (20 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

Regional Focus: Middle East

African Migrants in Israel Face "Voluntary" Return or Detention (IRIN, Feb. 2014) [text]

The Court of Justice of the European Union and Palestinian Refugees – Case C-364/11, El Kott (EDAL, Feb. 2014) [text]

Crossroads of Crisis: Yarmouk, Syria and the Predicament of Palestine Refugees, Beirut, 25 Feb. 2014 [access]
- Lecture by UNRWA Commissioner-General. Follow link for audio, video, text of the speech, and a summary.

Deserted (Foreign Policy, Feb. 2014) [text]

Overview of Current Situation of Asylum-seekers in Israel (Hotline for Refugees & Migrants, Feb. 2014) [text]

The Palestinian Refugee Issue: Compensation and Implementation Mechanisms, Minster Lovell, UK, 18-19 Dec. 2013 [text]

The Palestinian Refugee Issue: Normative Dimensions, Minster Lovell, UK, 13-14 Feb. 2014 [text]

Refugee Protection in the Middle East and the Role of UNRWA, London, 10 Feb. 2014 [access via PRRN Blog]
- Follow link for video.

"Turkey’s Refugee Regime Stretched to the Limit? The Case of Iraqi and Syrian Refugee Flows," Perceptions, vol. XVIII, no. 3 (Autumn 2013) [full-text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: MENA (19 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

Thematic Focus: Detention

Event:

"Global Strategy to End the Immigration Detention of Children," Side Event at UN Human Rights Council, Geneva, 14 March 2014 [info]

Publications:

Country Profiles (Global Detention Project, Feb. 2014) [access]
- Three new profiles are available on Hungary, Morocco and New Zealand.

Detention of Asylum Seekers: Analysis of Norway’s International Obligations, Domestic Law and Practice (NOAS, 2014) [text]

"Exporting Detention: Australia-funded Immigration Detention in Indonesia," Journal of Refugee Studies, vol. 26, no. 1 (2013) [free full-text]

Immigration Detention: Behind the Record Numbers (Center for Migration Studies, Feb. 2014) [text]

"Men and the Emotional World of Immigration Detention," Migration: A COMPAS Anthology (COMPAS, 2014) [text]

Web sites:

CONTENTION Research Project (Migration Policy Centre & Odysseus Network) [access]
- Officially kicked-off today, this project aims "to inform, analyse and compare the EU Return Directive based judicial control of pre-removal detention of third-country nationals in 11 EU Member States (AT, BG, BE, CZ, DE, FR, IT, NL, SK, SI and UK) with a view to improving it, in particular regarding the control of the length of detention."  See also the most recent MPC newsletter for a call for case law contributions.

Detention Logs: Inside Australia's Immigration Detention [access]
- "We publish data, documents and investigations that reveal new perspectives on conditions and events inside immigration detention."

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Detention (6 Feb. 2014)

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

Thematic Focus: Development-induced Displacement/Forced Evictions

Publications:

"Ethiopia’s Pastoralist Policies: Development, Displacement and Resettlement," Nomadic Peoples, Forthcoming [eprint]

Forced Displacement, Reparation, and a US Ban on Financing International Hydro-development: Policy Ramifications of New US Law (International Network on Displacement and Resettlement, Feb. 2014) [text]

Forced Evictions of Displaced People Lie in the Dark Shadows of Sochi Olympics (IDMC Blog, Jan. 2014) [text]

"Forced Evictions, Mass Displacement, and the Uncertain Promise of Land and Property Restitution in Haiti," Hastings Race and Poverty Law Journal, vol. 11, no. 1 (Winter 2013) [eprint via SSRN]

Forced Evictions Seize Kenyans’ Right to Adequate Housing (Human Rights Brief Blog, Dec. 2013) [text]

The Internally Displaced People of Colombia: Resisting Development Induced Displacement in the Quimbo, Student Essay (Göteborgs Universitet, Oct. 2013) [text]

Still at Risk: The Forced Eviction of Displaced People in Urban Afghanistan (IDMC, Feb. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]
- See also related blog post.

