Regional Focus: Asia Pacific - Pt. 1

Short pieces:

Australia’s Long History of Externalisation (RLI Blog, June 2026) [text]

Executive expulsions from Assam: A historical look at citizenship regulation (Border Criminologies Blog, June 2026) [text]

How does Australia’s migration system actually work? 5 common myths busted (The Conversation, June 2026) [text]

Migration is dropping, but public concern is climbing. Why? (The Conversation, July 2026) [text]

- Focuses on Australia.

Mobility Should Not Erase Citizenship: Internal Displacement and India’s Electoral Roll Revision (RID Blog, June 2026) [text]

Thailand: Don’t Forcibly Return Chinese Dissidents (HRW, July 2026) [text]

Twenty years of UN resolutions – and the Rohingya still wait (The Interpreter Blog, July 2026) [text]

UNDP and UNHCR chiefs urge sustained investment as Afghanistan faces unprecedented refugee returnee influx (UNHCR, July 2026) [text]

Multimedia:

From making the 'Refugee City' to being ethnically cleansed from it?, 3 June 2026 [access]

- Focuses on Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Related post:

- Regional Focus: Asia Pacific (10 June 2026)

Regional Focus: MENA - Pt. 1

Short pieces:

"Egypt ramps up Sudanese refugee deportations with little UNHCR pushback," The New Humanitarian, 4 Dec. 2025 [text]

"It’s time for a reckoning at the UN in Syria, and beyond," The New Humanitarian, 11 Dec. 2025 [text]

Moroccan families search for their missing children (InfoMigrants, Nov. 2025) [text]

South Africa: latest target in Israel's relocation of Palestinians? (ISS Today, Dec. 2025) [text]

Tunisia: Abusive Prosecutions of Refugee Group (HRW, Nov. 2025) [text]

Understanding UNRWA: The complex history and politics of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (FluchtforschungsBlog, Nov. 2025) [text]

Reports:

“All My Dreams Have Been Erased”: Israel’s Forced Displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank (Human Rights Watch, Nov. 2025) [text]

Assistance to Palestine refugees, UN Doc. No. A/C.4/80/L.17 (UN General Assembly, Nov. 2025) [access]

- This draft resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly; it extends UNRWA's mandate to 30 June 2029.

Cost of Inaction: The Impact of WFP Assistance Cuts on Refugees in Jordan Food Security (World Food Programme, Nov. 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UN Doc. No. A/C.4/80/L.16 (UN General Assembly, Nov. 2025) [access]

- This draft resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly. 

Multimedia:

A short history of the Gaza Strip, 15 Oct. 2025 [access]

Related post:

- Regional Focus: MENA (21 Nov. 2025)

Regional Focus: Africa

Short pieces:

Isolationism: What It Means for Refugees in Africa’s Central Sahel (USCRI, May 2025) [text]

Landmark Ruling: Western Cape High Court Declares Provisions of Refugees Act Unconstitutional (Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town, May 2025) [text]

Measuring absorption capacity: a new tool for inclusive response and integration planning in South Sudan (UNHCR Blog, May 2025) [text]

UNHCR and COMESA forge strategic partnership to enhance support to displaced populations in Southern and Eastern Africa (UNHCR, May 2025) [text]

Reports:  

Community-based Assessment of Reintegration and Absorption Capacity of South Sudan (UNHCR & Samuel Hall, May 2025) [access]

- Presented in four reports covering different regions.

Compilation of resolutions on assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa (UNHCR, May 2025)

- Presented in two parts: 2004-2013; 2014-2023

The Consequences of Reduced Funding in the Ugandan Refugee Response (UNHCR & REACH, May 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

Echoes from the Past, Shadows on the Present: Colonial Legacies and Internal Displacement in Kenya, RID Working Paper, no. 47 (Researching Internal Displacement, May 2025) [text]

Guidance Note on the International Protection Needs of People Fleeing Sudan (UNHCR, April 2025) [text]

Hate Speech in Sudan: A driver of conflict and displacement, Refugee-Led Research Working Paper, no. 5 (Refugee Studies Centre, Jan. 2025) [text via ReliefWeb]

Kenya: Refugee Policy Review Framework Update as at 30 June 2024 (UNHCR, April 2025) [text]

Navigating the City: The Internal Migration of Refugees from Kakuma and Dadaab Refugee Camps to Nairobi, Refugee-Led Research Working Paper, no. 3 (Refugee Studies Centre, Dec. 2024) [text via ReliefWeb]

South Sudan: Refugee Policy Review Framework Update as at 30 June 2024 (UNHCR, April 2025) [text]

Urban Refugee Policies and Legislation in Kenya and Uganda: 2025 Stocktake (Center for Global Development, May 2025) [text]

Journal articles:

"Access to vaccination among refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review," Discover Public Health, 22:176 (April 2025) [open access]

African Human Mobility Review, vol. 11, no. 1 (2025) [open access]

- Mix of articles.

