Thematic Focus: ICTs & Other Technologies

Short pieces:

CareLine: Using AI Responsibly to Help Answer Refugees’ Queries (UNHCR Blog, July 2026) [text]

Explainer: How UNHCR is using AI to support refugees and improve operations (UNHCR, July 2026) [text]

‘High-Impact’ or Not? How DHS Classifies AI in Immigration Enforcement (Immigration Impact Blog, July 2026) [text]

- Focuses on the US.

"What the WFP cyber-attack has in common with visa scandals," The New Humanitarian, 16 July 2026 [text]

York U awarded $2.5M to investigate, mitigate impact of increasing digital surveillance on refugees (York Univ., July 2026) [text]

Reports & journal articles:

Digital Community Engagement in Protracted Crises: A Methodological Framework for Longitudinal Research using the Upinion Platform, HADRI Global Development Working Paper, no. 2 (Western Sydney Univ., 2026) [text]

- Focuses on refugee populations in Greece and the Netherlands.

"The humanitarian AI paradox: Key opportunities, challenges and research needs for the use of AI in humanitarian mental health response," Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, vol. 13 (2026) [open access]

"Mediated information grounds: living with(in) pareshani, social networks and gendered media practices among the Rohingya refugees," Information, Communication & Society, Latest Articles, 8 June 2026 [open access]

- Focuses on Rohingya refugees in Australia and Bangladesh.

"Mobility as climate change adaptation in South Africa: Exploring the legal and policy significance of artificial intelligence," Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, vol. 18, no. 1 (2026) [open access]

"Prácticas digitales y experiencias afectivas entre mujeres mexicanas solicitantes de asilo atrapadas en Tijuana, México," Migraciones, vol. 67 (2026) [open access]

"When digital aid meets reality: A socio-technical analysis of feasibility requirements in cash-based interventions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, vol. 231 (Oct. 2026) [open access]

- Focuses on Uganda.

Related post:

- Thematic Focus: ICTs & Other Technologies (7 July 2026)

Regional Focus: MENA

Opportunities:

Seminar: Refugees Return from Egypt: Legal Frameworks, Historical Contexts, and Contemporary Practices, Cairo, 14 June 2026 [info]

- *Note: This seminar has been postponed until further notice.

Consultancy: Regional Study on Gender Dynamics, Risks, and Decision-Making Related to Syrian Returns in Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye, and Syria [info]

- Submit proposal by 21 June 2026.

Short pieces:

Mixed migration through Iran (Mixed Migration Centre, May 2026) [access]

- Infographic.

Occupied Palestinian Territory: UN experts alarmed by escalating settler terror and displacement (OHCHR, June 2026) [text]

United Arab Emirates: Targeting of Shia Migrants for Deportation Amidst Iran War (Immigration Detention Monitor, June 2026) [text]

Reports:

Downward Refugee-Led Accountability: Rethinking Humanitarian Governance by studying the Syrian Cross-Border Response, RLI Working Paper, no. 84 (Refugee Law Initiative, April 2026) [text]

International Protection Considerations with Regard to Asylum-Seekers from the Syrian Arab Republic (UNHCR, May 2026) [text]

Not Yet Home: Evidence and recommendations on Syrian refugee returns from Türkiye (FORCE4Refugees & Upinion, May 2026) [text via ICVA]

Palestinians Returning to Lebanon: Possibilities, Readmission and Risks, RLC Briefing Paper, no. 6 (Refugee Law Clinic, May 2026) [text]

Returning to Syria: Supporting safe and inclusive returns from Jordan and Lebanon (Humanity & Inclusion, ) [text via ReliefWeb]

*Vulnerability Assessment Framework: Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees - Jordan (UNHCR, May 2026) [access]

Journal articles:

Diasporas: Circulations, Migrations, Histoire, no. 45 (2026) [open access]

- Thematic dossier on "Chercher refuge au-delà de l’Europe: Réfugiés, migrants et exilés européens au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord (xixe-xxe siècles) = Seeking Refuge Beyond Europe. European Refugees, Migrants and Exilees in the Middle East and North Africa, 19th and 20th centuries."

"Exploring the Drivers of Hesitancy Towards Covid-19 Vaccine Among Syrian Refugees Residing in Mount Lebanon: A Qualitative Study," IJID Regions, In Press, 23 May 2026 [open access]

"Forced Displacement Trauma: Palestinian Nakba Narratives across Three Refugee Generations in Gaza," Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, Latest Articles, 14 May 2026 [open access]

Multimedia:

Humanitarianism in the West Bank: Structures, Power, and the Limits of Aid, 19 May 2026 [access]

*UPDATED

Related post:

- Regional Focus: MENA (19 May 2026)

Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 1

Short pieces:

Supporting Self-Reliance in Protracted Displacement," JDC Newsletter (May 2026) [text]

- Includes link to May 2026 literature review.

Workshop explores the long-term economic impact of forced migration (Univ. of Gothenburg, May 2026) [text]

Reports: 

Cash Transfers and Employment among Syrian Refugees: Evidence from Rule-Based Eligibility in Türkiye, IZA Discussion Paper, no. 18670 (IZA Network at LISER, May 2026) [text]

Evaluation of the pathways to economic inclusion and self-reliance of refugees and host communities in Rwanda, through the scaling up graduation approach: phase 1, EVO/2025/20 (UNHCR, Jan. 2026) [text]

Papers, Paychecks, and Plans: Analyzing the Venezuelan Diaspora in Latin America (Center for Global Development, May 2026) [text]

- See also related blog post.

Uganda's Pioneer Refugee Model: Advances in Inclusion, Self-Reliance, and Pathways Forward, Policy Research Working Paper, no. 11368 (World Bank, May 2026) [text]

Journal articles:

"Central Asian Migrants Look Beyond Russia, Yet New Destinations Carry Challenges Too," Migration Information Source, 7 May 2026 [text]

"Civil War–Induced Displacement and Human Capital," Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 141, no. 2 (May 2026) [open access]

- Focuses on Mozambique.