"'They Talk to Us but Never Listen to Us': Development-induced Displacement among Syria’s Bedouin," Nomadic Peoples, Forthcoming [eprint]

Web sites:

Center on Housing Rights & Evictions (COHRE) [access]
- As noted in this TerraNullius blog post, the COHRE web site disappeared in April 2012, but now has been re-instated online, presumably as an archive.  Some COHRE documents are also available via the resource library of the Global Initiative for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights.

Displacement Research & Action Network (MIT) [access]
- "[A] global network on displacement and land rights that brings together activists, academics and policy makers to build new theory and evidence of the increase and intensity of mass internal displacement around the world due to development, conflict or climate disaster."

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Development-induced Displacement (9 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

News: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 were released by the U.S. State Department today.  From the preface:

As we mark the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year, the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices highlight the continued pursuit of "free and equal dignity in human rights" in every corner of the world. Based on factual reporting from our embassies and posts abroad, these Congressionally mandated reports chronicle human rights conditions in almost 200 countries and territories. The reports draw attention to the growing challenges facing individuals and organizations as governments around the world fall short of their obligation to uphold universal human rights.

The Country Reports are frequently consulted by country of origin information researchers as part of the refugee status determination process. As such, they, along with other regularly issued human rights and conflict surveys, will eventually be incorporated into the repositories of country conditions databases produced by ecoi.net and Refworld.

Previous editions of the Country Reports can be accessed via my research guide.

Tagged Publications. 

Thematic Focus: Law/Policy Items

Events:

International Public Workshop Series on Armed Conflict, Generalised Violence and Asylum Law
- Two seminars will be held by the Refugee Law Initiative in collaboration with the Centre for Refugee Studies: 1) The ‘War Refugee’ and International War: New Global Approaches, London, 27 March 2014; 2) Regional Perspectives on Displacement: War, Generalised Violence and Refugee Protection, London, Date TBC

Publications:

Conscientious Objection to Military Service in International Human Rights Law (Oxford Human Rights Hub, Jan. 2014) [text]

Expert Meetings (UNHCR, Feb. 2014) [access]
- Brings together documents and background papers from protection-related meetings since 2002.

Guidance Note on Safeguards against Unlawful or Irregular Removal of Refugees and Asylum-seekers (UNHCR, Jan. 2014) [text]

A Place of Greater Safety: The Prosecution of Refugees for Passport Offences (Border Criminologies Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

Protection Checklist - Addressing Displacement and Protection of Displaced Populations and Affected Communities along the Conflict Cycle: A Collaborative Approach (OSCE & UNHCR, 2014) [text]

The Right to Leave a Country (The Justice Gap, Feb. 2014) [text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Law/Policy Items (14 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: General

Digging Migration Policy out of a Crisis (Thomson Reuters, Feb. 2014) [text]

Olympic Games Turned Blame Games: Responsibility for Abuse of Migrant Workers in Sochi (MigRefLaw Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

Overview of UNHCR's Global Programmes and Partnerships, 59th Meeting of the Standing Committee (EXCOM, Feb. 2014) [text]

Re-Thinking 'Risk' in Migration (COMPAS Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

Report on the Implementation of the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility 2012-2103 (European Commission, Feb. 2014) [text]

Research and Policy: A Troubled Relationship? (Debate Migration Blog, Jan. 2014) [text]

A Review of UNHCR Participatory Assessments in 2012 (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: General (17 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications. 

Tip of the Week! Link Expanders

Can this fit in a tweet?

Even though I'm not on Twitter, I do check certain Twitter feeds for relevant references.  However, since so many URLs are condensed to accommodate a tweet's character limits, it's not always obvious where they will lead you.  I'm pretty cautious about clicking on random links, even though I have anti-virus software and I keep my browsers up-to-date. I spend so much time online, the odds are ever in my favor of getting stung by something malicious!

So one way to decode shortened URLs is to use a link expander. This is a service that reveals the actual links that tiny URLs direct you to. There are many such services, but I've found both URL Uncover and LongURL to be useful.  Give them a try!

[Image credit: Wikipedia]

Tagged Tips.

