Age Assessments

The Welsh Refugee Council has just produced a research report entitled "Young Lives in Limbo: The Protection of Age Disputed Young People in Wales." The issue of age assessments of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum has been addressed fairly regularly in the literature recently, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Here are some other references that I have come across:

"Age Determination of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Minors in the European Union: A Health Law Perspective," European Journal of Health Law, vol. 18, no. 1 (2011) [abstract]

Age Assessment Practices: A Literature Review & Annotated Bibliography (UNICEF, 2011) [text]

Assessing Age or Assessing Needs: A Literature Review of Age Assessment of Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (Univ. of Copenhagen, 2010) [text]

"Assessing Chronological Age of Unaccompanied Minors in Southern Italy," American Journal of Forensic Medicine & Pathology, Advance Access, 30 June 2011 [abstract]

"How Old Are You? Ethical Dilemmas in Working with Age-Disputed Young Asylum Seekers," Practice, Forthcoming Article, 5 Aug. 2011 [abstract]

Methods for Assessing the Age of Migrant Children Must Be Improved (Human Rights Comment, Aug. 2011) [text]

"A New Approach to Age Assessment of Unaccompanied and Separated Children: Current Practices and Challenges in the UK," Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 11 (Jan. 2011) [text]

Negotiating Childhood: Age Assessment in the UK Asylum System, Working Paper, no. 67 (RSC, Nov. 2010) [text]

For reports addressing issues related to unaccompanied minors more generally, browse these previous blog posts.

Tagged Publications.

New Publications on Cessation Clauses, Clinical Guidelines, Denationalisation, DRC, Refugee Children & Mental Health

"Evidence-based Clinical Guidelines for Immigrants and Refugees," CMAJ, Early Release (27 July 2011) [full-text]

Humanitarian Action, Early Recovery and Stabilisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, HPG Working Paper (ODI, Aug. 2011) [text]

Refugee Children at "High Risk" of Mental-health Problems (IRIN, Aug. 2011) [text]

Reviewing the Application of the Cessation Clause of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees in Africa, Working Paper, no. 76 (RSC, August 2011) [text]

Should Citizenship Be Conditional? Denationalisation and Liberal Principles, Working Paper, no. 75 (RSC, July 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Focus on Human Trafficking

Publications:

Progress Report on Criminal Justice Responses to Trafficking in Persons in the ASEAN Region (Asia Regional Trafficking in Persons Project, July 2011) [text]

Prosecution of Trafficking in Persons Cases: Integrating a Human Rights-Based Approach in the Administration of Criminal Justice, Background Paper for Expert Meeting of the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Ms Joy Ngozi Ezeilo (OHCHR, July 2011) [text]

The Protection Project Review of the Trafficking in Persons Report 2011 (Protection Project, July 2011) [text]

Smuggling Roundtable Meeting Report, Bangkok, 20-22 June 2011 (GAATW & OHCHR, 2011) [text]

Upcoming Event:

CFP: Workshop on Human Trafficking, International Crime and National Security: A Human Rights Perspective, Goettingen, Germany, 3-4 February 2012 [info]

- Submissions due by 30 Nov. 2011.

Tagged Periodicals and Events & Opportunities.

New Periodical Issues

(updated)

New Issues:

AWR Bulletin, vol. 49, no. 1 (2011) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

AWR Bulletin, vol. 49, no. 2 (2011) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

International Migration, vol. 49, no. 4 (August 2011) [contents]

- Focus on "Immigrants in Sweden"; includes "Asylum Seekers and Undocumented Migrants’ Increased Social Rights in Sweden."

International Review of the Red Cross, vol. 92, no. 880 (Dec. 2010) [free full-text] [preview via ICRC]
- The theme, "Conflict in Afghanistan," is covered in two issues, both published at the same time. Access Part I by navigating via the menu bar on the left. See also a full-text preview of selected articles on the ICRC site.

International Review of the Red Cross, vol. 93, no. 881 (March 2011) [contents] [preview via ICRC]

- Part II of "Conflict in Afghanistan."

