30 June 2012

Opportunity Reminder: RSC 30th Anniversary Conference

Just a reminder that abstracts for the Refugee Studies Centre's upcoming conference on "Understanding Global Refugee Policy" are due 1 July 2012!  Here is the call for papers.  Abstracts can be submitted online via the link at the bottom of conference announcement page.

Tagged Events & Opportunities.  


Focus on Climate Change

UNHCR launched the report, "Climate Change, Vulnerability and Human Mobility: Perspectives of Refugees from the East and Horn of Africa" (UNHCR & UNU-EHS, June 2012), at the recent Rio+20 conference.  For more information, view the video report and read the related press release and news story.

Other items:

"Climate Change and Small Island States: Adrift in a Raising Sea of Legal Uncertainty," Sustainable Development Law & Policy, vol. 11, no. 2 (Winter 2011) [full-text]

Climate Change, Migration and Critical International Security Considerations, Migration Research Series, no. 42 (IOM, Jan. 2011) [text]

To Be or Not to Be a Climate Change Refugee, That Is the Question: An Interpretive Policy Analysis of Labeling and Framing Processes of Climate Change Refugees in Bangladesh, Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities (Universiteit Utrecht, Dec. 2011) [text]

Upcoming events and opportunities:

CFP: First Networking Workshop on Human Rights Legal Frameworks in the Climate Change Regime, Utrecht, 6-7 September 2012 [info]
- Submit proposals ASAP.

CFP: Irish Yearbook of International Law [info]
- Submissions sought for symposium issue on "Climate Justice in International Law"; "Climate Justice, Migration and Asylum" is one of the themes of interest. Deadline is 31 August 2012.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.   

29 June 2012

Reference Resources

Bibliographies/literature reviews

Internal Displacement in Nairobi: A Literature Review (NRC & IDMC, Dec. 2011) [text via ALNAP]

Les Migrations, les Réfugiés, les Droits de l’Homme: Un Guide Bibliographique des Publications parues en Langue Française, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 216 (UNHCR, Aug. 2011) [text]

The Resettlement of Refugees in Australia: A Bibliography (Swinburne Institute for Social Research, May 2012) [text via APO]

The Role of Family Links in Settlement: An Annotated Bibliography (Refugee Council of Australia, April 2012) [text]

Handbooks/manuals

Integrated Monitoring: A Practical Manual for Organisations That Want to Achieve Results (inProgress, 2012) [text]

The Management Handbook for UN Field Missions (International Peace Institute, 2012) [text]

UNHCR Style Companion: A Quick Reference Guide for Writing at Work (UNHCR, Feb. 2012) [text]


Tagged Publications.  


28 June 2012

Fragile States/Conflict

Berghof Glossary on Conflict Transformation: 20 Notions for Theory and Practice (Berghof Foundation, 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Development in the Shadow of Violence: A Knowledge Agenda for Policy: Report on the Future Direction of Investment in Evidence on Issues of Fragility, Security and Conflict (Center on International Cooperation, Nov. 2011) [text]

Evaluation of the Performance of SDC Instruments in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Contexts (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, May 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Failed States Index 2012 (Fund for Peace, June 2012) [access]
- Use the interactive map to go to a specific country or download the book.

Global Peace Index 2012 (Vision of Humanity, June 2012) [access]

State-Building, Peace-Building and Service Delivery in Fragile and Conflict-Affected States: Literature Review (CfBT Education Trust et al., May 2011) [access]

Strengthening the Rule of Law in Crisis-affected and Fragile Situations (UNDP, 2011) [text]

SIPRI Yearbook 2012 (SIPRI, June 2012) [extracts]

World Topic Guide on Conflict (Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, Jan. 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Tagged Publications.  

Health Issues

Humanitarian Medicine (Crash/Fondation Médecins Sans Frontières, May 2012) [text]

"Are There Differences in Injury Mortality among Refugees and Immigrants Compared with Native-born?," Injury Prevention, OnlineFirst, 24 May 2012 [open access]

"Health and Health Care of African Refugees: An Underrecognized Minority," Journal of the National Medical Association, vol. 104, nos. 1&2 (Jan./Feb. 2012) [full-text]
- Scroll to p. 61.