Regional Focus: Syria

Yarmouk

*Assessment of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Assessment of Reproductive Health and Violence against Women among Displaced Syrians in Lebanon," BMC Women's Health 14:25 (Feb. 2014) [open access]

Assessment on Livelihood and Employment Condition of Syrian Refugees and Asylum Seekers Residing in Domiz Camp (Un Ponte Per, 2014?) [text via ReliefWeb]

Finding Solutions for Syrian Refugees: Resettlement, Humanitarian Admission, and Family Reunification (UNHCR, updated Feb. 2014) [text]

No End in Sight: Syria’s Refugees and Regional Repercussions, Washington, DC, 21 Feb. 2014 [access]
- Follow link for audio.

"Remarks by António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees," Briefing to the General Assembly (UNHCR, Feb. 2014) [text]

Syria: Welcome UN Resolution on Access to Aid (Human Rights Watch et al., Feb. 2014) [text]

Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Bracing for the Long Haul (UpFront Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

UNHCR Urges Countries to Offer Admission to 100,000 Syrians from Next Year (UNHCR, Feb. 2014) [text]

"Yarmuk Refugee Camp and the Syrian Uprising: A View from Within," Journal of Palestine Studies, vol. XLIII, no. 1 (Autumn 2013) [full-text]

*updated

[Image credit: "UNRWA’s Commissioner General Firmly Reiterates the Need for Unhindered Humanitarian Access after Visiting Yarmouk Camp," UNRWA, 24 Feb. 2014]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Syria (18 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications. 

Regional Focus: Europe

Event:

"Towards a Common European Asylum System: The Legislative Package of Second Generation," 7th European Congress for Jurists Specialised in Immigration and Asylum in Europe, Brussels, 8-9 April 2014 [info]
- Register by 31 March 2014.

Publications:

A Critical Chronology of European Migration Policies (Migreurop, updated Jan. 2014) [access]

Do Potential Asylum-seekers Have the Right to a Schengen Visa? (EU Law Analysis Blog, Jan. 2014) [text]

EDAL Conference 2014: Reflections on the Current Application of the EU Asylum Acquis, Dublin, 17-18 Jan. 2014 [info] [conf. prog.]
- Follow info. link for video of the proceedings; some of plenary/workshop papers are also available.  Additional videos/photos can be accessed via the Irish Refugee Council's YouTube channel and via Twitter.

EMN Bulletin, no. 6 (Feb. 2014) [full-text]

Guidance Note on the Transposition and Implementation of the EU Asylum Acquis (ECRE, Feb. 2014) [text]

Refugee Situation in Bulgaria (UNHCR Central Europe, Feb. 2014) [text]

Regional Migration Report: South Caucasus (Migration Policy Centre, 2013) [text]

Supreme Court Decides on Third Country Returns (Free Movement, Feb. 2014) [text]

To Believe or not to Believe? Harmonising EU Practices on Credibility Assessment in Asylum Claims (EDAL, Feb. 2014) [text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Europe (11 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Regional Focus: Americas, incl. Criminal Violence

Publications:

Asylum Fraud in New York's Chinatown? (ImmigrationProf Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

"Dictatorships, Refugees and Reparation in the Southern Cone of Latin America," Forced Migration Review, no. 45 (Feb. 2014) [open access]

The Long and Winding Road for Migrants in Mexico (LiveWire, Feb. 2014) [text]

"Mexico: From the Guiding Principles to National Responsibilities on the Rights of IDPs," Forced Migration Review, no. 45 (Feb. 2014) [open access]

"New OAS Conventions Protecting IDPs against Racism and Discrimination," Forced Migration Review, no. 45 (Feb. 2014) [open access]

Supporting Durable Solutions to Urban, Post-disaster Displacement: Challenges and Opportunities in Haiti (Brookings & IOM, Feb. 2014) [text]

UN Refugee Agency Chief Calls on Latin America to Champion Protection and Solutions for Displaced Populations (UNHCR, Feb. 2014) [text]
- References meeting that "launched the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees."

Web site:

Red Latinoamericana de migración forzada = Latin American Network on Forced Migration [access]
- "La RLMF vincula a académicos con miembros de organizaciones de la sociedad civil para construir y compartir conocimiento que aporte al debate político sobre migración forzada en América Latina y el Caribe."