"The impact of armed conflicts and forced migration on labour markets: systematic literature review and future research agenda," Defence and Peace Economics, vol. 37, no. 2 (2026) [open access]

"A scoping review of economic integration interventions and programs for refugees," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 21 May 2026 [open access]

Multimedia:

Future-Ready Cities: Unlocking Immigrant Talent for Inclusive Economic Growth, 19 May 2026 [access]

Related posts:

- Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 1 (19 May 2026)

- Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 2 (19 May 2026)

Regional Focus: Africa

Opportunity:

Webinar: Between Commitment and Implementation: Refugee Protection in East Africa, 21 April 2026 [info]

Short pieces:

Amid Shaky Ceasefire, War in Iran is Starving Sudan (Just Security, April 2026) [text]

Basic Services and Humanitarian Support Amidst Conflict: To Whom to Turn as a Congolese IDP? (RID Blog, April 2026) [text]

"DRC joins US list of third-country deportation destinations," DW, 6 April 2026 [text]

Funding shortfalls put lifelines at risk for Sudanese refugees in Chad (WFP, April 2026) [text]

Three years on, war-weary Sudanese remain on the move (UNHCR, April 2026) [text]

Trade in all directions: How wars, crime and instability are fueling and expanding migration routes across Africa (InfoMigrants, April 2026) [text]

"Uganda receives first US deportation flight under third-country agreement," The Guardian, 2 April 2026 [text]

New open access book:

Refugee-Led Organizations in Uganda: Agency, Gender, and Politics of Self-Organizing in Exile (McGill-Queen’s University Press, April 2026) [open access]

- "Self-organization plays an essential yet often overlooked role in the everyday lives of refugees in exile. By self-organizing, they challenge restrictions, claim political representation, foster social relations and belonging, and create ongoing economic opportunities. While government authorities and aid organizations are supposed to provide protection and assistance, refugees often continue to face adversities, restrictions, and risks, prompting them to establish and maintain their own support systems. Refugee-Led Organizations in Uganda offers nuanced insight into the problems arising from the aid system and especially the significance of the spectrum of informal and formalized self-organizations. [The authors] draw on a gender-sensitive understanding of relational agency and situated knowledge and use empirical research in Uganda’s camp Kyaka II and the capital, Kampala, to reveal how individuals collectively contribute to their own support in times of emergency and in everyday life."

Reports:

The case for large cash transfers: supporting refugees to meet basic needs and build resilience (ODI Humanitarian Policy Group, April 2026) [text]

- Focuses on Uganda.

Exhausted: Three years of displacement and the collapse of survival systems in Sudan and the region (Norwegian Refugee Council, April 2026) [text]

- See also related news release.

Somali systems: from aid-centred to state-led crisis response (ODI Humanitarian Policy Group, April 2026) [text]

Journal articles:

"Authoritarian legacies: how 1970s African dictators shaped contemporary refugee policies," Third World Quarterly, Latest Articles, 14 March 2026 [open access]

"Forced migrant arrivals can reduce political trust in African host communities," World Development, vol. 203 (July 2026) [open access]

"'Human beings should not be deported': The Horn of Africa’s hegemon contests the EU’s norm to readmit," Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Latest Articles, 27 March 2026 [open access]

"Nigeria Aims to Capitalize on Regional Integration amid Evolving Emigration Patterns," Migration Information Source, 8 April 2026 [open access]

"Trajectories of migration aspirations through urban and temporal lenses: rethinking (im)mobility decision-making in Dakar, Senegal," Comparative Migration Studies, 14:21 (April 2026) [open access]

Related post:

- Regional Focus: Africa (27 March 2026)

Regional Focus: Africa - Pt. 2

Journal articles:

"Africa's Migration Transition: A Long-Run Historical Perspective," International Migration Review, OnlineFirst, 23 Jan. 2026 [open access]

"Bridging the Implementation Gap: Refugee Governance and Institutional Coordination in Uganda’s Borderlands," Journal on Migration and Human Security, OnlineFirst, 22 Jan. 2026 [full-text]

"Can Redistribution Change Policy Views? Aid and Attitudes toward Refugees," Journal of Political Economy, vol. 133, no. 9 (Sept. 2025) [preprint]

- Focuses on Kenya and Uganda.

"Forced displacement in Africa: Could the Tanzanian Maasai obtain justice? The East African Court of Justice case under the lens of the Ogiek case before the African Court," African Human Rights Law Journal, vol. 25, no. 2 (2025) [open access]

"Human Rights in Resettlement Policies of European Bilateral Development Finance Institutions Operating in Sub-Saharan Africa: Hitting the Mark?," Journal of Internal Displacement, vol. 16, no. 1 (2026) [open access]

"Introducing a Survivor-Centred Policy Framework for Conflict-Induced Internal Displacement in Uganda," Journal of Internal Displacement, vol. 16, no. 1 (2026) [open access]

"The subversion of politics: Political prohibitions on refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa," African Human Rights Law Journal, vol. 25, no. 2 (2025) [open access]

"Typology of Internally Displaced People: Insights from Northern Nigeria," Journal of Internal Displacement, vol. 16, no. 1 (2026) [open access]

Related post:

- Regional Focus: Africa - Pt. 1 (6 Feb. 2026)

Thematic Focus: Humanitarian Assistance

Short pieces:

"Amid aid cuts and regression, it’s time to embrace spontaneous volunteerism," The New Humanitarian, 28 Jan. 2026 [text]

Clean Energy for Resilient Humanitarian Action (UNHCR Blog, Jan. 2026) [text]

Even with Reform, Humanitarian Assistance Needs More US Finance (CGD Blog, Jan. 2026) [text]

- See also related Inklings coverage of the US-OCHA funding deal and UN News story.

*The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: U.S. Foreign Aid (Partners in Health, Jan. 2026) [text]

Refugee families are more likely to become self-reliant if provided with support outside of camp settings (The Conversation, Jan. 2026) [text]

A rearview mirror on America’s year of foreign aid cuts (The Interpreter Blog, Jan. 2026) [text]

US Congress Says Yes to Foreign Aid—Now Comes the Hard Part (CGD Blog, Jan. 2026) [text]

**For more updates on developments in this area, sign up for one or more of The New Humanitarian's various newsletter options, as well as IHSA's weekly selection of humanitarian blog posts.