Positive Duty of Care? The Mental Health Crisis in Immigration Detention (Mental Health in Immigration Detention Project, May 2012) [access]

"Post-Arrival Health Screening in Karen Refugees in Australia," PLoS ONE 7:5 (2012) [open access]

"Refugees and Migrants Struggle to Obtain Health Care in Europe," CMAJ, vol. 184, no. 10 (July 2012) [full-text]

"'Thinking Too Much': Psychological Distress, Sources of Stress and Coping Strategies of Resettled Afghan and Kurdish Refugees," Journal of Muslim Mental Health, vol. 6, no. 2 (2012) [full-text]

Tagged Publications.  

27 June 2012

Focus on UNHCR

A new book entitled UNHCR and International Refugee Law: From Treaties to Innovation, by Corinne Lewis, has just been published by Routledge.  Here's the description:
This book considers the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ contribution to international refugee law since the establishment of UNHCR by the United Nations General Assembly in 1951. The book explores the historical and statutory foundations that create an indelible link between UNHCR and international refugee law. This book charts the significant evolution that has occurred in the organisation’s role throughout the last sixty years, looking at both the formal means by which UNHCR’s mandate may be modified, and the techniques UNHCR has used to facilitate the changes in its role, thereby revealing a significant evolution in the organisation’s role since the onset of the crisis in refugee protection in the 1980’s. UNHCR, itself, has demonstrated its organizational autonomy as the primary agent for the adaptation of its responsibilities and work related to international refugee law. The author does suggest however that UNHCR needs to continue to extend and strengthen its role related to international refugee law if UNHCR is to ensure a stronger legal framework for the protection of refugees as well as a fuller respect for refugees’ rights in practice.

Other recent items that examine UNHCR's mandate and work:

Humanitarians without Borders: Work, Mobility and Wellbeing in UNHCR, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 237 (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

"The Impact of Global Migration Governance on UNHCR," Chapter by Alexander Betts in The Migration-Displacement Nexus: Patterns, Processes, and Policies (Berghahn Books, Sept. 2011) [info]
- Preview the chapter in Google Books.

"Statelessness and Human Rights: The Role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)," EAFIT Journal of International Law, vol. 2, no. 2 (2011) [full-text]

"The Uneven Development of the International Refugee Regime in Postwar Asia: Evidence from China, Hong Kong and Indonesia," Journal of Refugee Studies, Advance Access, 25 June 2012 [abstract]
- Examines past UNHCR's approach to refugee problems in Asia.

"The UNHCR's Evolving Mandate," Le Monde Diplomatique (June 2012) [English] [French]

"The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Autonomy and Mandate Change," Chapter by Alexander Betts in International Organizations as Self-Directed Actors: A Framework for Analysis (Routledge, April 2012) [info]
- Preview the chapter in Google Books.

Tagged Publications. 


26 June 2012

Focus on Asia/Pacific

Annual Report 2011 (Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, June 2012) [text]

Ending the 2006 Internal Displacement Crisis in Timor-Leste: Between Humanitarian Aid and Transitional Justice, Migration Research Series, no. 44 (IOM, June 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Is India a 'Safe Third Country' for a Bhutanese Citizen Seeking Asylum in the United States? (SSRN, Feb. 2012) [text]

Isolated in Yunnan: Kachin Refugees from Burma in China's Yunnan Province (Human Rights Watch, June 2012) [text]

Pasang Temba on Tibetan Refugees (World Oral Literature Project, June 2012) [access]
- Audio recordings.

"A Phantom Returns: International Responses to North Korea’s Food Shortage," Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 2, no. 1 (June 2012) [full-text]

Protection Cluster Assessment of Bara IDPs in Jalozai Camp, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Protection Cluster, May 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

"A Step Forward to Refugee Protection? South Korea’s New Refugee Act," Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 2, no. 1 (June 2012) [full-text]

"The Uneven Development of the International Refugee Regime in Postwar Asia: Evidence from China, Hong Kong and Indonesia," Journal of Refugee Studies, Advance Access, 26 June 2012 [abstract]

Tagged Publications. 

Housing & Shelter-related Issues

Climate Displacement in Bangladesh: The Need for Urgent Housing, Land and Property Rights Solutions (Displacement Solutions, May 2012) [text]

From Shelter to Housing: Security of Tenure and Integration in Protracted Displacement Settings (Norwegian Refugee Council, Dec. 2011; posted May 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]
- See also related comment on TerraNullius.