Criminal violence & protection:

"Board of Immigration Appeals Delivers Two Judgments Defining 'Particular Social Group'," ELENA Weekly Legal Update, 14 Feb. 2014 [text]

*Central Americans Displaced by Criminal Violence: A Roundtable Discussion, Washington, DC, 11 Feb. 2014 [info]

"Criminal Violence and Displacement in Mexico," Forced Migration Review, no. 45 (Feb. 2014) [open access]

Gangs in Central America (U.S. Congressional Research Service, Feb. 2014) [text via Refworld]

*Helping Asylum Seekers Persecuted by Gang Violence: Victory at the Ninth Circuit (CGRS, Feb. 2014) [text]

"To Group or not to Group? Refugee Status for Central American Victims of Gang Violence," Tulane Journal of International and Comparative Law, vol. 22, no. 1 (Winter 2013) [abstract]

*updated

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Americas (6 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

Regional Focus: Somalis in Kenya

As Planning for Repatriation Ramps Up, Asylum Seekers Continue to Flee Somalia (RI Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

IOM, UNHCR Begin Return Intention Survey in Kenya’s Dadaab Refugee Camp (IOM, Feb. 2014) [text]

No Place like Home: Returns and Relocations of Somalia’s Displaced (Amnesty International, Feb. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Perspectives of Refugees on Returning to Somalia," Forced Migration Review, no. 45 (Feb. 2014) [open access]

Removals to Mogadishu are Re-starting (Free Movement, Feb. 2014) [text]

Repatriating Somali Refugees: A Kenyan National Security Red Herring (Africa in Transition Blog, Jan. 2014) [text]

"Repatriation of Somali Refugees from Kenya and the Principle of Non-refoulement," Pambazuka News, no. 664 (Feb. 2014) [text]

Somali Refugees in Kenya: Update (UNHCR, Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

The Tripartite Agreement: Contested and Complicated (RMMS, Feb. 2014) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: Asia

Opportunity: 

FY 2014 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Afghan Returnees and IDPs in Afghanistan and Afghan Refugees in Pakistan [info]
- Proposal submission deadline is 18 March 2014.

Publications:

The Calm after the Storm: Filipinos Struggle to Move on after Typhoon Haiyan (RI Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

Livelihood, Security, and Access to Services among Urban Refugees in Delhi, India (JIPS, Fall 2013) [text]
- See also more information about the project.

New Solutions for Afghanistan’s Protracted IDPs (IRIN, Feb. 2014) [text]

"Protection of Refugees: A Humanitarian Crisis in India," Voice of Research, vol. 2, no. 3 (Dec. 2013) [full-text]

Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, UN Doc. No. A/HRC/25/63 (UN Human Rights Council, Feb. 2014) [access via ReliefWeb]
- Follow link for main report, detailed findings, and a Q&A.

"Systemizing the Fate of the Stateless North Korean Migrant: A Legal Guide to Preventing the Automatic Repatriation of North Korean Migrants in China," Fordham International Law Journal, vol. 37, no. 1 (2013) [full-text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Asia (5 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: Children

Event & opportunity:

A Treacherous Journey: Child Migrants Navigating the U.S. Immigration System, Washington, DC, 27 February 2014 [info]
- Report launch (see infographic); event will also be livestreamed.

Contribute to Edited Collection: Working with Children Affected by Armed Conflict: Theory, Method and Practice [info]
 - Abstract submission deadline is 1 March 2014.

Publications:

Every Child Belongs (ENS Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

Migrant & Refugee Young People Negotiating Adolescence in Australia (Centre for Multicultural Youth, Feb. 2014) [text via BroCAP]

"Reflections on a Participatory Research Project: Young People of Refugee Background in an Arts-based Program," Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, vol. 5, no. 3 (Fall 2013) [full-text via BroCAP]

World Youth Report 2013: Youth and Migration (UN, Feb. 2014) [access]

Web sites:

Caring for Kids New to Canada (Canadian Paediatric Society) [access]
- "A guide for health professionals working with immigrant and refugee children and youth."