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 37, no. 8 (2011) [contents]
- Special issue on "Transnational Migration and Childhood." Includes "'Asexual, Apolitical Beings': The Interpretation of Children's Identities and Experiences in the UK Asylum System" and "In the Best Interest of the Child? The Politics of Vulnerability and Negotiations for Asylum in Sweden."

Social Dialogue, vol. 3 (2011) [full-text]
- Special focus on "War and Society." Includes "What War is Good For: An Exploration of How Wartime Displacement Can Promote Community Development," "White Hearts: Mental Health Among Iraqi Refugees in the United States," and "Two Pathways Through Which the University of Utah Can Further Support the Integration of Refugees in Utah."

Other News:

CFP: Refuge [info]

- Refuge has extended its deadline for articles on Iraqi refugees to 2 Sept. 2011.

New periodical: Migration Policy Practice [info]

- To be launched in Oct. 2011. Submissions from public officials are welcome.

Tagged Periodicals.

Publications by or about UNHCR

An Independent Impact Evaluation of UNHCR's Community Based Reintegration Programme in Southern Sudan (UNHCR, March 2011) [text]

"International Institutions and Individualized Decision-Making: An Example of UNHCR's Refugee Status Determination," Chapter in The Exercise of Public Authority by International Institutions: Advancing International Institutional Law (Springer, Dec. 2010) [info]
- An earlier version of this piece appeared in the German Law Journal.

Research Summary on Resettled Refugee Integration in Canada (Centre for Refugee Studies, May 2011) [text via UNHCR]

Restitution, Compensation, Satisfaction: Transnational Reparations and Colombia's Victims' Law, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 215 (UNHCR, August 2011) [text]

The Way to San José: A Review of the Implementation of UNHCR's Urban Refugee Policy in Costa Rica, PDES/2011/08 (UNHCR, August 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Focus on Europe

Annual Report 2010 (JRS Europe, Aug. 2011) [text]

"Chamber Ruling on Rejected Somali Asylum-seekers Would, If Upheld, Make It Almost Impossible to Carry Out Expulsions to Somalia," Migration News Sheet (July 2011) [text]

Common European Asylum System Closer than Before (UNHCR, July 2011) [text]

Cutting Off the Flow: Extraterritorial Controls to Prevent Migration (Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy, July 2011) [text]

"Practice Problems Concerning the Decision to Grant Access to Asylum in Romania under the 'Dublin II' Regulation," EIRP Proceedings, vol. 6 (2011) [text]

Seeking Asylum: Trends and Policies in the OECD (Centre for Economic Policy Research, July 2011) [text]

"Serious Doubts about Bulgaria’s Judicial System after Several Provisions of the Convention Violated in the Case of an Afghan Refugee," Migration News Sheet (Aug. 2011) [text]

Several Hundred Thousand People in Europe Are Stateless – They Need Extra Protection (Human Rights Comment, Aug. 2011) [text]

Unsafe Haven: The Security Challenges Facing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Turkey (Helsinki Citizens' Assembly – Turkey & ORAM, June 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Events & Opportunities in August & September 2011

Short Course on Internatio​nal Refugee Law and Advocacy, Bangkok, 12-16 September 2011 [info]

- Apply by 15 August 2011.

"Balanced Refugee Reform Act": Implementation and Issues, Vancouver, 17 September 2011 [info]
- Register by 31 August 2011.

Vacancy: Communications and Information Coordinator, Refugee Studies Centre [info]
- Apply by 24 August 2011.

CFP: Asylum and Displacement in the Twenty-First Century: Performing Community, Crisis and Belonging, London, 20-21 April 2012 [info]
- Abstracts due by 31 August 2011.

Fleeing Homophobia: Asylum claims related to sexual orientation and gender identity in the EU, Amsterdam, 5-6 September 2011 [info]
- Register by 1 Sept. 2011.

War and Displacement, Plymouth, 6-7 September 2011 [info]
- Book a place by 2 Sept. 2011.