"'Home Tonight? What? Where?' An Exploratory Study of the Meanings of House, Home and Family among the Former Vietnamese Refugees in a Canadian City," Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung = Forum: Qualitative Social Research, vol. 13, no. 2 (2012) [open access text]

"The Housing Resettlement Experience of Refugee Immigrants to Australia," Journal of Refugee Studies, Advance Access, 20 June 2012 [abstract]

IDPs in Host Families and Host Communities: Assistance for Hosting Arrangements (UNHCR, April 2012) [text]

Land, Property and Displacement in Post-revolution Libya (TerraNullius, June 2012) [text]

Myanmar at the HLP Crossroads, Speech given at "Understanding Housing, Land and Property Rights Challenges in a Changing Myanmar" Seminar, Yangon, 12 June 2012 [text]

Temporary Protection for Refugees Fleeing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (IntLawGrrls, June 2012) [text]

Training Manual on Housing, Land and Property (NRC, May 2012) [info]
- See also related comment on TerraNullius.

Tagged Publications.  

CFPs/New Issues of Disasters, FMR, Hum. Exch., IMR, ICRC Rev., JEMS

Calls for papers:

Field Exchange [info]
- Submit ideas, articles, research or news for special edition on "nutrition and food security emergency programming in urban contexts."

St Antony’s International Review [info]
- Submit abstracts for special issue on "The Gendered Refugee Experience" to stair.refugee@gmail.com.

New issues:

Disasters, vol. 36, issue suppl. 1 (July 2012) [contents]
- Special issue on "Urban Vulnerability and Humanitarian Response."  The texts of three articles are freely available.

Forced Migration Review, no, 39 (June 2012) [open access]
- Theme issue on "North Africa and Displacement 2011-2012."

Humanitarian Exchange, no. 54 (May 2012) [full-text]
- Special features focuses on "New Learning in Cash Transfer Programming."

International Migration Review, vol. 46, no. 2 (Summer 2012) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

International Review of the Red Cross, vol. 93, no. 883 (Sept. 2011) [full-text]
- Theme of this issue is "Engaging Armed Groups."

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 38, no. 7 (2012) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "Going on a Class Journey: The Inclusion and Exclusion of Iraqi Refugees in Denmark."

Tagged Periodicals and Events & Opportunities.

25 June 2012

Book News

Several of the blogs I follow have announced the following book-related news:

Exiled to Nowhere: Burma's Rohingya (Nowhere People) [access]
- See also Irawaddy review.

From the Book Shelves: The Law of Asylum by Deborah E. Anker (ImmigrationProf, June 2012) [access]

New Book: Hope: Refugees and Their Supporters in Australia since 1947 (BroCAP, June 2012) [access]
- See also publisher site.

New Book: Countering Displacements: The Creativity and Resilience of Indigenous and Refugee-ed Peoples (Refugee Research Network, June 2012) [access]

Responding to Protracted Crises: The Principled Model of NMPACT in Sudan (ODI, June 2012) [access]
- Chapter from Beyond Relief: Food Security in Protracted Crises (Practical Action, 2008).

Two Forthcoming Books on the Palestinian Refugee Issue (PRRN Blog, June 2012) [access]

Tagged Publications.  

Gender & LGBT Matters

*(updated)

Frozen Words: Memory and Sexual Violence amongst Sudanese Refugee Women in Cairo, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 240 (UNHCR, June 2012) [text]

Opening Doors: A Global Survey of NGO Attitudes towards LGBTI Refugees & Asylum Seekers (ORAM, June 2012) [text]

"A Question of Discretion: A Critical Analysis of New Legal and Evidentiary Hurdles for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) Asylum Seekers in the United Kingdom," Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 2, no. 1 (June 2012) [full-text]

*"Sexual Minorities and Asylum Law: Some Doors Remain Unopened," Student Scholarship, Paper no. 23 (Seton Hall Law, Jan. 2012) [text]

Temporary Protection for Refugees Fleeing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (IntLawGrrls, June 2012) [text]

Working with Gender Based Violence Survivors: Reference Training Manual for Frontline Staff (UNRWA, 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Tagged Publications.   