Destination Unknown (Terre des Hommes International Federation) [access]
- "[A]n international campaign to protect children on the move... ."

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Children (3 Feb. 2014)

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

Supporting Forced Migration Online

I visited Forced Migration Online (FMO) today and found the following notice:

Forced Migration Online is currently under review and the content on this website is no longer being updated. We recognize that FMO is a valuable resource for our many users and we are looking for funding opportunities to enable us to continue its development. If you would like to contribute to this process by providing feedback, please email fmo@qeh.ox.ac.uk.

If you have benefited from FMO's resources in the past, I would like to encourage you to take up the offer to provide feedback.  Currently, FMO doesn't have the requisite human resources in place to really sustain it. Yet, managing and maintaining information projects over time is labor-intensive and requires both staff who are technical and who are knowledgeable about content. Unfortunately, it can be hard to get sufficient financial support for the people needed to run these projects.

Here are some of the things I value about FMO:
- It provides access to a wide variety of curated materials and caters to a range of information-seekers.
- It ensures stable, long-term access to this variety of materials.
- It was one of the first online resources whose scope extended to all types of forced displacement, not just conflict-related.
- It promotes Open Access (OA); the documents in the Digital Library have been copyright-cleared, while other items have a CC-license attached to them.

And here are some specific examples of how FMO supports the work I do:
- My forced migration research guide links to a number of documents in the digital library;
- I've selected photos from FMO's photograph directory to grace many of the resources I've developed (including the one on this blog!);
- Over the years, I've referred many users who are new to a specific topic to FMO thematic and geographic research guides;
- I've regularly referenced FMO podcasts in blog posts;
- I've dug up older articles that I needed to read in the back issues of FMO's journal collection.

FMO has a flexible structure in place that can accommodate much more content and support additional types of resources.  Its full potential has definitely not yet been reached!  Please take a few moments to indicate your support for FMO!

Tagged Web Sites/Tools.

News: UNHCR/NGO Annual Consultations

2013 Consultations

The agenda for UNHCR's annual meeting with NGOs is now available.  The consultations are scheduled to take place in Geneva, 17-19 June 2014.  This year's theme is "Women's Leadership and Participation." Interested participants have until 16 May 2014 to register.

As they become available, background papers and additional information about side meetings will be posted to the site so be sure to check back.

Documentation and final reports from the 2011, 2012 and 2013 consultations are also available.

[Image credit: ©UNHCR/M.Ferré]

Tagged Events & Opportunities.  

Events & Opportunities: Even More March 2014

Request for Proposals: Independent Programme Evaluation of UNHCR's Response to the Refugee Influx in Jordan and Lebanon [info]
- Deadline for proposals is 2 March 2014.

Global Migration Lecture: The Paradoxes and Human Tragedies of the Schengen Border, Geneva, 3 March 2014 [info]

Research Assistant: "Addressing Demand in Anti-trafficking Efforts and Policies," Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, Florence, Italy  [info]
- Submit application by 7 March 2014.

Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Vacancies [info]
- The U.S. State Dept. is currently recruiting for two positions: Associate Protection Officer in Kathmandu, Nepal and Associate RSD Officer in Kakuma, Kenya; application deadline for both is 14 March 2014.

Stateless but not Rightless: Improving the Protection of Stateless Persons in Europe, Strasbourg, 8 April 2014 [info]
- Registration deadline is 14 March 2014.

FY 2014 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Afghan Returnees and IDPs in Afghanistan and Afghan Refugees in Pakistan [info]
- Proposal submission deadline is 18 March 2014.

CFP: "Boat Refugees" and Migrants at Sea: A Comprehensive Approach - Integrating Maritime Security with Human Rights, London, 23-24 June 2014 [info]
- Submit abstracts by 20 March 2014.

Departmental Lectureship in Forced Migration, Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford [info]
- Apply by 27 March 2014.

Expert Psychologists and the Refugee Tribunal, Sydney, 27 March 2014 [info]

Related post:
- Events & Opportunities: More March 2014

Tagged Events & Opportunities.  

