30 May 2015

News: Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean

Thailand hosted a "Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean" on 29 May 2015.  Here is a summary of the discussions, along with proposals and recommendations.

Other relevant documents/statements include:
- Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea: Proposals for Action (UNHCR, IOM & UNODC, May 2015) [text]
- Joint NGO Statement Ahead of the Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean, Bangkok, 29 May 2015 [text]
- South East Asia: ‘Boat People’ Crisis Summit an Opportunity That Must not be Missed (Amnesty International, May 2015) [text]
- Statement by Volker Türk, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, at the Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean, 29 May 2015, Bangkok, Thailand (UNHCR, May 2015) [text]

*Reports on and reactions to the outcome (will be updated as needed):
- Bangkok Meeting a Failure as Delegates Avoid Discussion of Key Issues in Regional Migrant Crisis (ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, May 2015) [text]
- "South-east Asian Countries Fail to Agree on Cause of 'Boat People' Crisis," The Guardian, 29 May 2015 [text]
- The Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean: Falling Short of Expectations (APRRN, June 2015) [text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Asia (27 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.


Thematic Focus: Law/Policy Items

"Asylum Discord: Disparities in Persecution Assessments," Nevada Law Journal, vol. 15, no. 1 (Fall 2014) [full-text via SSRN]
- Note: The author has provided his data in this supplement to the article.

Global Policy for IDPs: A Parallel Process?, Oxford, 27 May 2015 [access]
- Follow link for podcast.

Legal Aid in Europe: Minimum Requirements under International Law (Open Society Institute, April 2015) [text via Refworld]

"Safe Harbor: Shoring Up the Norm of Nonrefoulement," World Politics Review, 3 Dec. 2013 [free full-text]

Symposium on the (Ab)normality of Migration and the Legal Position of Migrants (EJIL: Talk! Blog, May 2015) [intro.]
- The posts that make up this symposium can be accessed here; scroll down to 19 May for the first one.

UNHCR’s Protection Guidelines: What Role for External Voices?, Oxford, 21 May 2015 [access]
- Follow link for podcast.

"Untested Assumptions: Psychological Research and Credibility Assessment in Legal Decision-making," European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 6: 27380 (May 2015) [open access]

With Internal Displacement on the Rise, International Law Leaves Protection Gap (ATHA Blog, May 2015) [text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Law/Policy Items (8 May 2015)

Tagged Publications. 

29 May 2015

Thematic Focus: Education

Access to Education for Syrian Refugee Children and Youth in Jordan Host Communities: Joint Education Needs Assessment Report (Education Sector Working Group, March 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Asylum Seeker and Refugee Children Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Childhood Educator’s Role," Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 39, no. 1 (March 2014) [free full-text]

Audit of the Arrangements for Supporting Education Programmes for Refugees in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Report 2015/033 (Office of Internal Oversight Services, April 2015) [text]

Education for All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges (UNESCO, April 2015) [access]
- Follow link for report and other resources; see also related NRC news story.

Immigrant and Refugee Workers in the Early Childhood Field: Taking a Closer Look (Migration Policy Institute, April 2015) [text]

"Improving Educational Achievement for Students from Somali Backgrounds in Auckland, New Zealand: An Evaluation of a School Catch-up Programme," Australasian Review of African Studies, vol. 35, no. 2 (Dec. 2014) [full-text]

"Refugees and Access to Vocational Education and Training across Europe: A Case of Protection of White Privilege?," Journal of Vocational Education & Training, vol. 67, no. 2 (2015) [abstract] [postprint via Univ. of East London IR]

Securing Education for Syrian Refugees in Jordan (International Peace Institute, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

"'The struggle for welcome': Valuing Difference through Refugee Stories in the English Curriculum," English in Australia, vol. 49, no. 3 (2014) [eprint via Queensland Univ. of Technology IR]

"Teacher-youth Inter-informant Agreement on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in a Community Sample of Refugee and Immigrant Adolescents in Montreal," Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education/Revue canadienne des jeunes chercheures et chercheurs en éducation, vol. 5, no. 3 (2014) [open access]

Towards a Global and Regional Framework to Address the Education of Somali Refugees (Samuel Hall, Feb. 2015) [text via ALNAP]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Education, esp. Syria (2 April 2015)

Tagged Publications. 

Regional Focus: Europe

Events:

Conference: Beyond Dublin: Rethinking Europe's Asylum System, Brussels, 3 June 2015 [info]
- The event will also be livestreamed.