Protection-related Items

Asylum under Threat: Assessing the Protection of Somali Refugees in Dadaab Refugee Camps and along the Migration Corridor (Danish Refugee Council, June 2012) [text]

Interim Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Asylum-Seekers from Côte d'Ivoire (UNHCR, June 2012) [text]

Is India a 'Safe Third Country' for a Bhutanese Citizen Seeking Asylum in the United States? (SSRN, Feb. 2012) [text]

Roundtable on Due Process Considerations relating to the Use of Country of Origin Information in Refugee Status Determination Procedures, London, 22 May 2012 [text]

Serbia as a Safe Country: Revisited (Hungarian Helsinki Committee, June 2012) [text via Refworld]

Smuggling of Asylum-seekers and Criminal Justice, RLI Working Paper, no. 5 (Refugee Law Initiative, June 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications.  


Middle East/North Africa

The Arab Spring and Beyond: Summary of Recent Workshop (RSC, June 2012) [access]

"The Education of Adult Refugees in Cairo: Influences and Impacts," Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 2, no. 1 (June 2012) [full-text]

Frozen Words: Memory and Sexual Violence amongst Sudanese Refugee Women in Cairo, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 240 (UNHCR, June 2012) [text]

Joint Needs Assessment of Sahrawi Refugees in Algeria, 4 to 14 October 2011 (WFP & UNHCR, 2011; posted 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Life of a Refugee (American University in Cairo, May 2012) [access]
- Documentary of refugees seeking protection in Egypt.

North Africa and Displacement 2011-2012 [access]
- Focus of new issue of Forced Migration Review.

Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon (ANERA, June 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.   

22 June 2012

Focus on Europe

Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Contemporary Germany: A Critical Analysis of Political Debates and Media Depictions, Honors Thesis Project (Univ. of Tennessee, May 2012) [text]

Can Frontex Be Held Liable for Human Rights Violations? Potential Application of Recent European Case Law to the Activities of an Inter-Governmental Agency (SSRN, June 2012) [text]

EU Migration Policy and Its Reflection in Third Countries: Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine (Bridge, 2012) [text]
- See esp. chapters on "Functioning of the EU Management of External Borders with Emphasis on Migration and Asylum Problems," "Application of Legislation of the Republic of Belarus on Refugees and the Main Lines of its Development," "Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the Context of the European Union Policies: the Case of Greece," and "General Legal Aspect on Asylum within European Union and Italy: A Comprehensive Proposal for a Regulatory Reform."

Forward, Backward, Stalling? Seminar Series Reflects on the Completion of the Common European Asylum System (RSC, June 2012) [access]
- Includes link to podcasts.

"I came here for peace": The Systematic Ill-treatment of Migrants and Refugees by State Agents in Patras (Pro Asyl & Greek Council for Refugees, May 2012) [text]

S.O.S. Europe: Human Rights and Migration Control (Amnesty International, June 2012) [text]
- See also "When you don't exist" campaign.

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.  



21 June 2012

Focus on Human Trafficking

The U.S. State Department launched its Trafficking in Persons Report for 2012 yesterday.  Access to the text is available here; more information about the report is provided in this briefing.

A few other recent items:

Human Trafficking in Egypt: Policy and Alternatives?, Thesis Submitted to the Public Policy and Administration Department (American University in Cairo, May 2012) [text]

Trafficking in Human Beings: New Impetus in Fighting the Modern Form of Slavery (European Commission, June 2012) [access]

Trafficking in Persons: International Dimensions and Foreign Policy Issues for Congress (Congressional Research Service, April 2012) [text]

UNHCR Statement on the Application of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protcol to Victims of Trafficking in France (UNHCR, June 2012) [text]


Tagged Publications.  

20 June 2012

Disaster-induced Displacement

(updated)

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) released its "annual summary of the numbers of people internally displaced by sudden onset natural disasters" yesterday. Global Estimates 2011: People Displaced by Natural Hazard-Induced Disasters found that "in 2011, 14.9 million people were internally displaced throughout the world due to natural disasters, mostly related to weather events such as floods and storms."  Most displacement took place in Asia.

IDMC made the report available in advance of Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, which will be held 20-22 June 2012.

IRIN has also prepared a booklet for Rio+20 participants entitled "Living with Climate Change."

For more information, read "Rio+20: Connecting the Dots Between Disasters and Displacement."