New Issue of IJRL

The latest issue of the International Journal of Refugee Law (IJRL) is now available.  Contents for vol. 25, no. 4, Dec. 2013 include:

• The Dynamic of International Refugee Law [free full-text]
• Rethinking the Origins of ‘Persecution’ in Refugee Law [abstract]
• Questioning Governance in Protracted Refugee Situations: The Fiduciary Nature of the State-Refugee Relationship [abstract] [conf. paper]
• Speedy Asylum Procedures in the EU: Striking a Fair Balance Between the Need to Process Asylum Cases Efficiently and the Asylum Applicant’s EU Right to an Effective Remedy [abstract]
• The Reception of Expert Medical Evidence in Refugee Status Determination [abstract]
• German Courts and their Understanding of the Common European Asylum System [extract] [full-text via author site]

The texts of several cases and two book reviews round out the issue.

Tagged Periodicals.

Regional Focus: Australia

Australia Must Investigate Fatal Incident on Manus Island (Amnesty International, Feb. 2014) [text]
- See also UNHCR statement and Refugee Council of Australia media release.

"Fear and Loathing: The Threat of Asylum Seekers and Terrorism," Chapter in Spooked: The Truth about Intelligence in Australia (Univ. of New South Wales Press, Jan. 2014) [eprint via SSRN]

"Immigration Department Data Lapse Reveals Asylum Seekers' Personal Details," The Guardian, 18 Feb. 2014 [text]

The Medium and the Message: Comics about Asylum Seekers (The Conversation, Feb. 2014) [text]

Policy as Punishment: Asylum Seekers in the Community without the Right to Work (Centre for Human Rights Education, Feb. 2014) [text via APO]

 "The 'Stop the Boats' Obsession: A Viewpoint from Australia," ECRE Weekly Bulletin, 14 Feb. 2014 [text]

Note: For regular updates on developments re. Australia's asylum policy, follow @JFCrisp on Twitter.

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Oceania (13 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: MENA

Abused and Expelled: Ill-Treatment of Sub-Saharan African Migrants in Morocco (Human Rights Watch, Feb. 2014) [text]
- See also HRW press release and related IRIN news story.

Beyond Imagination: Asylum Seekers Testify to Life in Libya (Jesuit Refugee Service Malta, Jan. 2014) [text]

"'No Patients, No Problems': Exposure to Risk of Medical Personnel Working in MSF Projects in Yemen’s Governorate of Amran," Journal of Humanitarian Assistance (Feb. 2014) [full-text]

Normative Dimensions of the Palestinian Refugee Issue (PRRN Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

Sana’a Declaration, Regional Conference on Asylum and Migration, 11-13 Nov. 2013 [text]
- See also this earlier blog post which includes additional references to this conference.

Saudi Arabia: 12,000 Somalis Expelled - Mass Deportations without Considering Refugee Claims (HRW, Feb. 2014) [text]

Under Fire: Israel’s Enforcement of Access Restricted Areas in the Gaza Strip (IDMC, Feb. 2014) [access]
- Follow link for report and briefing paper.

Related post:
- Regional Focus: MENA (3 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

New Issues of HRQ, Humanit. Exch., Intl. Rev. Red Cross, MJIL, Prot. Cluster Dig., WAN

Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 1 (Feb. 2014) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

Humanitarian Exchange, no. 60 (Feb. 2014) [full-text]
- Focus is on "Gender-based Violence in Emergencies."

International Review of the Red Cross, vol. 94, no. 888 (Dec. 2012) [full-text]
- Special issue on the ICRC's "150 Years of Humanitarian Action"; includes article by the HC on "Forced Displacement and the Role of the ICRC: Perspectives for the Twenty-first Century."

Michigan Journal of International Law, vol. 35, no. 1 (Fall 2013) [full-text]
- Includes special feature on the "Michigan Guidelines on the Exclusion of International Criminals."

Protection Cluster Digest, vol. 2 (2013) [full-text]
- Includes special focus on internal displacement.

Women’s Asylum News, no. 121 (Jan./Feb. 2014) [text via Refworld]
- News and information from the Women's Project at Asylum Aid.

Tagged Periodicals.