Panel discussion: How Should Europe Respond to the Mediterranean Refugee Crisis?, Oxford, 17 June 2015 [info]

Resources:

Asylum in the EU – Easy or Not? (Full Fact, May 2015) [text]

Before the Boat: Understanding the Migrant Journey (MPI Europe, May 2015) [text]

Crisis in the Mediterranean, London, 28 May 2015 [access]
- Follow link for video.

Europe's Boat People (Graphic Detail Blog, May 2015) [text]

European Commission Makes Progress on Agenda on Migration (European Commission, May 2015) [text]

Information Note on the Regulation (EU) No 2014/516 of the European Parliament and the Council of 16 April 2014 establishing the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (ECRE, May 2015) [text]

Migration: Search and Destroy Does Not Save Lives (MSF, May 2015) [text]

A Military Solution to the Migration Crisis? (The Asylumist Blog, May 2015) [text]

The New EU Migration Agenda Takes Shape: Analysis of the First New Measures (EU Law Analysis Blog, May 2015) [text]

"The Recast Asylum Procedures Directive 2013/32/EU: Caught between the Stereotypes of the Abusive Asylum Seeker and the Vulnerable Refugee," Chapter in Reforming the Common European Asylum System: The New European Refugee Law (Martinus Nijhoff, Forthcoming 2015) [eprint via SSRN]

What Next for EU Migration Plans? (IRIN, May 2015) [text]

Related posts:
- Thematic Focus: EU Response to Human Trafficking & Smuggling (26 May 2015)
- Regional Focus: Europe (26 May 2015)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 


Thematic Focus: Health

"Access to Healthcare for the Most Vulnerable Migrants: A Humanitarian Crisis," Conflict and Health, 9:16 (May 2015) [open access]

Attacks on Health: Global Report (Human Rights Watch & Safeguarding Health in Conflict, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Hepatitis E Outbreak among Refugees from South Sudan — Gambella, Ethiopia, April 2014–January 2015," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 64, no. 19 (May 2015) [full-text via ReliefWeb]

“It happens every month”: Refugee Women Talk about Managing Their Periods (IRC Blog, May 2015) [text]
- Commemorates "Menstrual Hygiene Management Day" (28 May).

Study of Domestic Capacity to Provide Medical Care for Vulnerable Refugees: A Survey and Policy Study Examining Medical Case Management and Healthcare Accessibility for Refugees (U.S. Committe for Refugees and Migrants, April 2015) [text]
- See also related U.S. State Dept. announcement.

"Trends in the Utilization of Antihypertensive Medications among Palestine Refugees in Jordan, 2008-2012," Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice, 8:17 (May 2015) [open access]

Related posts:
- Thematic Focus: Mental Health (22 May 2015)
- Thematic Focus: Health (7 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.


28 May 2015

Thematic Focus: General, incl. Urban Displacement

Publications:

Annual Report 2015 (U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, April 2015) [text]

Are Those Fleeing Persecution and Impoverishment so very Different? (The Conversation, May 2015) [text]

Compounding Risk: Disasters, Fragility and Conflict (International Alert, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Global Policy for IDPs: A Parallel Process?, Oxford, 27 May 2015 [access]
- Follow link for podcast.

The Moving Energy Initiative (Norwegian Refugee Council, May 2015) [info]

Peoples under Threat 2015 (Minority Rights Group, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Refugee, Asylum Seeker, Migrant: What's the Difference? (Thomson Reuters Foundation, May 2015) [text]

Urban displacement:

Better Late than Never? The Evolution and Implementation of UNHCR's Urban Refugee Policy , Oxford, 6 May 2015 [access]
- Follow link for podcast.

Desk Review: Urban Displacement and Outside of Camp (CCCM Cluster, April 2015) [text via ALNAP]

"Refugee Health and Wellbeing: Differences between Urban and Camp-based Environments in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Refugee Studies, Advance Access, 15 April 2015 [full-text via ResearchGate]

UNHCR Diagnostic Tool for Alternatives to Camps: 2015 Global Results (UNHCR, 2015) [text]
- See also this brochure which provides more information about the diagnostic tool.

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: General (4 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.