"Contemporary genealogy of forced displacement in Africa in the light of border conflicts," Discover Global Society, 3:38 (May 2025) [open access]

"Crisis Migration in the Contexts of Civil Wars: A Study on the Defects of New Humanitarianism," African Social Science Review, vol. 13, no. 1 (2025) [full-text]

Resource:

 

Atlas of African Migration (Scalabrini Institute for Human Mobility in Africa) [access]

- "The atlas provides comprehensive migration profiles of African countries. The project is realised through a rigorous desktop research process drawing from credible sources, including government reports, journal publications, and other online databases. The various data sources reveal patterns, trends, drivers, and correlations. The project is designed to provide the migration profiles of all the recognised 54 African countries." Read more about the project in this blog post.

Related post:

- Regional Focus: Africa (2 May 2025)

Thematic Focus: General

Short pieces:

Forced Migration Experts Seek Solutions for Refugees from Myanmar to Palestine (Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jan. 2025) [text]

- Discusses the recently-held 20th meeting of the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration Conference (IASFM20).

What next for internal displacement? Four priority actions for 2025 (ODI Insights, Jan. 2025) [text]

Reports:

Compilation of Resolutions on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Omnibus

- 2015-2024

- 2005-2014

- These documents provide "an overview of the annual resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly regarding the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, known as the omnibus resolutions."

The UN Office on Internal Displacement Closed. Now What?, CGD Note, no. 386 (Center for Global Development, Jan. 2025) [text]

Understanding Refugee Return: Key Findings, Gaps, and Future Research, JDC DIGEST, no. 10 (Joint Displacement Center, Nov. 2024) [text]

- See also related JDC Newsletter article.

Journal articles:

"Human rights violations are associated with forcibly displaced population’s mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis," Frontiers in Public Health, 15 Jan. 2025 [open access]

"Reflecting on Departure Among Irregular Transit Migrants in Europe," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Latest Articles, 23 Jan. 2025 [open access]

- "The aim of this article is to map strategies on which prospective irregular migrants draw in order to mobilise their resources for migration and onward journeys as well as their role and context in the wider migratory processes and environment. Specifically, it delves into financial, material, social, and information resources that migrants utilise, tools and factors facilitating or curtailing their mobilisation, and their role in overcoming various challenges and deprivations."

"Refusing deterrence," Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Latest Articles, 21 Jan. 2025 [open access]

"The Right to Remain and the Causes of Forced Migration," Journal on Migration and Human Security, OnlineFirst, 16 Jan. 2025 [full-text]

Multimedia/resources:

CMS at 60: History and Lessons Learned, Roundtable discussion at the 2024 Academic & Policy Symposium, 18 Nov. 2024 [access]

Learning from the Evidence on Forced Displacement: Launch of the e-Training Course, 12 Dec. 2024 [access]

- Includes a link to the course.

"Sixty Years of Migration Research: Learning from the Past to Forecast the Future," Panel 1 at the 2024 Academic & Policy Symposium, 18 Nov. 2024 [access]

- See also related keynote address on "Migration Research and Policy: Big Questions and Bumpy Roads."

Related post:

- Thematic Focus: General (8 Jan. 2025)

Thematic Focus: Statelessness & Nationality

Courses:

9th Online Course on Statelessness, 26 September-19 October 2023 [info]

- Register by 28 August 2023. Offered by IIHL.

Protection of Stateless Persons, Online, 29 August-10 October 2023 [info]

- Register by 29 August 2023. Offered by the UPEACE Human Rights Centre.

Statelessness Intensive Course, Online, 14-20 February 2024 [info]

- Apply by 30 September 2023. Offered by the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness.