Reports & journal articles:

The 10 most under-reported humanitarian crises of 2025 (CARE, Jan. 2026) [text via ReliefWeb]

2025 Impact Report: Response to new emergencies and protracted crises (UNHCR, Jan. 2026) [text]

- See also related press release.

2026 Waste Management Landscape: Who is setting the pace in humanitarian waste management? (Logistics Cluster, Jan. 2026) [text via ReliefWeb]

Cash-based Interventions and Mobility: A Review of Current Approaches (International Organization for Migration, Jan. 2026) [text via ReliefWeb]

Coordinating 10 years of collective NGO advocacy at UNHCRʼs governing body meetings: Stakeholder perspectives and impact (LSE & ICVA, Jan. 2026) [access]

Essential Concepts and Best Practices in Delivering MHPSS to People Who Have Experienced Forced Displacement (International Rescue Committee, Jan. 2026) [text]

"Faith-based organisations in multilateral humanitarian aid: A closer look at Country-based Pooled Funds," Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 11:2 (Jan. 2026) [open access]

Multimedia:

10-Crises: 2026 year in view, 14 Jan. 2026 [access]

*UPDATED

Related post:

- Thematic Focus: Humanitarian Assistance (12 Jan. 2026)

Regional Focus: MENA

Short pieces:

Algeria/Tunisia: Forced return of asylum seeker and political dissident a violation of international law (Amnesty International, Jan. 2026) [text]

Beyond the Snapshot: What a Decade of Data Tells Us About Syrian Refugee Living Conditions (INEE Blog, Jan. 2026) [text]

Israel: Ban on 37 aid groups makes life unbearable for genocide survivors in Palestine, say UN experts (OHCHR, Jan. 2026) [text]

‘We ran from monsters’: Once welcomed by Germany after IS genocide, Yazidis are now deported to a life of limbo in refugee camps (The Conversation, Jan. 2026) [text]

We Told You So: Now What for Northeast Syria? (Just Security, Jan. 2026) [text]

Reports & journal articles:

Between Protection & Resilience: Lessons from Cash Plus Programming in Lebanon (CAMEALEON Consortium, Dec. 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

"'Condoms don't cross your mind when you're hungry': Challenges to safe sex in Libyan IDP camps; A qualitative study," Public Health in Practice, vol. 11 (June 2026) [open access]

"Crise migratoire en Libye: impasses d’une coopération asymétrique," Mondes & Migrations, no. 1352 (Jan.-Mars 2026) [open access]

"L’expulsion de l’immigré irrégulier tunisien en Europe: D’une temporalité à une autre," Mondes & Migrations, no. 1352 (Jan.-Mars 2026) [open access]

"Forced Expulsion of Afghan Refugees from Iran after 2025 Strikes," Obrana a Strategie = Defence & Strategy, vol. 25, no. 2 (Dec. 2025) [open access]

"The great settlement theory – why Tunisians fear of being replaced by sub-Saharans?," Journal of North African Studies, Latest Articles, 22 Jan. 2026 [open access]

Region on the Move 2025: Middle East and North Africa (International Organization for Migration, Jan. 2026) [text via ReliefWeb]

Related post:

- Regional Focus: MENA (14 Jan. 2026)

Regional Focus: MENA

Opportunity:

Seminar: The Anatomy of Displacement, Copenhagen, 28 January 2026 [info]

- See related report below.

Short pieces:

Another Brick in the Wall: Israel’s Seizure of UNRWA Facilities in East Jerusalem (EJIL: Talk Blog, Jan. 2026) [text]

Ten Years Later: The Impact of Sudanese Deportations from Jordan (RLI Blog, Dec. 2025) [text]

Reports: 

The Anatomy of Displacement: Displacement is a strategy, not a humanitarian side effect of a conflict (Danish Institute for International Studies, Dec. 2025) [text]

UNHCR cash assistance for Syrian returnees 2025 (UNHCR, Dec. 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

Journal articles:

"The Consequences and Prospects of Israel’s Ban of UNRWA," Cairo Review of Global Affairs, no. 53 (Winter 2025) [full-text]

"Cooperation within Reason: Tunisia’s Approach to Asylum and Readmission," European Journal of Migration and Law, vol. 26, no. 2 (June 2024) [open access]

- Note: This article was not open access when the journal issue was initially published.

"The Elusive 'Collectivised Refugee Protection': The Case of the EU-Egypt Migration Cooperation," European Journal of Migration and Law, vol. 26, no. 2 (June 2024) [open access]

- Note: This article was not open access when the journal issue was initially published.

"Enjeux et limites des catégorisations dans le contexte des migrations forcées. L’exemple des réfugiés palestiniens et syriens au Liban depuis 2011," Revue Européenne des Migrations Internationales, vol. 41, nos. 2&3 (2025) [open access]

"The Influence of Diplomatic and Foreign Policy Considerations in the Making of Migration and Asylum Policy in Morocco," European Journal of Migration and Law, vol. 26, no. 2 (June 2024) [open access]

- Note: This article was not open access when the journal issue was initially published.

"Learning from Palestinian refugees: decolonizing knowledge and practice in social work," Critical and Radical Social Work: An international journal, vol. 13, no. 4 (2025) [open access] 

"Making Rafha: explaining the establishment of Saudi Arabia’s first and only refugee camp," Journal of Refugee Studies, Advance Articles, 26 Dec. 2025 [open access]

- Focuses on Iraqis.