27 May 2015

Regional Focus: Asia

Access to Citizenship in Transitional Myanmar: Seeking Rohingya Rights the Wrong Way?, Working Paper, no. 13 (Refugee Law Initiative, May 2015) [text]

In Focus: Montagnard Asylum Seekers in Cambodia (Kaldor Centre, May 2015) [access]

IOM Appeal: Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea Crisis (IOM, May 2015) [text]

Joint NGO Statement Ahead of the Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean, Bangkok, 29 May 2015 [text]
- Note: More information about the upcoming meeting is available from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

*Joint Statement: Ministerial Meeting on Irregular Movement of People in Southeast Asia (Govts. of Indonesia, Malaysia & Thailand) [text via ReliefWeb]

Overview of Natural Disasters and Their Impacts in Asia and the Pacific, 1970-2014 (ESCAP, March 2015) [text]

*Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Testing Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship (Nanyang Technological Univ., May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Southeast Asia: Accounts from Rohingya Boat People (Human Rights Watch, May 2015) [text]

*Southeast Asia: Put Rights at Center of Boat People Summit (Human Rights Watch, May 2015) [text]

Typhoon Haiyan: Community Research into the Relocation of Internally Displaced People in the Philippines (Oxfam, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Understanding and Responding to the Rohingya Crisis (Refugee Council of Australia, May 2015) [text]

UNHCR Head "Extremely Enthusiastic" after Meeting Leaders of Afghanistan (UNHCR, May 2015) [text]

Visit Report: Thai-Burma Borderland (Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

*UPDATED

Related posts:
- News: Southeast Asia's Maritime Refugee Crisis (18 May 2015)
- Regional Focus: Asia (13 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.

Thematic Focus: Durable Solutions

Event:

Panel discussion: Managing Humanitarian Protection: Refugee Resettlement and Other Global Solutions, Hendon (London), 3 June 2015 [info]

Publications:

Convergence or Diversity? A Comparative Analysis of Scandinavian Introduction Programmes for Newly Arrived Refugees, Paper presented at workshop on "The Civic Turn in European Immigrant Integration Policies," ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops, Warsaw, 29 March-2 April 2015 [text]

From Refugee to Migrant? Labor Mobility's Protection Potential (Migration Policy Institute, May 2015) [text]

Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy (Congressional Research Service, Feb. 2015) [text via Univ. of North Texas]

"Refugee Integration Policy: The Effects of UK Policy-Making on Refugees in Scotland," Journal of Social Policy, vol. 44, no. 02 (April 2015) [postprint]

Resettlement Fact Sheet 2014 (UNHCR, 2015?) [text]

Senators Urge President Obama to Allow More Syrian Refugees to Resettle in the U.S. (JRS USA Blog, May 2015) [text]

Solutions Alliance Somalia Group Launched (Solutions Alliance, March 2015) [access]
- Follow link for information about the launch and the aims of the group.

Web site:

Somalia Return Consortium [access]
- "[E]stablished to respond proactively to the trends indicating an increased interest in voluntary returns as a solution to displacement in Somalia. The Consortium members offer comprehensive and standardized support to internally displaced Somalis who wish to voluntary return home and resume lives in their area of origin."

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Durable Solutions (28 April 2015)

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



26 May 2015

Thematic Focus: EU Response to Human Trafficking & Smuggling

Beyond Slavery (openDemocracy, May 2015) [access]
- New blog series on "trafficking, smuggling and migration, arguing that mobility is central to life and that state restrictions on movement are the true threat to human wellbeing."  Read the first post.

EU Anti-trafficking Policies: From Migration and Crime Control to Prevention and Protection, Policy Brief, no. 2015/09 (Migration Policy Centre, 2015) [text]

The EU’s Planned War on Smugglers (Statewatch, May 2015) [text via Migrants at Sea]
- See also text of the EU plan and EU press release.

"Migrant Crisis: Smuggling or Trafficking? Politicians Don't Seem to Know," The Guardian, 22 April 2015 [text]

The Vital Difference between Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling (openDemocracy, Nov. 2014) [text]

The War on Migrants and Refugees: Has the ‘Never Again’ Imperative Been Forgotten? (Essays on Migration and Politics Blog, May 2015) [text]

WikiLeaks Releases Classified Documents Describing EU Plans For Military Strikes Against Libyan Migrant Smugglers (Migrants at Sea, May 2015) [text]

Will the EU Migration Agenda (at Last) Propose to Update the EU Legislation on Smuggling? (Free Group Blog, May 2015) [text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Europe (26 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: Europe

Event:

Conference: "Contradictions: Envisioning European Futures," 22nd International Conference of Europeanists, Paris, 8-10 July 2015 [info]
- Programme includes two panels on European migration and asylum policies as well as a number of other papers on refugee and migration issues; register by 8 June 2015.

Publications:

Asylum Decisions in the EU (Eurostat, May 2015) [text]
- See also related ECRE analysis.

Balancing National Objectives and Settling Rivalries: Towards a New European Asylum System? (SSRN, May 2015) [text]

Eastern European Borders Annual Risk Analysis 2015 (Frontex, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

EU: Don’t Endanger Lives at Sea or Deny Protection (Human Rights Watch, May 2015) [text]

[New Country Reports] (AIDA, May 2015)
- New and/or updated reports available for Croatia, Greece and Sweden.