Short pieces:

Advocating for Change: Bhutanese Refugee Community in Denmark urges action on Statelessness (ENS Blog, Aug. 2023) [text]

Gaps and Opportunities in mainstreaming statelessness and nationality matters in Europe at the Human Rights Council (ENS Blog, July 2023) [text]

ICGLR-UNHCR study finds long-term refugees at risk of statelessness in the Great Lakes region (UNHCR, Aug. 2023) [text]

UNHCR applauds Kenya’s efforts to resolve stateless situation of Pemba community (UNHCR, July 2023) [text]

Reports & journal articles:

Addressing Statelessness in Europe: Closing Protection Gaps and Realising Everyone's Right to a Nationality, 8-9 June 2023 - Conference Outcomes Report [text]

"At Risk of Statelessness: Children Born in Lebanon to Migrant Domestic Workers," International Migration Review, OnlineFirst, 27 July 2023 [open access]

Children on the Margins: The Impact of Depriving Children of their Right to Nationality and Legal Identity in Northwest Syria (Norwegian Refugee Council & Tufts Univ., July 2023) [text]

Experts Conference on Eradication of Statelessness and Access to Legal Identity Documentation in the Great Lakes Region, Nairobi, 25-27 July 2023 

- See the concept note, keynote speech and outcome document from this meeting.

"Files, Families and the Nation: An Archival History, Perhaps," Journal of Australian Studies, Latest Articles, 2 Aug. 2023 [open access]

"Part K: Statelessness," Chapter in USCIS Policy Manual (US Dept. of Homeland Security, 2023) [text]

- Note: This policy guidance will become effective as of 30 Oct. 2023 and will be incorporated into the manual at that time. See also related DHS news release and UNHCR press release.

The right to a nationality: equality in nationality rights in law and in practice, UN Doc. No. A/HRC/53/L.28/Rev.1 (UN Human Rights Council, July 2023) [access]

- See also related ISI news story.

Related post:

- Thematic Focus: Statelessness & Nationality (18 July 2023)

Thematic Focus: Global Compacts Round-up

Global Compact for Migration

Events:

Parliamentary Conference on Migration in the Lead-up to the Adoption of the Global Compact on Migration, Rabat, Morocco, 6-7 December 2018 [info]

Innovative Proposals to Enhance Migration for Development, Marrakech, 9 December 2018 [info]
- High-level side event to the Intergovernmental Conf. that will be held the next day.

Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, Marrakech, 10 December 2018 [info]
- Follow link for background documents and the draft outcome document for the conference.

News:

A number of countries have indicated that they will not endorse the Global Compact for Migration, even though it is not a legally binding document. The following items provide additional information:

"Following U.S.: Israel Will Not Join UN Migrant Rights Initiative," Haaretz, 20 Nov. 2018 [text]

The Global Compact for Migration: To Sign or Not to Sign? (EJIL Talk Blog, Nov. 2018) [text]

"Nothing Surrendered But Much to be Gained from UN Migration Pact," Sydney Morning Herald, 27 Nov. 2018 [text]
- Commentary on Australia's opposition to the GCM. See also related statement.

Opposition to the Global Compact for Migration is Just Sound and Fury (Forbes Blog, Nov. 2018) [text]

"Poland Latest Country to Withdraw from Global Migration Pact," AP News, 20 Nov. 2018 [text]

"U-turns on Global Compact 'Reflect Poorly’ on Countries Concerned: Senior UN Migration Official," UN News, 27 Nov. 2018 [text]

Welcome! And the Global Compact's "Continental Pullout" (ISPI Blog, Nov. 2018) [text]
- See also related tweet with more graphics.

Other Publications on GCM/GCR

Ensuring That the Global Compacts on Refugees and Migration Deliver (Refugees International, Nov. 2018) [text]

GCM Commentary Blog Series (RLI Blog on Refugees and Forced Migration) , Nov. 2018) [access]
- Additional posts are available with analyses of the following Global Compact for Migration objectives: Obj. 9 (responding to migrant smuggling); Obj. 12 (migration procedures); Obj. 16 (migrant inclusion/social cohesion); Obj. 18 (skills development); Obj. 22 (social security/benefits).