"Who gets to see the sea? Stratified displacement, privilege, and the optics of escape in Lebanon," Migration Studies, vol. 14, no. 1 (March 2026) [open access]

Related posts:

- Regional Focus: MENA - Pt. 1 (12 Dec. 2025)

- Regional Focus: MENA - Pt. 2 (12 Dec. 2025)

Regional Focus: Asia Pacific - Pt. 2

Journal articles:

"The 1916 National Liberation Uprising in Zhetysu province in Central Asia: The historical fate of Kazakh and Kyrgyz refugees who fled to China," Esboços: histórias em contextos globais, vol. 32 (2025) [open access]

"Addressing precarity for peace and sustainability among refugees: focus on the Rohingya crisis and necessary policy interventions," International Review of Sociology = Revue Internationale de Sociologie, Latest Articles, 24 Nov. 2025 [open access]

"Australia's Refugee/Asylum Seeker Geopolitics in Asia: The Role of Incentives," Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change, vol. 10, no. 4 (2025) [open access]

"Between Patriots and Refugees: Negotiating Displacement with the State in (Post-)Second World War China," Journal of Contemporary History, OnlineFirst, 1 Dec. 2025 [open access]

"Drivers and determinants of extreme humanitarian needs among Rohingya refugee households: Evidence from UNHCR’s multi-sectoral needs analysis," PLoS One 20(12): e0331727 (Dec. 2025) [open access]

"Exploring the role of cash-based interventions in alleviating food insecurity among the forcibly displaced: the case of Rohingya refugees, Bangladesh," Conflict and Health, 19:81 (Nov. 2025) [open access]

*"From Finding to Making Jari: The Return of Burmese Political Refugees from South Korea," Population, Space and Place, vol. 32, no. 1 (Jan. 2026) [open access]

"Pandemic border control and immigration exclusion: Japan’s politics of foreign entry during COVID-19," Comparative Migration Studies, Article in Press, 5 Dec. 2025 [open access]

*UPDATED

Related post:

- Regional Focus: Asia Pacific - Pt. 1 (10 Dec. 2025)

Thematic Focus: Gender-related Issues - Pt. 2

Journal articles:

"Associations Between Forced Sexual Initiation, Post-exposure Prophylaxis Cascades and Subsequent Violence Experiences among Displaced Young Women in Ugandan Informal Urban Settlements," AIDS and Behavior, vol. 29, no. 12 (Dec. 2025) [open access]

"The Elusiveness of Life: Birth Outcomes among Venezuelan Migrant Mothers in Colombia," International Migration Review, OnlineFirst, 2 Dec. 2025 [open access]

"Feminisation as empowerment: migrant solidarity chains and resistance among migrants displaced by political persecution," Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Latest Articles, 27 Nov. 2025 [open access]

- Draws on interviews with migrants who left Turkey and applied for asylum in Europe.

"Gender and intimate partner violence considerations for cash transfer programming in South Sudan," Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 10:18 (Dec. 2025) [open access]

"Intersectional Harm and Motherhood in the British Asylum System," The British Journal of Criminology, Advance Articles, 2 Dec. 2025 [open access]

"Openness, Distrust, and the Making of Belonging: How Intimacy and Belonging are Intertwined in Interpretative Processes of Single Male Refugees from Syria," NORA: Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research, Latest Articles, 18 Nov. 2025 [open access]

- Focuses on Sweden.

"Precarious employment and gender-based violence against migrant women," PLoS One 20(12): e0337690 (Dec. 2025) [open access]

"Wellbeing in the First 1000 Days for Syrian and Afghan refugee women living in Australia: a qualitative study," BMC Women's Health, 25:588 (Dec. 2025) [open access]

Related post:

- Thematic Focus: Gender-related Issues - Pt. 1 (6 Dec. 2025)

Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects

Short pieces:

Building skills and decent work opportunities for migrant women in Italy (MPC Blog, Dec. 2025) [text]

"Federal refugee employment program faces 'extremely long, ballooning wait times'," CBC News, 17 Nov. 2025 [text]

- Focuses on Canada.

"From Dependence to Dignity: Policies that are opening doors to self-reliance," JDC Newsletter (Nov.  2025) [text]

The global race for talent: Other nations are outpacing the U.S. on high-skill immigration (Niskanen Center, Nov. 2025) [text]

Small & steady: How migrant remittances from Europe keep families and countries afloat (InfoMigrants, Dec. 2025) [text]

Without Work Permits, Refugee Women in Nairobi Face Exploitation and Hardship (African Arguments, Nov. 2025) [text]

Reports:

Advancing the Jobs Agenda: Toward Self-Reliance in Refugee Situations, Policy Research Working Paper, no. 11246 (World Bank, Oct. 2025) [text]

Beyond the Camp: Realizing Ethiopia’s Commitment to Refugee Self-Reliance (Refugees International, Nov. 2025) [text]

Financial Inclusion of People Benefiting from Humanitarian Cash Transfers (Cash Hub, ICRC & PROPARCO, Nov. 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

From Policy to Practice: Lessons from the Implementation of the Refugee Work Rights Policy in Ethiopia, Policy Research Working Paper, no. 11254 (World Bank, Nov. 2025) [text]

Immigration and Changes in Labor Force Demographics, FRBSF Economic Letter, no. 28 (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Nov. 2025) [text]

- Focuses on the US.

Mapping America’s immigration needs: A county-level model for matching migrants to local economies (Niskanen Center, Nov. 2025) [text]

Refugee Integration Outcomes (RIO): Employment from 2015 to 2023 (UK Home Office, Nov. 2025) [access]

Reviewing the Journey of Self-reliance in the Uganda Refugee Response (U-Learn, Nov. 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

Journal articles:

Journal of Fair Trade, vol. 6, no. 2 (Nov. 2025) [open access]

- Issue focuses on migration and refugees.

