Regional Focus: MENA

Short pieces:

From Gaza to Lebanon: Forcible Displacement Dressed in Humanitarian Garb (EJIL: Talk Blog, April 2026) [text]

Funding cuts push refugee families in Egypt to the brink (UNHCR, April 2026) [text]

Humanitarian scorecard: Six months in, Gaza ceasefire is failing (NRC et al., April 2026) [text]

Impacts of the Middle East conflict on East African refugees and migrants (Mixed Migration Centre, April 2026) [text]

- "This article examines the implications of the conflict for refugees and migrants from East and the Horn of Africa who reside in Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)."

When Warnings Displace: Evacuation Orders, Civilian Protection, and the Right to Remain in Lebanon (RLI Blog, April 2026) [text]

- See also related TNH article.

Reports:

Enhanced Regional Survey on Syrian Refugees Perceptions and Intentions on Return to Syria, Wave 2:  Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon (UNHCR, April 2026) [text]

- See also related summary.

Protection Overview of Afghan Refugees in Iran: Key Protection Risks, Needs and Priorities amid Economic Pressure and Insecurity (UNHCR, April 2026) [text]

- See also related report on Afghans' protection concerns in Iran.

Return and reintegration in Syria: home under strain (Mixed Migration Centre, April 2026) [text]

*Syria: Protection and Reintegration Insights - Voices of returnees and host communities across Syria (January-March 2026) (UNHCR, April 2026) [text]

UNRWA’s ability to fulfil its mandate across its areas of operation (EU Agency for Asylum, April 2026) [text]

Journal articles:

"Challenges of Afghan refugees in accessing healthcare services in Iran: a qualitative interview study," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 25 April 2026 [open access] 

"Hesitant sharing, hesitant caring: How global and national policies on refugees and asylum seekers interact in the global South," Comparative Migration Studies, 14:24 (April 2026) [open access]

- Focuses on Egypt.

"Honorable Return or Diplomatic Expedient? Opportunities and Limitations for the Dignified Return of Refugees to Syria from Türkiye," Border Crossing, vol. 16, no. 1 (2026) [open access]

"Stuck or striving in the city? Urban friction and the making of internal–international migration pathways in Iraqi Kurdistan," Comparative Migration Studies, 31 March 2026 [open access]

Multimedia:

*The Human Cost of the War in Iran (Forced from Home Podcast Series, 2026) [access]

Surviving war while delivering aid (Rethinking Humanitarianism Podcast Series, April 2026) [access]

- Focuses on Lebanon.

*UPDATED

Related post:

- Regional Focus: MENA (9 April 2026)

Regional Focus: Africa

Blog posts & press:

"Although it’s dangerous, we need to survive": Burundian Refugees in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda are Enacting Grassroots Responses to COVID-19 (Africa is a Country Blog, Aug. 2020) [text]

COVID-19 and Urban Refugees in Africa (Psychology Today Blog, Aug. 2020) [text]

"Nigerians Returned from Europe Face Stigma and Growing Hardship," The New Humanitarian, 28 July 2020 [text]

Journal articles:

"'Children are our pension': Livelihood Diversification, Social Security, and Kinship Constraints among East African Refugees," Anuac, vol. 9, no. 1 (2020) [open access]

"Constructing Space for Refugee Voices in National Peacebuilding Processes," Peacebuilding, vol. 8, no. 2 (2020) [ResearchGate]
- Focuses on Liberia and Ghana.

"Predictors of Social Support, Physical Health and Mental Health among Food Insecure Internally Displaced Persons in Turkana, Kenya," Conflict and Health, 14:58 (Aug. 2020) [open access]

"Protection of Civilians Mandates and ‘Collateral Damage’ of UN Peacekeeping Missions: Histories of Refugees from Darfur," International Peacekeeping, Latest Articles, 6 Aug. 2020 [open access]

Reports:

Cash Transfer Models and Debt in the Kalobeyei Settlement (Refugee Studies Centre, Aug. 2020) [text]

Exploring the Impact of COVID19 on the Vulnerabilities of Migrants on the Central Mediterranean Route (UK DFID, July 2020) [access via ALNAP]
- Focuses on migrants in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger heading to North Africa. Follow link for main report, methodology and annex. See also related summary.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Ethiopian Refugees and Migrants in Somaliland, MMC East Africa and Yemen 4Mi Snapshot (Mixed Migration Centre, July 2020) [text]

‘On this journey, no one cares if you live or die’: Abuse, Protection, and Justice Along Routes Between East and West Africa and Africa’s Mediterranean Coast (UNHCR & Mixed Migration Centre, July 2020) [text]
- See also related press release.