"A Global Academic Network on Refugees: Some Unanswered Questions," International Journal of Refugee Law, Advance Articles, 26 Nov. 2018 [free full-text]

The Global Compact for Migration (Red Cross EU Office, Nov. 2018) [text]

*The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration: The Implementation Phase (Center for Migration Studies, Nov. 2018) [text]

Global Means Global: Europe and the Global Compact on Refugees, Policy Brief (ECRE, Nov. 2018) [text via ReliefWeb]

How American Cities Can Lead on Migration (The Avenue Blog, Nov. 2018) [text]

"Migration for Sustainable Development: The Global Compact for Migration as a Platform for Action," Migration Policy Practice, vol. VIII, no. 3 (Sept.-Oct. 2018) [full-text]
- Scroll to p. 26.

UNHCR Statement: Global Compact on Refugees a Step Closer to Affirmation by UN General Assembly (UNHCR, Nov. 2018) [text]
- Note: The United States was the sole country to oppose adoption of the omnibus GA res. referenced in UNHCR's statement above; see related Reuters article. See also related statements from DRC and NRC.

What is the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration? (European Commission, Nov. 2018) [text]
- Factsheet, plus link to speech made by the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management.

*UPDATED

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Global Compacts Round-up (8 Nov. 2018)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.

Thematic Focus: General

Opportunity:

Call for applications: Rapid Impact Grants, Tent Foundation [info]
- Twenty $50,000 grants will be awarded; no deadline indicated.

Publications:

"Conflicts of Interest in International Organizations: Evidence from Two United Nations Humanitarian Agencies," Public Administration, Early View, 24 Nov. 2015 [postprint via Univ. of Geneva]

Freedom in the World 2016 (Freedom House, 2016) [access]
- Follow link for full report, interactive map, and data.

"Global Refugee Crisis: The Facts," New Internationalist (Jan. 2016) [access]
- Follow link for infographic.

"La Gouvernance des migrations: de la gestion migratoire à la protection des migrants," OASIS, no. 22 (Julio-Diciembre 2015) [open access via SSRN]

"If You Think Europe Has a Refugee Crisis, You’re Not Looking Hard Enough," Foreign Policy, 2 Feb. 2016 [text]

Thematic Compilation of General Assembly & Economic and Social Council Resolutions, 5th ed. (UNHCR, Dec. 2015) [text]

"Who is Cashing in on Keeping Migrants Out?," New Internationalist (Jan. 2016) [text]

Related posts:
- News: HRW World Report 2016 Published (27 Jan. 2016)
- Thematic Focus: General (25 Jan. 2016)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: Human Trafficking & Smuggling

Event:

CFP: Critical Approaches to Irregular Migration Facilitation: Dismantling the Human Smuggler Narrative, Florence, Italy, April 7-8, 2016 [info]
- Submit abstracts by 15 November 2015.

Publications:

Adopting Resolution 2240 (2015), Security Council Authorizes Member States to Intercept Vessels off Libyan Coast Suspected of Migrant Smuggling (UN Security Council, Oct. 2015) [text]

"Asylum, Immigration Restrictions and Exploitation: Hyper-precarity as a Lens for Understanding and Tackling Forced Labour," Anti-Trafficking Review, no. 5 (2015) [open access]
- Note: This article appeared in a special issue on "Forced Labour and Human Trafficking."

Don't Blame the Smugglers: The Real Migration Industry (Hein de Haas Blog, Sept. 2015) [text]

Military Action against Human Smugglers: Legal Questions Concerning the EUNAVFOR Med Operation (Meijers Committee, Sept. 2015) [text]

The Often Fine Line Between Asylum Seeker and Smuggler (RefLaw Blog, Sept. 2015) [text]

Operation Sophia: Tackling the Refugee Crisis with Military Means, Issue Brief, no. 30 (Institute for Security Studies, Sept. 2015) [text]

"Ungendering and Regendering Shelters for Survivors of Human Trafficking," Social Inclusion, vol. 3, no. 1 (2015) [full-text via SSRN]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Human Trafficking & Smuggling (17 Sept. 2015)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: Humanitarian Assistance

Events:

CFP: A Quest for Humanitarian Effectiveness?, Manchester, UK, 14-16 September 2015 [info]
- Submit proposals by 15 May 2015.

Panel discussion: 'Accountability': What Do Crisis-affected People Think?, London, 2 June 2015 [info]
- Will also be livestreamed.

Publications:

"Assisting Uncertainty: How Humanitarian Aid Can Inadvertently Prolong Civil War," International Studies Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 1 (March 2015) [full-text via CISAC]  

Designing the Development Agency of the Future, London, 27-28 April 2015 [info]
- Follow link for framing paper, event highlights, presentations.