"'More Than Sufferers': Digital Boundary‑Making and Belonging Through Work Among Ukrainian Forced Migrants in Finland," Nordic Journal of Migration Research, vol. 16, no. 1 (2026) [open access]

"Yemenis in South Korea: Risky Freedom under the Refugee Act and the Employment Permit System," Arabian Humanities, no. 20 (2025) [open access]

Related posts:

- Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 1 (11 Nov. 2025)

- Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 2 (11 Nov. 2025)

Regional Focus: Africa

Short pieces:

Africa’s Colliding Conflicts Compound Forced Displacement Crisis (Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Sept. 2025) [access]

"Mozambique: A case study of growing need and global aid cut confusion," The New Humanitarian, 10 Sept. 2025 [text]

A New Dataset is Powering the Fight Against Hunger in Africa (ReliefWeb Blog, Sept. 2025) [text]

Uganda has signed a deal with the US to take asylum seekers – what’s behind it and what’s at stake (The Conversation, Sept. 2025) [text]

UN Special Rapporteur Calls on Mauritania to End Abuses Against Migrants and Refugees (Immigration Detention Monitor, Sept. 2025) [text]

"Why African Countries Keep Making Deals to Accept U.S. Deportees," New York Times, 23 Sept. 2025 [text]

Reports: 

Can cash transfers save lives? Evidence from a large-scale experiment in Kenya, Centre for the Study of African Economies Working Paper, no. 10 (Univ. of Oxford, Aug. 2025) [text]

International Refugee Law and the Principle of Non Refoulement: Revisiting the case of Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and Co vs The People of Cameroon, Working Paper, no. 80 (Refugee Law Initiative, Sept. 2025) [text]

Kenya Refugee Response Under Strain: Funding Cuts, Differentiated Assistance, and the Rising Social Cohesion Crisis (NGO Refugee Group, Aug. 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

Sustainable Responses for Refugees in Southern Africa (UNHCR, Aug. 2025) [text]

Journal articles:

"Remittances, food insecurity, and coping strategies of West African migrants in Accra, Ghana," Global Food Security, vol. 45 (June 2025) [preprint]

"Ruins of relief: temporalities of humanitarian aid abandonment in the tri-border zone between DRC, CAR, and South Sudan," Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 10:14 (Sept. 2025) [open access]

"Social Cohesion in Protracted Displacement: Limits to Peace Between Young People in Camps," International Social Science Journal, Early View, 2 Sept. 2025 [open access]

- Focuses on Kenya.

Related posts:

- Regional Focus: Africa - Pt. 1 (5 Sept. 2025)

- Regional Focus: Africa - Pt. 2 (5 Sept. 2025)

Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects

Short pieces:

Early job mentoring, placement, and training boost refugee integration without high costs (VoxEU, July 2025) [text]

Germany: Study finds a quarter of foreigners wish to leave – except asylum seekers (InfoMigrants, June 2025) [text]

Green Horizons: Supporting the Green Transition by Expanding Safe Routes for Refugees (CGD Blog, July 2025) [text]

How financial inclusion is transforming displaced lives (Fast Company, July 2025) [text]

In Trumponomics, Banning Foreign Students Hurts Trump’s Own Economic Success Metric: Trade Deficit (CGD Blog, June 2025) [text]

IOM and UNHCR Launch ‘Train-to-Hire' Initiative to Boost International Refugee Employment (IOM, July 2025) [text]

President Trump promises changes to deportation campaign to protect migrant farm, hotel workers (ImmigrationProf Blog, July 2025) [text]

"Uganda’s Refugees Turn Food Waste into Clean Fuel," Eurasia Review, 21 July 2025 [text]

Reports:

The Impact of Cash Grants and Cash + Mentorship on Kenyan and Refugee Business Owners in Nairobi, Kenya (Re:BUiLD, June 2025) [text]

- See also related research brief.

The Impact of Cash Grants and Cash + Mentorship on Ugandan and Refugee Business Owners in Kampala, Uganda (Re:BUiLD, June 2025) [text]

- See also related research brief.

Native-Immigrant Entrepreneurial Synergies (CATO Institute, July 2025) [text]

- Focuses on the US. See also related blog post.

Refugees and Social Assistance in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review of Operational Experiences, Social Protection Discusson Paper, no. 2601 (World Bank, July 2025) [text]

Responding to Forced Displacement: Lessons from the International Labour Organization’s Engagement in the PROSPECTS Programme (ILO & UNHCR, July 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

- See also recording of related video.

The State of Refugee Finance Sector Report (Mercy Corps, July 2025) [text]

Journal articles & book chapters:

"Change and Continuity of Occupations Through Displacement: Evidence on Syrians in Istanbul, Gaziantep and Kilis," International Migration, vol. 63, no. 4 (Aug. 2025) [open access]

- Focuses on Syrians in Turkey.

"Immigrant–native pay gap driven by lack of access to high-paying jobs," Nature, Latest Articles, 16 July 2025 [open access]

- See also related article on InfoMigrants.

"Immigration and border policies," Chapter in The economic consequences of the second Trump administration: A preliminary assessment (CEPR Press, 2025) [full-text]

- Scroll to p 95.

"Migration, Advanced Digital Technologies, and the Future of Work," International Migration Review, OnlineFirst, 21 July 2025 [open access]

"The role of time for refugees’ work: insights from a systematic literature review," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12:1043 (July 2025) [open access]

Multimedia:

Refugees Financial Inclusion in Kenya: Regulations, Policies & Practices, 17 July 2025 [access]

Related posts:

- Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 1 (7 July 2025)

- Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 2 (7 July 2025)

Regional Focus: Africa

Short pieces:

"Back to ruins: The displaced Congolese forced home by M23 rebels," The New Humanitarian, 9 July 2025 [text]

"Rights, not rations: How human relationships can reshape refugee policy," The New Humanitarian, 11 July 2025 [text]

- Focuses on Uganda.

Sudan War Series (African Arguments, July 2025) [access]

- In this blog series, "through a number of themes that explore the intersections of war, displacement, identities and capital, Sudanese researchers, many of whom are themselves displaced, highlight their own experiences, the unique dynamisms within the larger communities affected by war, and readings of their possible futures." Follow the link to view the latest contributions.

Trump’s Africa summit: outsourcing America’s immigration problem? (ISS Today, July 2025) [text]

‘We don’t want to stay here’: UN accused of abandoning refugees in Niger," The Guardian, 27 June 2025 [text]

Reports:

Étude sur l'utilisation des foyers améliorés par les populations déplacées dans les sites autour de Goma (UNHCR & AIDPROFEN, April 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

Evaluation of UNHCR's multi-country L3 Emergency Response to the Sudan Situation, EVO/2025/02 (UNHCR, July 2025) [access]

- Follow link for report, brief, executive summary, and podcast. The management's response will be posted where it becomes available.