Personal Narratives Reduce Negative Attitudes toward Refugees and Immigrant Outgroups: Evidence from Kenya, CSDI Working Paper, no. 1 (Vanderbilt Univ., July 2020) [text]

Protracted Displacement in the Horn of Africa: Internal Report (TRAFIG Project, Feb. 2020) [text]

Refugee and Host Communities in Ethiopia: 2018–2019 Integrated National Study (ODI, Aug. 2020) [text]

Refugees and Migrants in Bloemfontein, South Africa during the Coronovirus Pandemic (Refugees in Towns, March 2020) [text]

Related posts:
- Regional Focus: Africa - Pt. 1 (28 July 2020)
- Regional Focus: Africa - Pt. 2 (28 July 2020)

Thematic Focus: Human Trafficking & Smuggling - Pt. 2

Reports & journal articles:

Anti-Trafficking Review, no. 14 (2020) [open access]
-  Special issue on "Technology, Anti-Trafficking, and Speculative Futures," with 10 articles.

Beyond Militias and Tribes: The Facilitation of Migration in Libya, EUI Working Paper, no. RSCAS 2020/09 (European Univ. Institute, 2020) [text]

"Conflict and Migration: From Consensual Movement to Exploitation," Stability: International Journal of Security & Development, vol. 8, no. 1 (May 2019) [open access]

"Gangs and Modern-Day Slavery in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala: A Non-Traditional Model of Human Trafficking," Journal of Human Trafficking, Latest Articles, 3 Feb. 2020 [preprint]

The Gendered Dynamics of Trafficking in Persons across Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand (UN Women et al., March 2020) [text via ODI]

Irregular Migration in Senegal: Faith, Dreams and Human Smuggling through the Desert and Sea, Working Paper, no. 67 (Migrating Out of Poverty, March 2020) [text]

Journal of Human Trafficking, vol. 6, no. 2 (2020) [full-text]
- Special issue on "Palermo at 20: A Retrospective and Prospective." The 12 articles are all either free full-text or open access. Includes "Simulating a Multi-agency Approach for the Protection of Trafficked Persons in Migration and Displacement Settings" and "Thailand’s Challenges in Implementing Anti-Trafficking Legislation: The Case of the Rohingya."

The Libyan Slave Trade: A Study on the Responsibility of the Libyan Government and Relevant Regional and International Bodies Based on International Standards, Dissertation (Univ. of Cape Town, April 2019) [text]

The Role of Smugglers in East Africans’ Mixed Migration to Libya via Sudan North Africa, MMC North Africa 4Mi Snapshot (Mixed Migration Centre, revised March 2020) [text]

Victims & Offenders: An International Journal of Evidence-based Research, Policy, and Practice, vol. 15, no. 3 (2020) [contents]
- Special issue on "Victimization and Offending in Mexico: The Three-pronged Security Challenges of Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Smuggling." The introduction is freely available.

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Human Trafficking & Smuggling - Pt. 1 (5 May 2020)

Regional Focus: Africa

Anything New under the Sun? Analysing the Shifting Flow of Eritrean Asylum Seekers to Europe (Regional MMS, May 2016) [text]

Kenya’s Threat on Camp Closures Exposes Some Hard Truths (IPI Global Observatory, May 2016) [text]

Lake Chad Basin Emergency: Humanitarian Needs and Response Overview 2016 (OCHA, April 2016) [text]

Mali - Humanitarian Brief: A Rare Possibility to Avoid a Protracted Crisis (OCHA, updated March 2016) [text]

The Migrants Taking on a Warzone (IRIN, May 2016) [text]

Mission Report: An NGO Perspective on the Response to the Humanitarian Crisis in Northeastern Nigeria, March 28-April 9, 2016 (InterAction, May 2016) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Refugees in the Great Lakes Region: Challenges to Peacebuilding," Conflict Trends, no. 1 (2016) [full-text]