Exploring Avenues for Protected Entry to Europe, Brussels, 19 September 2011 [info. in ECRE Weekly Bulletin]

- Deadline to register is 5 Sept. 2011.

Climate-induced Migration in Asia, Manila, 13-16 September 2011 [info]

- Three events are scheduled: Sept. 13 - Philippines Country Workshop on Climate-Induced Migration; Sept. 14 - Researchers' Workshop on Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific; Sept. 15-16 - Regional Conference on Policy Responses to Climate-Induced Migration in Asia and the Pacific; see sidebar for more info.

Tagged Events & Opportunities.

New Publications on Acehnese Tsunami Survivors, Côte d'Ivoire, Immigrant Detainees/U.S., DRC, IDPs/Georgia, Shelter Solutions, Urban Refugees/India

Bright Lights, Big City: Urban Refugees Struggle to Make a Living in New Delhi (Women's Refugee Commission, July 2011 [text via ReliefWeb]

A Costly Move: Far and Frequent Transfers Impede Hearings for Immigrant Detainees in the United States (Human Rights Watch, June 2011) [text]

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Too Soon To Walk Away (Refugees International, July 2011) [text]

Displaced, Disabled and Disturbed: Narratives of Trauma and Resilience among Acehnese Survivors of the 2004 Tsunami (Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, 2011) [text]

Regulatory Obstacles to Rapid and Equitable Emergency and Interim Shelter Solutions after Natural Disasters (Displacement Solutions, July 2011) [access]
- Word 2007 doc.

Uprooted Again: Forced Evictions of Internally Displaced Persons in Georgia (Amnesty International, August 2011) [text]

"We Want to Go Home, but We Can't": Côte d'Ivoire's Continuing Crisis of Displacement and Insecurity (Amnesty International, August 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

New Periodical Issues

APRRN Updates (July 2011) [full-text]
- From the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network.

Disability and Society, vol. 26, no. 5 (2011) [contents]
- Special issue on "Disability: shifting frontiers and boundaries." Includes "Disability and cross-border mobility: comparing resettlement experiences of Cambodian and Somali refugees with disabilities" and "Between protection and assistance: is there refuge for asylum seekers with disabilities in Europe?"

Journal of Peace Research, vol. 48, no. 4 (July 2011) [contents]
- Mix of articles including a data feature on armed conflict from 1946-2010.

Medicine, Conflict, Survival, vol. 27, no. 1 (2011) [contents]
- Includes special section featuring winners of the Holdstock-Piachaud Prize 2010; titles include "Climate change-induced conflict: a threat to human health," "Health, peace, conflict: challenges for maternal and child health in the occupied Palestinian territories," and "Border-controlled health inequality: the international community's neglect of internally displaced persons."

The Researcher, vol. 6, no. 2 (July 2011) [full-text via Refworld]
- Lead article is "The Evolution and Elusiveness of EU Citizenship: The Court of Justice Decision in McCarthy." Also includes "The Persuasiveness of UNHCR’s Eligibility Guidelines."

Women's Asylum News, no. 103 (July 2011) [full-text via Refworld]
- Lead article is "Accessing justice in the age of austerity: what legal aid reform means for women seeking asylum."

Tagged Periodicals.

New UNHCR Publications on Detention Alternatives, Exclusion, Gangs, Local Integration, Protection and Reception in Europe

The Benefits of Belonging: Local Integration Options and Opportunities for Host Countries, Communities and Refugees (2011) [text]

Exclusion at a Crossroads: The Interplay between International Criminal Law and Refugee Law in the Area of Extended Liability, Legal and Protection Policy Research Series (June 2011) [text]

Global Roundtable on Alternatives to Detention of Asylum-Seekers, Refugees, Migrants and Stateless Persons: Summary Conclusions (July 2011) [text]

Living in a World of Violence: An Introduction to the Gang Phenomenon, Legal and Protection Policy Research Series (July 2011) [text]

Safe at Last? Law and Practice in Selected EU Member States with Respect to Asylum-Seekers Fleeing Indiscriminate Violence (July 2011) [text]

UNHCR Statement on the Reception Conditions of Asylum-seekers under the Dublin Procedure (August 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Admin: Summer Vacation

This blog will be quiet for the next two weeks, and therefore will report belatedly on developments such as the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the launch of the revised FMO web site, and the availability of my updated refugee law guide, among other things.