Peace Agreement Between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda, 27 June 2025 [text]

- See also related commentary on The Conversation and the US Institute of Peace.

Journal articles:

"Forgotten and Neglected, War-Torn Sudan Has Become the World’s Leading Displacement Crisis," Migration Information Source, 16 July 2025 [open access]

"Leveraging Cash Transfers to Mitigate Energy Poverty Among Refugees in Uganda: Distributional Insights and Gendered Lens," Sustainable Futures, In Press, 12 July 2025 [open access]

"Medical xenophobia and healthcare exclusion of refugees and migrants in Africa: A scoping review," Journal of Migration and Health, vol. 12 (2025) [open access]

"Predictors of Immigrant Acceptance in Africa: A Multi-Sample Analysis of Contact Hypothesis and Neighbourhood Violence," International Migration, vol. 63, no. 4 (Aug. 2025) [open access]

"Researching migration in West Africa: A systematic and reflexive review," Comparative Migration Studies, 13:52 (July 2025) [open access]

"Tensions and coexistence: host narratives of refugee presence in Nakivale, Uganda," Journal of Refugee Studies, Advance Articles, 14 July 2025 [open access]

Related post:

- Regional Focus: Africa (3 July 2025)

Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 2

Reports: 

Buenas prácticas en capacitación laboral dirigida a personas migrantes y refugiadas 2020-2024 (ACNHR, Mayo 2025) [text]

- Focuses on Uruguay.

Competencias laborales sin fronteras: oportunidades para el reconocimiento mutuo de certificaciones y la integración de personas migrantes y refugiadas en América Latina y el Caribe (ILO, May 2025) [text]

Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot: Alumni Report 2024 (UNHCR, June 2025) [text]

- Focuses on Canada.

Economic participation of humanitarian migrants in Australia (Australian Institute of Family Studies, June 2025) [text]

The fiscal impact of immigration: Empirical evidence at the local level, LISER Policy Brief, no. 11 (Luxembourg Inst. of Socio-economic Research, May 2025) [text]

- Focuses on the US and Italy.

Fostering Economic Opportunities for Forcibly Displaced Communities (Mercy Corps, June 2025) [text] 

The Gender Dimension of Refugees’ Integration in the Labor Market, CEPR Discussion Paper, no. 20318 (Centre for Economic Policy Research, June 2025) [text]

- Focuses on Switzerland.

How do labour market fears shape attitudes toward refugees? (VoxDev, June 2025) [text]

- Focuses on Uganda and Ethiopia.

Immigration Policy and Its Macroeconomic Effects in the Second Trump Administration (American Enterprise Institute, July 2025) [text]

- See also related articles on impacts from the administration's mass deportation operation in Context News and from the Univ. of Pennsylvania.

Is the Gig Economy a Stepping Stone for Refugees? Evidence from Administrative Data, IZA Discussion Paper, no. 17928 (Institute for Labor Economics, May 2025 [text]

- Focuses on Austria.

Qualifications Beyond Borders: Recognition of Ukrainian Diplomas and Qualifications in Poland (Skills Alliance in Poland, June 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

Refugee mobility and livelihoods in Uganda, RSC Research in Brief, no. 21 (Refugee Studies Centre, April 2025) [text]

Regional Program on Enhancing the Investment Climate for the Economic Empowerment of Refugee, Returnee and Host/Return Community Women in the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes Region: Regional Report 2024 (UNHCR et al., May 2025) [text]

- See also related annex.

Results from Re:BUiLD’s Wave 1 Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) on Mentorship and Cash Grants for Microentrepreneurs in Nairobi, Kenya and Kampala, Uganda (International Rescue Committee & IKEA Foundation, June 2025) [text]

Related post:

- Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 1 (7 July 2025)

Thematic Focus: ICTs & Other Technologies

Opportunity:

Workshop: Migrant Lives Online: Practicing Digital Research Methods, Online, 10 June 2025 [info]

Short pieces:

‘Digitizing Pandora’s Box’: Why Civil Liberty Experts Fear DOGE’s Immigrant Database (Documented, May 2025) [text]

Invisible Gatekeepers: DHS’ Growing Use of AI in Immigration Decisions (Immigration Impact Blog, May 2025) [text]

- Focuses on the US.

"IOM’s digital tool aims to speed up migrant removals, but at what cost?," The New Humanitarian, 18 May 2025 [text]

- Focuses on Europe. See more tech-related stories from TNH here.

Migration, Mobilities and Digital Technologies – a special series published in association with the ESRC Centre for Sociodigital Futures (Migration Mobilities Bristol, 2025) [access]

"Website for US deportation airline GlobalX defaced by hackers," Reuters, 5 May 2025 [text]

Journal articles:

"AI-Based Virtual Triage and Telemedical Health Care for Ukrainian War Refugees and Displaced Persons," JAMA Network Open, 8(5):e258839 [open access]

- Focuses on Poland.

"Automated decision making and deportation: legal concerns and regulation," Griffith Law Review, Latest Articles, 26 March 2025 [open access]

"Can Internet Search Data Predict Human Migration Intentions?," Comparative Migration Studies, 13:28 (May 2025) [open access]

"Electronic Personal Health Records for Mobile Populations: A Rapid Systematic Literature Review," International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 22, no. 4 (March 2025) [open access]

"From Information-Seeking to Information-Asking: Designing RefuGPT, a Chatbot for Ukrainian Refugees in Switzerland," Digital Government: Research and Practice, Just Accepted, 15 May 2025 [open access]

"The Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Border and Migration Control and the Subtle Erosion of Human Rights," International & Comparative Law Quarterly, vol. 74, no. 1 (2025) [open access]

- Focuses on the EU.

Resource:

Humanitarian Info UA Chatbot: Informing affected populations on Multipurpose Cash Assistance (ETC & OCHA) [access]

- "A one-way communication tool created to provide up-to-date information on humanitarian multipurpose cash assistance to meet the individual needs of vulnerable people affected by the war in Ukraine. The Chatbot uses messaging from humanitarian partners, rather than artificial intelligence."