Off to a Shaky Start: Ukrainian Government Responses to Internally Displaced Persons (Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement & HIAS, May 2015) [text]
- See also info re. related panel discussion.

(Un)Professional Relationships and the Struggle for Expertise in Asylum Appeals, Presentation at European Asylum Adjudication Procedures Workshop, Bern, 2014 [text via SSRN]

Western Balkans Annual Risk Analysis 2015 (Frontex, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Europe (19 May 2015)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

22 May 2015

Thematic Focus: Statelessness

Opportunity:

FY 2015 Notice of Funding Opportunity for NGO Programs Benefiting Individuals Potentially in Danger of Statelessness in the Dominican Republic [info]
- Proposal submission deadline is 8 June 2015.

Publications:

Access to Citizenship in Transitional Myanmar: Seeking Rohingya Rights the Wrong Way?, Working Paper, no. 13 (Refugee Law Initiative, May 2015) [text]

*"Comparative Perspectives on Statelessness and Persecution," Kansas Law Review, vol. 63, no. 4 (2015) [full-text]

ECOWAS Heads of States Endorse the Abidjan Declaration on the Eradication of Statelessness (UNHCR, May 2015) [text]

First Global Forum on Statelessness: New Directions in Research and Policy - Key Outcomes (UNHCR, Oct. 2014) [text]

*"Images of Statelessness: A Photo Essay of Myanmar’s Rohingya," Journal of International Affairs, vol. 68, no. 2 (Spring/Summer 2015) [access]

A Look Back at Seven Years at the Helm of UNHCR’s Statelessness Section (ENS Blog, May 2015) [text]

"The Prohibition of Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality under International Law and EU Law: New Perspectives," Hungarian Yearbook of International Law and European Law 2014 (2015) [full-text via MigRefLaw Blog]

The State of Statelessness in the Middle East (Future Development Blog, May 2015) [text]

Statelessness and Displacement: Scoping Paper (Norwegian Refugee Council & Tilburg University, May 2015) [text]

Using the UPR to Address Statelessness (ENS Blog, May 2015) [text]

*UPDATED

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Statelessness (11 May 2015)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: Mental Health

"EMDR for Syrian Refugees with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial," European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 6: 27414 (May 2015) [open access]

"Incidence of Psychotic Disorders among First-generation Immigrants and Refugees in Ontario," CMAJ, Early Release, 11 May 2015 [free full-text]
- See also related press release.

"Internally Displaced 'Victims of Armed Conflict' in Colombia: The Trajectory and Trauma Signature of Forced Migration," Current Psychiatry Reports, OnlineFirst, 19 Aug. 2014 [full-text via Academia.edu]

Intervention: Journal of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Conflict Affected Areas, vol. 12, Suppl. 1/no. 4 (Dec. 2014) [free full-text]
- Features special section on "New Frontiers in Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing in Low Resource and Conflict Affected Settings," including two refugee-related articles.

"Mental Health First Aid Training for the Bhutanese Refugee Community in the United States," International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 9:20 (May 2015) [open access]

"Untested Assumptions: Psychological Research and Credibility Assessment in Legal Decision-making," European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 6: 27380 (May 2015) [open access]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Mental Health (1 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.

21 May 2015

Regional Focus: Africa

3 Key Trends That Lie Beneath a Silent Displacement Crisis in Kenya’s North-east (IDMC Blog, May 2015) [text]

Building on the Foundation: Formative Evaluation of the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) Transition Process in Kenya, PDES/2015/01 (UNHCR, April 2015) [text]

The Crisis Continues for the Displaced in Central African Republic (RI Blog, May 2015) [text]

Many Fleeing Burundi Have No Wish to Return (IRIN, May 2015) [text]

The National Responsibility to Protect Internally Displaced People: The Kampala Convention, Addis Ababa, 8-10 December 2014 [workshop report]

"Refugee Health and Wellbeing: Differences between Urban and Camp-based Environments in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Refugee Studies, Advance Access, 15 April 2015 [full-text via ResearchGate]

Securing Housing, Land and Property Rights in Conflict-affected Central African Republic (UNHCR & Norwegian Refugee Council, 2015?) [text]
- See also French version.

State Formation, Humanitarianism, and Institutional Capabilities in South Sudan (International Peace Institute, May 2015) [text via RefliefWeb]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Africa (5 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.