I look forward to catching up with everything in August!

Elisa

New Publications on Humanitarian Access & Counter-terrorism, Irregular Migrants, Somali Displacement, UK Legislation

Humanitarian Action under Scrutiny: Criminalizing Humanitarian Engagement (HPCR, Feb. 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Migrants in an Irregular Situation Employed in Domestic Work: Fundamental Rights Challenges for the European Union and its Member States (European Agency for Fundamental Rights, July 2011) [text via Refworld]

Refugees, Migrants and the Equality Act 2010: A Briefing for Public Authorities (Equality and Diversity Forum, June 2011) [text]

Refugees, Migrants and the Equality Act 2010: A Briefing for Refugee and Migrant Community Organisations (Equality and Diversity Forum & REAP, June 2011) [text]

UNHCR's Response to the Somali Displacement Crisis into Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya (UNHCR, July 2011) [text]

Tagged Publications.

Health-related Resources

Blog:

Access Denied: A Conversation on Unauthorized Im/migration and Health [access]
- "The aim of this blog is to challenge readers and contributors to re-think the political common sense that denies migrants and immigrants access to health care and impedes their capacity to enjoy the social determinants of good health."

Publications:

Ensuring Access to Health Care: Operational Guidance on Refugee Protection and Solutions in Urban Areas (UNHCR, 2011) [text]

"Equity and Access: Understanding Emergency Health Service Use by Newly Arrived Refugees,"Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 195, no. 2 (July 2011) [full-text]

"Floods in Pakistan: A Public Health Crisis," Bulletin of the World Health Organization, vol. 89, no. 3 (March 2011) [full-text]

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

New Publications on Disaster-displaced in Nepal, Humanitarian Aid, Mental Health of Tamils, RI Interview, Sudanese & Eritreans in Israel

Longer-Term Disaster Displaced: A Forgotten Group (UN RCHC Office, Nepal, July 2011) [text]

"The Majority of Refugees Do Not Live in Camps": Interview with Refugees International Regional Director (Think Africa Press, July 2011) [text]

Non-DAC Donors and Humanitarian Aid: Shifting Structures, Changing Trends (GHA, July 2011) [text]

"Stresses of Passage, Balms of Resettlement, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Sri Lankan Tamils in Canada," Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 56, no. 6 (June 2011) [full-text]

Surviving in Limbo (Aid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel, June 2011)

- Part I: Lived Experiences among Sudanese and Eritrean Asylum Seekers in Israel [text]; Part II: Community Formation among Sudanese and Eritrean Asylum Seekers in Israel [text]

Tagged Publications.

GHA Report 2011

The newest edition of the annual Global Humanitarian Assistance Report has been published. It looks at humanitarian aid expenditures, and who is spending how much, where and on what.

You can read comments about the report on AlertNet, ALNAP, DARA, and IRIN.

Previous issues can be accessed via the reports page.

Tagged Publications.

Country of Origin Information Resources

Publications:

COI Updates [access]

- Bi-monthly updates from the Asylum Research Consultancy that provide "an update of Country Guidance case law, UKBA publications and developments in refugee producing countries."

CRS Report: Country Conditions Are the Driving Force Behind Asylum Seekers (The Asylumist, July 2011) [text]

The Use of Country of Origin Information in Deciding Asylum Applications: A Thematic Inspection (Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency, July 2011) [text]
- "While Case Owners are generally familiar with, and use, the reports produced by the Country of Origin Information Service (COIS), I found evidence that country information had been used selectively or otherwise inappropriately in decision-making. In addition, there was inconsistency in the way Case Owners obtained information in the absence of a COIS report and in the way it was referenced in decision letters to asylum applicants."