Related post:

- Thematic Focus: ICTs & Other Technologies (5 May 2025)

Thematic Focus: Humanitarian Assistance

Opportunity:

CFP: Alternatives Humanitaires = Humanitarian Alternatives [info]

- Contributions sought for themed issue on "International aid under threat: What consequences? What responses? What reconfigurations?"; submit article proposals by 2 June 2025.

- *Note: I included the wrong link when I first published this post! It has now been corrected!

Short pieces:

Can anything positive come out of this crisis? (Alternatives Humanitaires, April 2025) [text]

Funding crunch increases risks of violence, danger and death for refugees (UNHCR, May 2025) [text]

The Future Delivery Problem Facing US Foreign Assistance (CGD Blog, April 2025) [text]

The humanitarian funding crisis: a looming health catastrophe for refugees and their host communities (UNHCR Blog, May 2025) [text]

The Impact of Shuttering the Millennium Challenge Corporation (CGD Blog, April 2025) [text]

- See also related post.

Life-saving, efficient and secure: humanitarian aid that gives refugees choices (UNHCR, May 2025) [text]

More than stability: Australia’s aid program needs hard decisions now (The Interpreter Blog, May 2025) [text]

Radical Simplification: A Practical Way to Get More Out of Limited Foreign Assistance Budgets (CGD Blog, April 2025) [text]

Redefining America’s Interests? Trump’s FY2026 Budget Proposes Sweeping Cuts to US Foreign Aid (CGD Blog, May 2025) [text]

Secretary of State Rubio’s Reorganization Plan Could Offer a Chance to Rescue U.S. Foreign Assistance — If He’s Smart About It (Just Security, April 2025) [text]

"UN food, refugee agencies plan deep cuts as funding slashed, memos show," Reuters, 25 April 2025 [text]

- An additional article discusses possible UN plans for merging entities and other structural changes. See also related opinion piece in The New Humanitarian on UN reform.

"What 100 Days of Foreign-Aid Cuts Looks Like to Those Still in the Field," Time Magazine, 30 April 2025 [text]

Reports & journal articles:

"Decolonising international development evaluation: rethinking OECD DAC evaluation criteria from a decolonial perspective," Development in Practice, Latest Articles, 17 April 2025 [open access]

"Holding Out for Better Weather: Foreign Aid and the Principle of Humanity in Armed Conflicts and Natural Disasters," American Univ. International Law Review, vol. 40, no. 3 (2025) [full-text]

"Into the discomfort zone of decolonising aid: how humanitarian actors can effect change," Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 10:9 (May 2025) [open access]

A new era for aid: Prioritising people and protecting progress (International Rescue Committee, May 2025) [text]

Preliminary Official Development Assistance Levels in 2024: Detailed Summary Note (OECD, April 2025) [text]

- The press release includes a link to interactive charts with more data. See also related McKinsey analysis.

Sustainable Programming (UNHCR, Feb. 2025) [text]

US Funding Freeze Global Survey (OCHA, 2025) [access]

- Round 1 reports were published in Feb. and Round 2 reports in April. 

*"USAID and the Trump Foreign Aid Doctrine," SAIS Review of International Affairs, 29 April 2025 [full-text]

What Is Happening to U.S. Humanitarian Assistance? Will the United States Continue to Save Lives? (CSIS, April 2025) [text]

Multimedia:

No one wants to depend on aid, including refugees (Power Shift Podcast, May 2025) [access]

*UPDATED

Related post:

- Thematic Focus: Humanitarian Assistance (17 April 2025)

Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects

Short pieces:

*3 businesses that empower refugee success (IRC, April 2025) [text]

Immigrants and the Social Security death master file (Brookings, April 2025) [text]

- Focuses on the US. See also related Washington Post article.

Immigration FAQ (Economic Policy Institute, April 2025) [text]

- Focuses on the US. Addresses the economic aspects of both legal and unauthorized immigration, as well as immigration enforcement in the workplace.

The Potential Impact of IRS-ICE Data Sharing on Tax Compliance (BudgetLab Blog, April 2025) [text]

- Focuses on the US. See also related EPI report.

Refugee Entrepreneurship: A Path to Overcoming Employment Barriers and Ensuring Self-Reliance (Wilson Center, March 2025) [text]

- Highlights case examples in Malawi and Türkiye.

Reports: 

Cash and Small Business Groups for Ugandans and Refugees (Re:BUiLD Project, March 2025) [text via IRC]

Forced Displacement, Vulnerability, and Social Cohesion, LISER Policy Brief, no. 8 (Luxembourg Inst. of Socio-economic Research, April 2025) [text]

Going Beyond the Last Mile: Adaptation to Increase Refugee Adoption (SHARPE: Strengthening Host and Refugee Populations in Ethiopia Programme, Jan. 2025) [text via UNHCR]

High employment rates, but low wages: a poverty assessment of Ukrainian refugees in neighboring countries (Regional Refugee Response for the Ukraine Situation, March 2025) [access]

Immigrants, Housing Wealth, and Local Government Finances, Briefing Paper, no. 187 (CATO Institute, April 2025) [access]

- "In addition to the $1.7 trillion in directly paid property taxes as property owners, immigrants also generated $513 billion in taxes as renters and another $1.1 trillion through their positive effects on property values in their roles as consumers."

Refugee Finance Playbook: Approaches, Lessons, Toolkit from the ReFine Program (Mercy Corps, Feb. 2025) [text]

Journal articles & book chapters:

"Access to Livelihood Assets and Vulnerability to Lower Levels of Well-Being in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya," Economies, vol. 13, no. 4 (April 2025) [open access]

"Gender Gaps, Financial Inclusion and Social Integration in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya," Economies, vol. 13, no. 3 (March 2025) [open access]

"How Well Can the EU Labour Markets Absorb Refugee Immigrants?," Chapter in The Depth and Size of the European Union in a Time of War: Interdisciplinary European Studies (Springer, April 2025) [open access]

"Journeys and Junctions: Spillovers from Migration and Refugee Policies," Chapter 3 in World Economic Outlook: A Critical Juncture amid Policy Shifts (IMF, April 2025) [access]

- Scroll down to view chapter; also links to related data, online annexes and blog post.