20 May 2015

New Issue of RSQ

The latest issue of the Refugee Survey Quarterly (RSQ) has been published.  Contents of vol. 34, no. 2, June 2015 include:

  • “Rather Than Talking in Tamil, They Should Be Talking to Tamils”: Sri Lankan Tamil Refugee Readiness for Repatriation [abstract]
  • From Ad Hoc to Universal: The International Refugee Regime from Fragmentation to Unity 1922–1954 [full-text via Academia.edu] 
  • Refugees’ Conceptualizations of “Protection Space”: Geographical Scales of Urban Protection and Host–Refugee Relations [abstract]
  • Getting Refugees to Work: A Street-level Perspective of Refugee Resettlement Policy [abstract]
  • Recognizing Refugee Status for Victims of Trafficking and the Myth of Progress [abstract]


Tagged Periodicals.

New Issues of Dis. Prev. & Mgmt., JEMS, J. Intl. Humit. Leg. Stud., JIMI, JPRS, WAN

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 24, no. 2 (2015) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 41, no. 7 (2015) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "Spatial Dependence in Asylum Migration."

Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies, vol. 6, no. 1 (2015) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

Journal of International Migration and Integration, vol. 16, no. 2 (May 2015) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

Journal of Palestinian Refugee Studies, vols. 4/5, nos. 1/2 (2014/15) [full-text]
- This issue includes articles that focus on the 2014 Gaza conflict, the situation of Palestinian refugees in Syria, and the right of return.

Women's Asylum News, no. 130 (April/May 2015) [full-text]
- Lead article is "Closing the Protection Gap."

Tagged Periodicals.

Regional Focus: MENA, incl. Syria

Conflict, Famine, Refugees, and IDPs: A Perfect Storm in Yemen? (Future Development Blog, May 2015) [text]

Fateh Azzam: Palestine Should Give Its Refugees Citizenship (PRRN Blog, May 2015) [text]

Global Challenges to Refugee Protection: Lessons from the Middle East and Europe, Sydney, 30 April 2015 [access]
- Follow link for video.

Multi-Sector Needs Assessment of Hosting Communities across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (UNDP & REACH, March 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Notes from the Turkish Border (RI Blog, May 2015) [text]

"Refugees in the Arab Middle East: Academic and Policy Perspectives," Digest of Middle East Studies, vol. 24, no. 1 (Spring 2015) [eprint via Academia.edu]

The State of Statelessness in the Middle East (Future Development Blog, May 2015) [text]

Statement by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Mr. Chaloka Beyani, upon Conclusion of His Official Visit to Iraq – 9 to 15 May 2015 (OHCHR, May 2015) [text]
- See also related IRIN news story.

Related posts:
- Regional Focus: Syria (12 May 2015)
- Regional Focus: MENA (12 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.


Regional Focus: Oceania

Events:

Refugee Week Australia, 14-20 June 2015 [access]
- This year's theme is "It takes courage to be a refugee." Follow the link for information about events and resources.

Publications:

Castan Centre Human Rights Report 2015 (Monash University, 2015) [text]
- Includes several articles relating to asylum-seekers and refugee law.

"Australia’s Treatment of Asylum Seekers: Reflections from a Visit to Sri Lanka," Rights in Exile Newsletter, no. 59 (May 2015) [full-text]

Excluding Undeserving Claimants: New Zealand’s Interpretation of Art 1F(C) Refugee Convention, Legal Research Paper Series, Student/Alumni Paper, no. 13  (Victoria University of Wellington, 2013; posted May 2015) [text via SSRN]

In Focus: Resettlement of Refugees from Nauru to Cambodia (Kaldor Centre, May 2015) [access]

"Narratives of Return among Refugee-background South Sudanese in New Zealand," Australasian Review of African Studies, vol. 35, no. 1 (June 2014) [full-text]

"'To Watch, To Never Look Away': The Public's Responsibility for Australia's Offshore Processing of Asylum Seekers," Alternative Law Journal, vol. 39, no. 3 (2014) [full-text via SSRN]

"'Unwanted invaders': The Representation of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the UK and Australian Print Media," eSharp, no. 23 (Spring 2015) [full-text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Oceania (30 April 2015)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

19 May 2015

Events & Opportunities: More June 2015

Workshop: The Fear of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as Grounds for Seeking Asylum, Oxford, 22 July 2015 [info]
- Register by 1 June 2015.  *This workshop has been postponed until November.*

Workshop: Palestine Refugees and the Interpretation of Art. 1D, Oxford, 27 July 2015 [info]
- Registration deadline is 1 June 2015.

 RFP: Development of a Communication Package on Protection, UNHCR [info]
- Submission deadline is 3 June 2015.

FY 2015 Notice of Funding Opportunity for NGO Programs Benefiting Individuals Potentially in Danger of Statelessness in the Dominican Republic [info]
- Proposal submission deadline is 8 June 2015.