The Development Agency of the Future: Fit for Protracted Crises? (ODI, April 2015) [text]

Rapid Humanitarian Assessment in Urban Settings (ACAPS, April 2015) [text via ReliefWeb]

Reference Guide: Normative Decisions on the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance in the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council since the Adoption of General Assembly Resolution 46/182, 3rd ed. (OCHA, April 2015) [text]

Shouting towards the Sky: The Role of Religious Individuals, Communities, Organisations and Institutions in Support for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 275 (UNHCR, April 2015) [text]

Where, oh Where, do Regional Organizations Fit in the International Humanitarian System? (Order from Chaos Blog, April 2015) [text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Humanitarian Assistance (16 April 2015)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: General

Opportunity:

FY 2016 Annual Program Statement Requesting Concept Notes for Global Innovation Programs to Help the Humanitarian Community Better Respond to Refugees Outside of Camps [info]
- "Proposal submission deadline: Concept note submissions will be accepted year round and will be considered on a twice-yearly basis on the following review dates: 1 September 2015 & 1 March 2016.

Publications:

"16 Million Refugees Are Not Some Other Country's Problem," The American Prospect, 1 May 2015 [text]

Freedom in the World 2015 (Freedom House, 2015) [access]

Human Rights Tools for a Changing World: A Step-by-step Guide to Human Rights Fact-finding, Documentation, and Advocacy (Advocates for Human Rights, Jan. 2015) [text]

"New Keywords: Migration and Borders," Cultural Studies, vol. 29, no. 1 (2015) [full-text via ResearchGate]

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Resolution, UN Doc. No. A/RES/69/152 (UN General Assembly, Feb. 2015) [text]

Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights at International Borders (OHCHR, Oct. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]
- Note: I referenced this document earlier when it was in the form of a Conference Room Paper. It has since been released as a more formal publication with a new foreword and preface.

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: General (13 April 2015)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: Health, General

"Examining Strain Diversity and Phylogeography in Relation to an Unusual Epidemic Pattern of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in a Long-term Refugee Camp in Kenya," BMC Infectious Diseases, 14:178 (April 2014) [open access]

"Frequent Relocations between Asylum-seeker Centres are Associated with Mental Distress in Asylum-seeking Children: A Longitudinal Medical Record Study," International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 43, no. 1 (Feb. 2014) [free full-text]

"Gaps in Smiles and Services: A Cross-sectional Study of Dental Caries in Refugee-background Children," BMC Oral Health, 15:10 (Jan. 2015) [open access]

"Quality of Intrapartum Care by Skilled Birth Attendants in a Refugee Clinic on the Thai-Myanmar Border: A Survey Using WHO Safe Motherhood Needs Assessment," BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 15:17 (Feb. 2015)[open access]

Safeguarding Health: A Global Health and Humanitarian Policy (Humanitarian Space, Jan. 2015) [text]

"Unmet Contraceptive Needs among Refugees: Crossroads Clinic Experience," Canadian Family Physician, vol. 60, no. 12 (Dec. 2014) [free full-text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Health, General (20 Jan. 2015)

Tagged Publications.

Thematic Focus: Statelessness

Did you notice...

The UNHCR logo in several factsheets from UNHCR West Africa reads "UNHCR: The UN Refugee and Statelessness Agency" (see this one as an example).  I don't recall seeing "statelessness" included before. Is an official change in the works?  Perhaps related to UNHCR's campaign to eradicate statelessness (which is due to be launched on 4 November 2014)?

Events: 

A Boat without Anchors: Statelessness among Minority Populations in Cambodia, Canberra, 29 October 2014 [info]
- Free event, but registration required. The findings of the research referenced in this presentation were discussed in this report.

Statelessness: The Impact of International Law and Current Challenges, London, 4 November 2014 [info]
- Hosted by Chatham House.
 
Publications:

Citizenship Revocation and the Privilege to Have Rights (SSRN, Oct. 2014) [text]

Equal Only in Name: The Human Rights of Stateless Rohingya in Malaysia (Equal Rights Trust, Oct. 2014) [text via Refworld]

From Statelessness Programme to Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (Statelessness Programme Blog, Oct. 2014) [text]

National Conference on Statelessness, Dublin, 21 Oct. 2014 [info]
- Follow link for agenda and presentations; see also UNHCR Scoping Paper on Statelessness in Ireland.

Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and Protection of Stateless Persons in the Americas, AG/RES. 2826 (XLIV-O/14) (Organization of American States, June 2014) [text via Refworld]

"Romani Migration Resulting in Statelessness: The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Roma Rights, no. 1 (2014) [full-text]

Stateless: The World's Most Invisible People? (Thomson Reuters Foundation, Oct. 2014) [access]
- This "Spotlight" feature has recently been updated.

Statelessness Averted? Former Burundian Refugees to Receive Tanzanian Citizenship (IntLawGrrls, Oct. 2014) [text]

Towards a Sociology of Statelessness (Postcards from..., Oct. 2014) [text]

Related post: 
- Thematic Focus: Statelessness (9 Oct. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: Law/Policy Items

The Law and Politics of Non-entrée, Oxford, 4 June 2014 [access]
- Follow link for podcast.

"The Law of Diplomatic Asylum: A Contextual Approach," Michigan Journal of International Law, vol. 35, no. 2 (2014) [full-text]

"Les Relations entre Droit International Privé et Droit International des Réfugiés: Histoire d’une Brève Rencontre," Journal du Droit International, vol. 141, no. 2 (Avril-Mai-Juin 2014) [eprint via SSRN]

Note on International Protection, 60th Meeting of the Standing Committee, UN Doc. No. EC/65/SC/CRP.10 (Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme, June 2014) [text]
- See also related speech by the Director of International Protection and the NGO Statement on International Protection.

A Thematic Compilation of Executive Committee Conclusions, 7th ed. (UNHCR, June 2014) [text]

Thematic Compilation of General Assembly & Economic and Social Council Resolutions, 4th ed. (UNHCR, June 2014) [text]

Why the Resistance to Refugee Law? (Global Views Blog, May 2014) [text]
- Reproduces the "Observations of the Stanford Working Group on Responding to Refugees."

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

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: Syria

Yarmouk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*updated

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

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

Tagged Publications. 

Thematic Focus: General

"Development Responses to Forced Migration," Presentation at 5th West Asia-North Africa Forum, Amman, 10-11 June 2013 [access]

EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World in 2012 (Council of the European Union, May 2013) [text]

International Migration Outlook 2013 (OECD, June 2013) [access]
- See also related NYT article.

Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, UN Doc. No. A/HRC/RES/23/8 (Human Rights Council, June 2013) [text via Refworld]
- Extends Special Rapporteur's mandate by three years.

Refugees and Displacement (Thomson Reuters Foundation, June 2013) [text]
- Special briefing.

Thematic Compilation of General Assembly and Economic and Social Council Resolutions, 3rd ed. (UNHCR, June 2013) [access]

The World and Its Refugees (Refugees International Blog, July 2013) [text]

Tagged Publications. 

Regional Focus: Africa

"Afraid and Exhausted: Striking Portraits of Mali’s Refugees," Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2013 [access]
- Highlights portraits from UNHCR's Instagram feed.

Displacement, Disharmony and Disillusion: Understanding Host-Refugee Tensions in Maban County, South Sudan (Danish Demining Group, Jan. 2013) [text]

Statement by the African Commission on the Present Human Rights Situation in Mali (African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Jan. 2013) [text]
- The texts of the resolutions referenced in this statement are here: 209, 210, and 217

UNHCR Position on the Directive by the Kenyan Government on the Relocation of Refugees from the Urban Centres to the Refugee Camps (UNHCR, Jan. 2013) [text]
- See also related IRIN news story and RI blog post.

UNHCR’s Rwanda Cessation: Flawed, but Perhaps Not Entirely Wrong (RSDWatch, Jan. 2013) [text]

Urban Refugee Education in Uganda: A Solution from the Non-formal Education Sector, Paper presented at panel on "Not Business as Usual: Education in Emergency and Conflict Settings – The Lived Experiences of the Oft Forgotten," at the Global Education Leadership Opportunities Conference, Boston, 24-25 January 2013 [text]

Tagged Publications. 

Focus on IDPs

This resolution (A/HRC/20/L.14) on the "Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons" was recently adopted by the UN Human Rights Council.  The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) calls it an "historical resolution" because it is, "for the first time, independent from the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on IDPs, representing a strengthened commitment from UN Member States to recognise their own role in promoting and protecting the human rights of IDPs."  For an analysis, read this post on TerraNullius.