"Remote work for the public administration of a country of origin under the EU Temporary Protection Directive," Studia Iuridica Toruniensia, vol. 34, no. 1 (Aug. 2024) [open access]

- Focuses on Ukrainians. See also related articles here and here.

"The Role of Formal and Informal Financing in Refugee Self-Employment: The Case of Urban Kenya," Economies, vol. 13, no. 3 (March 2025) [open access]

*UPDATED

Related posts:

- Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 1 (28 March 2025)

- Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects - Pt. 2 (28 March 2025)

Thematic Focus: ICTs & Other Technologies

Short pieces:

AI in humanitarian missions: Opportunities and challenges (Young Voices Blog, March 2025) [text]

Digital humanitarians: the ITHACA project (UNHCR Blog, April 2025) [text]

Digital Work and Refugees: How Businesses Can Tackle Poverty and Displacement Through Opportunity (Business Fights Poverty, April 2025) [text]

*Press start (UNHCR Innovation Service, April 2025) [text]

- Focuses on gaming in North Macedonia.

Smarter refugee surveys for a more effective humanitarian response (UNHCR Innovation Service, April 2025) [text]

"US immigration officials look to expand social media data collection," AP News, 30 March 2025 [text]

Journal articles:

"Ethical implications related to processing of personal data and artificial intelligence in humanitarian crises: a scoping review," BMC Medical Ethics, 26:49 (April 2025) [open access]

*"Euphemisms of success: AI technology in European border management and the rights of migrants at sea," European Journal of Legal Studies, vol. 16, no. 2 (2025) [open access]

"Fratelli Tutti and Social Media: Solidarity and Social Networks Among Locals and Urban Refugees in Kampala, Uganda," Journal of Social Encounters, vol. 9, no. 1 (2025) [open access]

"How Insider-Led Processes Lead to Localization: The Case of Digital Technology and Humanitarian Protection," Global Studies Quarterly, vol. 5, no 1 (Jan. 2025) [open access]

"Interoperability and the multiple modes of ordering in Europe's digital border regime," International Migration, vol. 63, no. 3 (June 2025) [open access]

"IOM's WAKA Well unravelled: A multimodal discourse analysis of an internet-based migration-information campaign," International Migration, vol. 63, no. 3 (June 2025) [open access]

"'Managing' the paradox: refugee self-reliance and solving the problem of refugee policy discontinuity," Journal of Refugee Studies, Advance Articles, 23 March 2025 [open access]

- "[W]e draw on recent empirical studies to examine how increased access to digital technology can paradoxically lead to less access and agency in relation to health and financial services for refugees and less integration into host community life. "

"Repair work, resistance and the invisible data labour of Lebanon's digital humanitarian infrastructures," Big Data & Society, 18 March 2025 [open access]

- Focuses on Syrians.

*UPDATED

Related post:

- Thematic Focus: ICTs & Other Technologies (19 March 2025)

Regional Focus: MENA

Short pieces:

Bypassing former blunders: grassroot testimonies from Syria’s aid ecosystem prior to al-Assad’s escape (HPN, March 2025) [text]

"Can trauma from violence be genetically inherited? Scientists debate Syria refugee study," Nature, 28 March 2025 [text]

Funding cuts threaten the lives of Sudanese refugees in Egypt (UNHCR, March 2025) [text]

Gaza and Israel’s Renewed Policy of Deprivation (Just Security Blog, March 2025) [text]

- See also related UN News article and OHCHR press release, as well asa  BBC News update on death toll and CNN article on aid workers. 

The Media’s Role in Escalating Hate Speech and Racism Toward Syrian Refugees in Türkiye: A Video Analysis (Refugee Watch Online, March 2025) [access]

*"Op-ed: The Unseen Consequences of Israel’s Impunity: How the Palestinian Refugee Crisis Fuels Global Displacement and Erodes International Responsibility," Pardee Atlas Journal of Global Affairs, Jan. 2025 [text]

Palestinians in the West Bank are facing urgent needs amid mass displacement (MSF, March 2025) [text]

- See also related NPR story.

"Sudan's refugees face deadly game of 'snakes and ladders' in Libya," Context News, 13 March 2025 [text]

Syria after Assad: why many Syrian refugees aren’t returning home (The Conversation, March 2025) [text]

*"U.S., Israel interested in Sudan, Somalia and Syria for resettlement of Gazans, sources say," CBS News, 19 March 2025 [text]

Reports & journal articles:

"Humanitarian Fiction: Examining the ‘Host’ in Refugee-Receiving Contexts," Journal of Humanitarian Affairs, vol. 6, no. 1 (2025) [open access]

- Draws on "in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations with refugees, Jordanians and humanitarian and government officials in Jordan."

Palestine: End of ceasefire and blockade in Gaza (ACAPS, March 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

The Ramifications of the Assad Regime's Destruction and Expropriation of Private Properties in Daraa Governorate with Regard to the Return of Refugees and IDPs (Syrian Network for Human Rights, March 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

The Refugee Influx from Syria and Sudan in Cairo: An Analysis of the Dynamics of Resilience, Hospitality and Hostility (Queen Mary Univ. of London, Feb. 2025) [access]

- Follow link for report and short film.

"Refugees as ‘Projects’: Humanitarian Responses to Displacement and Refugee-Led Organisations in Southern Turkey," Journal of Humanitarian Affairs, vol. 6, no. 1 (2025) [open access]

- Focuses on Syrians.

"Repair work, resistance and the invisible data labour of Lebanon's digital humanitarian infrastructures," Big Data & Society, 18 March 2025 [open access]

- Focuses on Syrians.

"Shades of humanity: state sovereignty and humanitarian principles in the Syrian civil war," Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 10:6 (March 2025) [open access]

*UPDATED

Related post:

- Regional Focus: MENA (17 March 2025)