Annual event: Refugee Week Australia, 14-20 June 2015 [access]
- This year's theme is "It takes courage to be a refugee."  Follow the link for information about events and resources.

Annual event: Refugee Week UK, 15-21 June 2015 [access]
- Celebrate the contributions of refugees to the UK.  Follow the link to learn more about events around the country.

Training: Urban Disaster, Vulnerability and Displacement: Humanitarian Challenges, New York, 13-17 July 2015 [info]
- Apply by 29 June 2015.

Related post:
- Events & Opportunities: Even More May 2015/June 2015

Tagged Events & Opportunities. 

Regional Focus: Europe

Publications:

The EU’s Planned War on Smugglers (Statewatch, May 2015) [text via Migrants at Sea]
- See also text of the EU plan and EU press release.

The External Dimension of EU Asylum Policy: Taking Speed or Fading Away? (Fondazione ISMU, May 2015) [text]

Extraterritorial Processing in Europe: Is ‘Regional Protection’ the Answer, and If Not, What Is?, Policy Brief, no. 1 (Kaldor Centre, May 2015) [text]

Hard Evidence: Which EU Countries Can Afford to Take the Most Refugees? (The Conversation, May 2015) [text]

*"The Humaneness of EU Asylum Law and Policy," Chapter in The Human Face of the European Union: Are EU Law and Policy Humane Enough? (Cambridge University Press, Forthcoming 2015) [eprint via SSRN]

In Focus: European Approaches to Migration in the Mediterranean (Kaldor Centre, May 2015) [text]
- New resource from the Kaldor Centre that will be updated regularly: "This in focus brief tracks the recent development of these debates, and draws together key resources. It identifies the key proposals for how to manage the flow of asylum seekers and migrants across the Mediterranean into Europe, and sets out the position of each stakeholder on these proposals."

"Migrant Crisis: Smuggling or Trafficking? Politicians Don't Seem to Know," The Guardian, 22 April 2015 [text]

*New European Agenda on Migration 2015: Searching for Consensus (Regional MMS, May 2015) [text]

Protecting Europe or Irregular Migrants? The (Mis)use of Force in the Mediterranean (EJIL Talk Blog, May 2015) [text]

Web site:

Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on Migrants’ Rights in the Mediterranean [access]
- Web site for newly established Centre of Excellence in Naples, Italy.  The Centre will undertake teaching and research; promote dialogue between academics and policymakers; and publish and disseminate new tools and best practice in the migration field. Watch for a forthcoming working paper series.

*UPDATED

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Europe (14 May 2015)

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

18 May 2015

News: Southeast Asia's Maritime Refugee Crisis

All at Sea: What Lies Behind Southeast Asia’s Migrant Crisis? (IRIN, May 2015) [text]

"How to Solve the Asian Migrant Boats Crisis: Expert Views," The Guardian, 15 May 2015 [text]

*Joint Statement by UNHCR, OHCHR, IOM and SRSG for Migration and Development: Search and Rescue at Sea, Disembarkation, and Protection of the Human Rights of Refugees and Migrants Now Imperative to Save Lives in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea [text]

Kept Afloat by Hope: The Endless Odyssey of the Rohingya (IRIN, May 2015) [text]

"Rohingya Boat People Crisis Demands Regional Response," The Age, 15 May 2015) [text via Swinburne Univ. of Technology]

The Rohingya Exodus from Myanmar (Thomson Reuters, May 2015) [access]
- Follow link for special coverage.

Save Lives at Sea! (Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, May 2015) [text]

"South-east Asia Faces its Own Migrant Crisis as States Play 'Human Ping-pong'," The Guardian, 14 May 2015 [text]

South East Asia’s Migrant Boat Crisis is a Global Responsibility (The Conversation, May 2015) [text]

Three Southeast Asia Nations to Meet Amid Migrant Boat Crisis (Thomson Reuters, May 2015) [text]

*UPDATED

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Asia (13 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.

Thematic Focus: Children

"A Collision between Asylum Law and the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction," Inside Immigration, vol. 5, no. 8 (July 2014) [eprint via SSRN]

Getting on the List: The Registration of Children Born to IDPs (IDMC, May 2015) [text]

'The Government Just Stops Parents Parenting' – Finding Better Ways to Build Safety around Children in Families from a Refugee Background, RegNet Research Paper, no. 76 (Regulatory Institutions Network, 2015) [text via SSRN]

"Humanitarian Protections and the Need for Appointed Counsel for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Facing Deportation," Washington & Lee Journal of Civil Rights & Social Justice, vol. 21, no. 1 (2014) [full-text]

"Unaccompanied Child Minors in 'Crisis': New Surge or Case of Arrested Development?," Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy, vol. 27 (2014-2015) [full-text via ImmigrationProf Blog]

"Unaccompanied Minors: Finding Lawyers for Hundreds of Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors Facing Removal Tests the Limits of Pro Bono Resources-Especially in the Central Valley," California Lawyer (May 2015) [full-text]

"Understanding Social Exclusion and Psychosocial Adjustment of North Korean Adolescents and Young Adult Refugees in South Korea through Photovoice," Qualitative Social Work, 25 Feb. 2015 [postprint via Academia.edu]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Children (30 April 2015)

Tagged Publications.