The resolution also acknowledged the twentieth anniversary of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons.  The first Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, as the position was then named, was Francis Deng, appointed in 1992. Walter Kälin served next, as the Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons.  Chaloka Beyani is the current mandate holder.  For more information about his activities, visit his profile page on the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement site.

Other publications:

Conflict-Induced Internally Displaced Persons in Afghanistan: Interpretation of Data as of 31 May 2012 (UNHCR, July 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Crise militaro-politique interne et santé psychophysique des personnes déplacées internes (PDIs): le cas de la Côte d’Ivoire," Santé Publique, vol. 24, no. HS (2012) [full-text]

The Internal Displacement of the Roma, Ashkali, & Egyptians in the Former Yugoslavia and Their Denial of an Effective Remedy (SSRN, 2010; posted Aug. 2012) [text]

Mainstreaming IDP Principles in Capacity Building Efforts: A Chance Missed in Kosovo (TerraNullius, July 2012) [text]

Web site:

Joint IDP Profiling Service (JIPS) [access]  
- "JIPS was set up to support the preparation, implementation and analysis phases of profiling IDP situations" by "collecting reliable information about IDPs, disaggregated by sex, age and location... ."  It is hosted by UNHCR in Geneva.  JIPS also had a hand in developing the Profiling and Assessment Resource Kit (PARK) database, which makes "methodologies, tools and other practical resources used in previous profiling and assessment exercises readily available to practitioners around the world."

And last but not least...

Here is another shout-out to readers to take a few minutes to complete a survey of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) web site.  The survey will close on 7 September 2012, and while the results will not be made public, they will provide IDMC with a better sense of how best to cater to the information needs of users and how to improve their design and structure accordingly.

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.  

Statelessness Update

UNHCR has issued its third set of Guidelines on Statelessness.  The focus is "The Status of Stateless Persons at the National Level."  The previous two guidelines can be accessed via this earlier post.

Other recent items relating to statelessness include:

Burning Homes, Sinking Lives: A Situation Report on Violence against Stateless Rohingya in Myanmar and their Refoulement from Bangladesh (Equal Rights Trust, June 2012) [text]
- See also related blog post.

Global Statelessness (Pulitzer Center, 2012) [access]
- Map application, using UNHCR data.

Guidelines to Protect Stateless Persons from Arbitrary Detention (Equal Rights Trust, July 2012) [text]

Law Talks: Laura Bingham on Statelessness (Open Society, June 2012) [access]
- Podcast interview.

The Right to a Nationality: Women and Children, UN Human Rights Council Doc. No. A/HRC/20/L8 (UN General Assembly, June 2012) [text]

Statelessness at the UN: Reaffirming the Right to Nationality (Open Society Blog, July 2012) [text]
- See also related blog post with video.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

New Publications on Asylum Seekers in Australia & Europe, Humanitarian Aid in Yemen, Iraqi Refugees, Labor Trafficking, Security Council Protection

Aid Delivery in Yemen Becoming Ever More Complex (IRIN News, Oct. 2011) [text]

Inquiry into the Agreement between Australia and Malaysia on the Transfer of Asylum Seekers to Malaysia (Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law et al., Sept. 2011) [text]

"Iraqi Refugees: Still There," Chapter in A Global Agenda: Issues Before the United Nations 2011-2012 (United Nations Association of the USA, 2011) [text]

Report on the Visit to Lampedusa (Italy) (23-24 May 2011) (PACE Ad Hoc Sub-Committee on the Large-scale Arrival of Irregular Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees on Europe's Southern Shores, Sept. 2011) [text]

Security Council, Internal Displacement and Protection: Recommendations for Strengthening Action through Resolutions (Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, Sept. 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Trafficking in Workers: The Human Rights Paradigm to Trafficking in Persons and the Challenge of Labor Rights (ExpressO, 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Law & Policy Compilations

(updated)

The web page for UNHCR's Policy Development and Evaluation Section (PDES) now offers access to a collection of "UNHCR policy statements on key global and thematic issues."

A few other compilations/compendia recently made available include:

International Legal Frameworks for Humanitarian Advocacy: Compendium (UN, 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Legal Framework and Standards relating to the Detention of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants: A Guide [text]

Resources on Complementary Protection (Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law) [access]

Thematic Compilation of Executive Committee Conclusions, 6th ed. (UNHCR, June 2011) [text]

Thematic Compilation of General Assembly & Economic and Social Council Resolutions (UNHCR, Sept. 2011) [access]

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.