Trainings:

"Country of Origin Information," European Asylum Curriculum [info]

- Online portion begins 16 Jan. 2012, face-to-face dates are 14-17 Feb. 2012; register by 15 Nov. 2011.

"Improving Member States Asylum Systems and Defining Good Practices," European Institute of Public Administration, Maastricht, 22-23 Sept. 2011 [info]

- Includes a session on "Country of Origin Information: collection and use in individual cases."

"Researching Country of Origin Information," COI Training Network [info]

- The next Blended Learning course will take place in Sept. 2011.

Web Site:

10 years of ecoi.net [access]

- The European Country of Origin Network is now a decade old. Visit the site to see what new features are on offer.

Tagged Publications.

Last minute events & opportunities in July

Making Cooking SAFE: Addressing Household Energy Needs in Crisis Settings, Geneva, 19 July 2011 [info]

Call for Papers: "Special Issue on Iraqi Refugees," Refuge: Canada's Periodical on Refugees [info]
- Submit papers by 29 July 2011.

Call for Papers: "Palestinian Refugees: Different Generations but One Identity," Forced Migration and Refugees Unit, Birzeit University [info]

- Submit abstract by 30 July 2011. The conference will be held in mid-November 2011.

Tagged Events & Opportunities.

New Journal Issues

British Journal of Sociology, vol. 62, no. 1 (March 2011) [free full-text]

- Focus is on "The Displaced and Dispossessed of Darfur." See also related podcast.

Columbia Human Rights Law Review, vol. 42, no. 3 (Spring 2011) [full-text]
- Mix of articles, including "Refugees and the Biometric Future: the Impact of Biometrics on Refugees and Asylum Seekers," "Beyond the Guantánamo Bind: Pragmatic Multilateralism in Refugee Resettlement" and "Unsettling Developments: Terrorism and the New Case for Enhancing Protection and Humanitarian Assistance for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, Including Victims of Natural Disasters."

Gender, Place and Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, vol. 18, no. 3 (June 2011) [contents]
- Special "focus on temporal and spatial encounters with waiting and (im)mobility among migrants." Includes "Waiting for what? The feminization of asylum in protracted situations," "Where asylum-seekers wait: feminist counter-topographies of sites between states" and "Dublin II and Eurodac: examining the (un)intended(?) consequences."

Harvard Human Rights Journal, vol. 24, no. 1 (2011) [full-text]
- Mix of articles.

Journal of East Asia and International Law, vol. 3, no. 2 (2010) [contents]
- Focus is on "Human Rights Protection of the Vulnerable in an Age of Globalization."

Tagged Periodicals.

Refugee Law and Criminal Law, Part 2

Following up on this earlier post, here are two blog posts by Jaya Ramji-Nogales at IntLawGrrls which further explore the intersection of international criminal law and refugee law via a detailed analysis of two recent court cases.

International criminal law meets non-refoulement [text]
- Discusses "how international criminal courts should address refugee claims that arise as a result of involvement in their legal processes."

Refugee law meets international criminals [text]
- Discusses "how refugee determination processes should address the alleged commission of international crimes by refugee claimants."

Tagged Publications.

New Publications on Elderly/Disabled, Employment Assistance, Georgians, Humanitarian Assistance, North Koreans, & Refugee Children

Ageing and Disability in Humanitarian Response: A Resource Book on Inclusive Practices (Ageing and Disability Task Force, June 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Guide for Governments 2011: How the International Humanitarian System Supports Government Disaster Response (REDLAC, April 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]

Living in Limbo: Rights of Ethnic Georgians Returnees to the Gali District of Abkhazia (Human Rights Watch, July 2011) [text]

Refugee Status Report: A Report on How Refugee Children and Young People in Victoria are Faring (Dept. of Education and Early Childhood Development, July 2011) [text via BroCAP]

- See also background information.

Strangers at Home: North Koreans in the South (International Crisis Group, July 2011) [text]

"Welfare-to-Work and the Responsiveness of Employment Providers to the Needs of Refugees," Journal of Social Policy, vol. 40, no. 3 (2011) [free full-text article]

Tagged Publications.