Regional Focus: Syria

The Crisis in Yarmouk: Palestinian Refugees in Syria (Institute for Palestine Studies, Feb. 2014) [access]
- Follow link for video.

Disability Assessment Report: Syrian Refugees in Northern Iraq (UNHCR & REACH, Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

Europe Must Take on its Share of the Syrian Refugee Burden, but How? (Migration Policy Centre, Feb. 2014) [text]

Guidelines to Referral Health Care in Lebanon (UNHCR, Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

"How to Build a Perfect Refugee Camp," New York Times Magazine, 16 Feb. 2014 [text]

*Syrian Refugees in Turkey, 2013: Field Survey Results (Govt. of Turkey, Feb. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

Turkey, the EU and Syria: Reprioritising Refugees’ Rights and Needs (openDemocracy, Feb. 2014) [text]

*updated

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Syria (10 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: Africa

"Congolese Asylum Seekers Face 'Torture with Discretion' after Removal from UK," The Observer, 15 Feb. 2014 [text]

Fields of Bitterness (II): Restitution and Reconciliation in Burundi (International Crisis Group, Feb. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]
- Second of two-part series on land reform issues in Burundi.

Livelihood Security among Refugees in Uganda: Opportunities, Obstacles, and Physical Security Implications, Independent Study Project (SIT Graduate Institute, Oct. 2013) [text]

Refugee Crisis Hits Central African Republic’s Neighbours as More Flee Violence (MSF, Feb. 2014) [text]

Seeking Safety in Uganda (RI Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

Statistiques de la Population Déplacée en RCA (Global Protection Cluster, Feb. 2014) [access]
- Source for infographic above.

UNHCR Position on Returns to South Sudan (UNHCR, Feb. 2014) [text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Africa (31 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

Thematic Focus: Gender Issues

Upcoming event:

Gender-based Violence in Emergencies, London, 18 February 2014 [info]
- This panel discussion will officially launch the Humanitarian Exchange issue and HPN Network Paper listed below.  Will also be livestreamed.

Publications:

"Domestic Violence Asylum after Matter of L-R," Yale Law Journal, vol. 123 (Forthcoming, 2014) [eprint via SSRN]

"Gender-based Violence in Emergencies," Humanitarian Exchange, no. 60 (Feb. 2014) [full-text]
- Theme issue featuring 13 articles.

Overview of Research Literature and Reports about Violence against and amongst Refugees with a Focus on Sexual and Gender-based Violence (Center for Conflict Studies, 2013) [text]
- Part of a research project on "Gender Relations in Confined Spaces: Conditions, Scope and Forms of Violence against Women in Conflict-related Refugee Camps."

Preventing and Responding to Gender-based Violence in Humanitarian Contexts, Network Paper, no. 77 (Humanitarian Practice Network, Jan. 2014) [text]
- See also related literature review.

Rights of Women's and Asylum Aid's Evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into Female Genital Mutilation (Asylum Aid, Feb. 2014) [text]

Women's Asylum News, no. 121 (Jan./Feb. 2014) [full-text via Refworld]
- Lead article is "We Have to Stop Locking up Rape Victims."

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Gender Issues (28 Jan. 2014)


Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: General

Upcoming event:

Refugee Diasporas as Development Actors, Brussels, 18 March 2014 [info]
- "How can diaspora organizations help development work in their countries of origin? What challenges are faced by refugee groups in supporting their countries of origin? How can development agencies, non-governmental organizations and refugee diasporas work together, and what challenges and prospects are there in such partnerships"

Publications:

"Crisis," Forced Migration Review, no. 45 (Feb. 2014) [open access]
- This issue "contains 33 articles on crisis, migration and displacement."

Finding Global Solutions: Alternatives to Long-term Encampment of Refugees, Global Studies Project Report (Roskilde Universitet, Dec. 2013) [text]

Guide to Dataset Use for Humanitarian and Development Practitioners (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Human Security 20 Years on: The Evolution of Human Security," NTS Bulletin (Jan. 2014) [full-text]


The Role of Ethics and Compliance in UNHCR: Global Context and Specific Challenges (bepress, April 2013) [text]

Securing Borders: The Intended, Unintended, and Perverse Consequences (Migration Policy Institute, Jan. 2014) [text]

Web sites:

Migration Policy Institute [access]
- Re-vamped web site.