15 May 2015

Thematic Focus: Women

Opportunities:

Workshop: The Fear of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as Grounds for Seeking Asylum, Oxford, 22 July 2015 [info]
Register by 1 June 2015.  *This workshop has been postponed until November.*

Student conference: Mobile Identities? Perspectives on Gender and Migration, London, 5 June 2015 [info]
- Register by 4 June 2015.

Publications:

Don’t Forget about Refugee Moms This Mother’s Day (Human Rights First Blog, May 2015) [text]

European Sexual Nationalism: Refugee Law after the Gender & Sexuality Critiques, Paper presented at Nordic Asylum Law Seminar, Uppsala, 8 May 2015 [text]

"FGM and Asylum in Europe," Forced Migration Review, no. 49 (May 2015) [open access]
- Mini-feature on female genital mutilation (FGM), with five articles.

Listening to Women and Girls Displaced to Urban Afghanistan (Norwegian Refugee Council, March 2015) [text]

The Long Journey of Palestine Refugee Women (UNRWA, March 2015) [access]
- Photo collection commemorating women refugees.

Protecting Women and the Environment in the Great Lakes Region (Women's Refugee Commission, March 2015) [access]
- Series of studies on safe access to cooking fuel and energy resources.

Protecting Women on the Move: Mixed Migration Drivers, Trends and Protection Gaps in Djibouti (Regional MMS, Feb. 2015) [exec. summ.]

Women's Asylum News, no. 130 (April/May 2015) [full-text]
- Lead article is "Closing the Protection Gap."

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Women (18 March 2015)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

14 May 2015

Regional Focus: Europe

News:

Yesterday, the European Commission presented its European Agenda on Migration, "outlining the immediate measures that will be taken in order to respond to the crisis situation in the Mediterranean as well as the steps to be taken in the coming years to better manage migration in all its aspects."  The Agenda also includes a two-pronged plan to relocate and resettle refugees across Member States.  See the Annex for more information.

For highlights of the proposed measures, read this IRIN analysis and this EU Law Analysis blog post. Here is UNHCR's position on the EC's migration agenda. See also other reactions from Amnesty International and IOM. And for a series of questions to consider about the refugee sharing scheme, visit Storify.

These two EPRS items provide overviews of the relevant international organizations involved and the legal framework for dealing with refugees and migrants.

Publications:

Boat People and Gunships in the Mediterranean (Inside Story, May 2015) [text]

A Comparative Legal Approach to the Protection of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the European Union: With a Focus on the Principle of Non-Refoulement (SSRN, May 2014) [text]

EU Asylum Policy: In Search of Solidarity and Access to Protection, Policy Brief, no. 2015/06 (Migration Policy Centre, May 2015) [text]

The European Asylum Crisis: Towards Collective Reception and Fair Quotas, To the Point, no. 2015-1 (Expert Council of German Foundations on Migration and Integration, May 2015) [text]

Migration Crisis in the Mediterranean (CONCORD, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Mutual Recognition of Positive Asylum Decisions in the European Union (FREE Group Blog, May 2015) [text]

October 3 Could Become an Official Day to Remember Fallen Migrants (Open Society Foundations, May 2015) [text]

Should Europe Open its Borders or Shore Them up? (IRIN, May 2015) [text]

Related posts:
- News: Launch of EU Border Deaths Database (12 May 2015)
- Regional Focus: Europe (11 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.

13 May 2015

Thematic Focus: Older People & Persons with Disabilities

*Central African Republic: People with Disabilities Left Behind (Human Rights Watch, April 2015) [text]

"Disability and Asylum Law," The Researcher, vol. 10, no. 1 (April 2015) [full-text]

Disability and the Global South: An International Journal, vol. 2, no. 1 (2015) [info]
 - Special issue on "Disability and Forced Migration."