Shifting Tides: The Changing Nature of Mixed Migration Crossings to Yemen (Regional MMS, May 2016) [text]

Survey Finds Nigerian Refugees in Cameroon Want to Go Home (UNHCR, May 2016) [text]

To Stay and Deliver? The Yemen Humanitarian Crisis 2015, Emergency Gap Series, no. 02 (MSF, April 2016) [text]

"What’s Going on in Nigeria?," Forced Migration Review, no. 52 (May 2016) [open access]

Why is the Cost of Hosting Refugees Falling on the World’s Poorest States? (Justice Matters in Africa Blog, May 2016) [text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Africa (4 May 2016)

Tagged Publications.  

Regional Focus: MENA, incl. Syria

Opportunites:

Course: Palestine Refugees and International Law, Amman, 11-12 March 2016 [info]
- No deadline indicated; 25 spaces available.

*Course: Designing Research with Urban Displaced Populations in MENA Region, Cairo, 24-28 January 2016 [info]
- Registration deadline is 15 December 2015.

Publications:

Conditions and Risks of Mixed Migration in North East Africa (Mixed Migration Hub, Nov. 2015) [text]
 - Follow link for report and podcast of event launching the research.

Do We Need a Regional Compact for Refugee Protection in the Middle East? (LSE Middle East Centre Blog, Oct. 2015) [text]

Escaping Conflict: The Syrian Refugee Crisis Explained, Webinar, 30 Oct. 2015 [info]
- Follow this link for video (will be available for six months).

"In Limbo at Europe's Door: African Migrants Can’t Reach Continent, but Can’t Go Home," Wall Street Journal, 2 Nov. 2015 [text]
- Report from Morocco.

The MOU between Egypt and UNHCR, Problems and Recommendations, Cairo, 21 Oct. 2015 [access]
- Follow link for video, presented in two parts.

Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 1 January-31 December 2014, UN Doc. No. A/70/13 (UN General Assembly, 2015) [text via Refworld]

Turkey's Refugee Politics, Alert, no. 44 (EU Institute of Security Studies, Oct. 2015) [text]

Update on the Situation of Residents of the Hurriya Temporary Transit Location (UNHCR, Oct. 2015) [text]

Who Are They? Two Profiles of Syrian Refugees, PISM Policy Paper, no. 36 (Polish Institute of International Affairs, Oct. 2015) [text via ISN]

*UPDATED

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Iraqis & Syrians (4 Nov. 2015)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

New Issue of RSQ

The latest issue of the Refugee Survey Quarterly (vol. 31, no. 3, Sept. 2012) is now available.  Contents include:

• Complicity, Exclusion, and the Unworthy" in Refugee Law [abstract]
• Who must be Detained? Proportionality as a Tool for Critiquing Immigration Detention Policy [abstract]
• Rethinking Pre-removal Immigration Detention in the United States: Lessons from Europe and Proposals for Reform [abstract]
• Back to the Future: The Concept of "Comprehensive Solutions" [abstract]
• Gender and Conflict within Migrant Families: A Case Study of Mothers and Daughters of Moroccan Origin in Madrid [abstract]
• Of War, Flows, Laws and Flaws: A Reply to Hugo Storey [abstract]
• The Coping Skills of East African Refugees: A Literature Review [abstract]

Tagged Periodicals.   

New Issues of Environment & Urbanization, Global Public Health, Plein Droit, Torture Journal

Environment and Urbanization, vol. 23, no. 2 (Oct. 2011) [contents]
- Focus is on "Community-Driven Disaster Risk Reduction."

Global Public Health, vol. 6, no. 5 (2011) [contents]
- Special issue on "Violent Conflict and Population Health in the Middle East." Includes "Conflict, displacement and health in the Middle East" and "Predictors of displacement behaviour during the 2006 Lebanon war."

Plein Droit, no. 90 (Oct. 2011) [contents]
- Theme is "Réfugiés clandestins." Includes one full-text article.

Torture: Journal on Rehabilitation of Torture Victims and Prevention of Torture, vol. 21, no. 3 (2011) [full-text]
- Mix of articles, including "Comparison of two methods of inquiry for torture with East African refugees: Single query versus checklist."

Tagged Periodicals.