UNU Migration Network [access]
- "A portal to showcase cutting-edge migration research for policymakers." Includes a project area on "forced migration."  Here's the press release for more info.  See also related Trust.org article.

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: General (16 Jan. 2014)

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

Thematic Focus: Law/Policy Items

Publications:

The Centrality of Protection: Whose Responsibility is it Anyway?, Keynote Address at Global Protection Cluster Retreat, 28-29 Jan. 2014 [text]

Guidelines on Temporary Protection or Stay Arrangements (UNHCR, Feb. 2014) [text]

On the Borders of Refugee Protection: The Impact of Human Rights Law on Refugee Law – Comparative Practice and Theory, London, 13-14 Nov. 2013 [conf. report]

Refugees at Risk: Canada Prioritizes the Removal of Refugees (Oppenheimer Chair, Feb. 2014) [text]

When is a Refugee not a Refugee? (Free Movement, Feb. 2014) [text]

Multimedia:

The Child in International Refugee Law, Oxford, 5 Feb. 2014 [access]

Explaining Variation in the Acceptance of Asylum-Seekers and Refugees, London, 21 Jan. 2014 [access]

"Korea's Refugee Act: A Critical Evaluation under International Law," Journal of East Asia and International Law, vol. 6, no. 2 (Autumn 2013) [access]
- Follow link for author intro. to his law review article.

Three Asylum Paradigms, Oxford, 12 Feb. 2014 [access]

Web site:

Southern Refugee Legal Aid Network (SRLAN) [access]
- "Formalising a movement for refugee rights and legal representation in the global south."

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Law/Policy Items (4 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

Thematic Focus: Statelessness

Access to Nationality and the Effective Implementation of the European Convention on Nationality (PACE, Jan. 2014) [text via Refworld]

"Apátridas Saharauis en España: Europa y su Memoria = Stateless Sahrawi in Spain: Europe and their Memory," Anuario Mexicano de Derecho Internacional, vol. XVI (2014) [full-text]

Banjul Appeal on Statelessness (Regional Round Table on Statelessness in West Africa, Dec. 2013) [text via Refworld]

Every Child Belongs (ENS Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

"Here, We are Walking on a Clothesline": Statelessness and Human (In)Security among Burmese Women Political Exiles Living in Thailand, Thesis (Portland State University,  2012) [text]

The Human Rights of Stateless Rohingya in Thailand (Equal Rights Trust, Feb. 2014) [text]

Mexico Withdraws Reservations to Refugee and Statelessness Conventions (UNHCR, Feb. 2014) [text]

Stateless Terrorists: Citizenship in an Age of Risk (Border Criminologies, Feb. 2014) [text]

Related post
- Thematic Focus: Statelessness (5 Feb. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: Oceania

Publications:

All at Sea: Australia's Asylum Policy (RI Blog, Feb. 2014) [text]

"Asylum Seekers and the Refugee Convention," Parliamentary Library Briefing Book: Key Issues for the 44th Parliament (Parliamentary Library, 2103) [text]
- Note: The 44th Parliament opened in November 2013.

"Asylum Seekers on Manus Island Should Be Made Aware of Legal Rights, Court Told," The Guardian, 30 Jan. 2014 [text]

Australia's Refugee and Humanitarian Program 2014-15: Community Views on Current Challenges and Future Directions (Refugee Council of Australia, Feb. 2014) [text]
- See also previous submissions.

Letters from Nauru (Border Criminologies, Jan. 2014) [text]

Web sites:

Crossborder Operational Matters [access]
- "This website focuses on five crucial aspects of the Australian Government’s policies around the border": On-Water Operations; Internment Industry Supply-Chains & Infrastructure; Precarious Lives; Global Problem, Global Links, Global Campaign; Antiracism.

What Would You Do? (Jewish Aid Australia) [access]
- Web site supporting a campaign to "inject a sense of humanity back into the Australian discourse on asylum seekers."

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.