Disaster Risk and Age Index (HelpAge International, March 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Compendium of Accessible WASH Technologies (WaterAid et al., Dec. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Health Status and Health Needs of Older Refugees from Syria in Lebanon," Conflict and Health, 9:12 (April 2015) [open access]

"RAM-OP: A Rapid Assessment Method for Assessing the Nutritional Status, Vulnerabilities, and Needs of Older People in Emergency and Development Settings," Field Exchange, no. 49 (March 2015) [full-text]

Review of Australian Research on Older People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds (FECCA, March 2015) [text]

"The Situation of Older Refugees and Refugees with Disabilities, Injuries, and Chronic Diseases in the Syria Crisis," Field Exchange, no. 48 (Nov. 2014) [full-text]

Treatment of PTSD and Comorbid Symptoms in Adult and Elderly Refugees: Does Age Matter?, Thesis (Utrecht University, 2015) [text]

*UPDATED

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Persons with Disabilities (17 March 2015)

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: Asia

Nepal’s Horrific Earthquake: Is the International Community Doing Too Much to Prepare? (Order from Chaos Blog, May 2015) [text]

Pushed Offshore, the ‘Boat People’ Crisis Demands Regional Response (The Conversation, May 2015) [text]

"Refugee-state Distrust on the Thai-Burma Border," Forced Migration Review, no. 49 (May 2015) [open access]

"Reviving Dignity: The Remarkable Perseverance of Myanmar’s Displaced," IPS, 12 May 2015 [text]

South-East Asia: Irregular Maritime Movements, January-March 2015 (UNHCR, May 2015) [text]
- See also related UNHCR briefing note and news story.

*Southeast Asia: End Rohingya Boat Pushbacks (Human Rights Watch, May 2015) [text]

Understanding Humanitarian Action in South Asia: Responses to Famine and Displacement in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century India (ODI, May 2015) [text]

UNHCR Alarmed at Reports of Boat Pushbacks in South-east Asia (UNHCR, May 2015) [text]

*UPDATED

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Asia (4 May 2015)

Tagged Publications.

12 May 2015

Regional Focus: Syria

Aid Inside Syria: A Step in the Right Direction? (Refugees International, May 2015) [text]

Beyond Humanitarian Assistance? UNHCR and the Response to Syrian Refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, January 2013-April 2014 (TRANSTEC, Jan. 2015) [text]
- Note: This is an Independent Programme Evaluation (IPE) of UNHCR's response to the refugee influx in Lebanon and Jordan.  See also UNHCR's management response to the evaluation.

*Gulf Donors and NGOs Assistance to Syrian Refugees in Jordan (UNHCR, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Information Kit, no. 11: Syrian Refugees - Iraq: Humanitarian Inter-Agency Interventions - 1st Quarterly Report: 2015 (UNHCR, April 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Mistaken as Terrorists: How Innocent Syrian Refugees are Prevented from Resettling in the US (The View from Above Blog, April 2015) [text]

No End in Sight: The Worsening Syrian Refugee Crisis, Washington, DC, 4 May 2015 [info]
- Follow link for podcast.

Resettlement and Other Forms of Admission for Syrian Refugees (UNHCR, May 2015) [text]

"Sweet Tea and Cigarettes: A Taste of Refugee Life in Jordan," Forced Migration Review, no. 49 (May 2015) [open access]

Syrian Asylum Seekers Sue Government of Japan for Failure to Recognize Refugee Status (RefLaw Blog, May 2015) [text]

Syrian Refugees in Turkey: The Long Road Ahead (Migration Policy Institute, April 2015) [text]

*UPDATED

Related post:
- Regional Focus: MENA, incl. Syria (17 April 2015)

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: MENA

Opportunity:

Workshop: Palestine Refugees and the Interpretation of Art. 1D, Oxford, 27 July 2015 [info]
- Registration deadline is 1 June 2015.

Publications:

Detained, Beaten, Deported: Saudi Abuses against Migrants during Mass Expulsions (Human Rights Watch, May 2015) [text]

The Displacement of Minorities in Syria and Iraq: Implications for Human Security, Policy Report, no. 02/09 (UNU-GCM, 2015) [text]

Journal of Palestinian Refugee Studies, vols. 4/5, nos. 1/2 (2014/15) [full-text]
- This issue includes articles that focus on the 2014 Gaza conflict, the situation of Palestinian refugees in Syria, and the right of return.

'Libya is full of cruelty': Stories of Abduction, Sexual Violence and Abuse from Migrants and Refugees (Amnesty International, May 2015) [text]

Palestinian #Refugees and the Current Syrian Conflict: From Settled Refugees to Stateless Asylum Seekers? (Allegra Lab, Feb. 2015) [text]

Refugees, Masculinity and Discrimination (MPC Blog, May 2015) [text]

The Situation of Migrants in Transit through Libya en Route to Europe (UN Support Mission in Libya, May 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: MENA (29 April 2015)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.