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.   


World Refugee Day Coverage


(updated)

June 20 is World Refugee Day.  Organizations that provide assistance and protection to refugees and other displaced persons are commemorating this day in many ways; here's a sampling of just a few:

Asylum Under Threat: Assessing the Protection of Somali Refugees in Dadaab Refugee Camps and along the Migration Corridor (Danish Refugee Council) [access]

European Umbrella March 2012 (ECRE) [access]

How Much Further? (ECRE) [access]

New Threats, Existing Solutions: Palestinian Refugees 64 Years On (Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council) [access]

Refugee Resettlement: A Practical Solution Saving Lives (ICMC) [access]

“Refugee Voices” Highlights Stories of Persecution and Survival (Human Rights First) [access]

RSC Marks World Refugee Day with Launch of New Issue of Forced Migration Review (RSC) [access]
- Focus is on North Africa.

The Search: Protection Space in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines and Cambodia in Practice (JRS Asia-Pacific) [access]

Temporary Protection for Refugees Fleeing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (IntLawGrrls) [access]

World Refugee Day: Joint Statement by Catherine Ashton and Cecilia Malmström (EU) [access]

World Refugee Day: Millions around the Globe Pay Tribute to Refugees (UNHCR) [access]

World Refugee Day 2012 (ICMHD) [access]

World Refugee Day, 20 June 2012 (Amnesty International) [access]

See also activities relating to Refugee Week Australia and Refugee Week UK.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.   


18 June 2012

More on Climate & Migration

Upcoming event:

ClimMig Conference on Human Rights, Environmental Change, Migration and Displacement, Vienna, 20-21 September 2012 [info] [draft prog.]
- Registration is now open for this meeting.

Publications:

Advanced Seminar on Migration, Refugees, Climate Change, and Law, Geneva, 13-14 Feb. 2012 [info]
- Watch for report.

Climate Displacement in Bangladesh: The Need for Urgent Housing, Land and Property Rights Solutions (Displacement Solutions, May 2012) [text]

Environmental Migration Newsletter, no. 1 (Spring 2012) [text via UK Climate Change & Migration Coalition]

Migration and Climate Change (Network Migration in Europe, June 2012) [text]

Policy Options to Support Climate-induced Migration in Asia and the Pacific (ADB, 2012) [text]

Policy Perspectives for Environmentally-induced Migration (Network Migration in Europe, Jan. 2012) [text]

Population Distribution, Migration and Climate Change in Australia: An Exploration (National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, March 2012) [text]

There's No Such Thing as a "Climate Refugee" (Refugees International Blog, June 2012) [text]


Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.  


Global Trends 2011

UNHCR's "main annual report on the state of forced displacement" was released today.  Its findings show that 2011 has been a "record year for forced displacement across borders, with more people becoming refugees than at any time since 2000."  For access to a presentation summarizing the report, the complete text, and annexes (Excel tables), visit the Global Trends 2011 page.

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.   

16 June 2012

Refugee Weeks/World Refugee Day

We're entering the period leading up to World Refugee Day on 20 June 2012.  For information on country-wide events in Australia and the UK, visit:

Refugee Week Australia, 17-23 June 2012 [info]
- Theme is "Restoring Hope." View the poster.

Refugee Week UK, 18-24 June 2012 [info]
- Theme is "Different Pasts, Shared Future." View posters.

The focus of this year's World Refugee Day is UNHCR's "Dilemmas" campaign, which "depicts some of the tough choices facing refugees, helping the public to empathize with, and understand, their dilemma."  For a review of some of the activities scheduled to take place around the world, read this press release.  Campaign resources are available here.  Listen to Angelina Jolie's PSA here.

Tagged Events & Opportunities.  


13 June 2012

Focus on Resettlement

Upcoming event: 

Resettlement Saves Lives! World Refugee Day Celebration, Brussels, 20 June 2012 [info]
- RSVP by 15 June 2012.

Publications:

Does the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program Work? The Economic Outcomes of Program Participants, Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Georgetown University, 2009; posted Feb. 2012) [text]

A Pillar of Protection: Solidarity Resettlement for Refugees in Latin America, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 239 (UNHCR, June 2012) [text]

The Resettlement of Refugees in Australia: A Bibliography (Swinburne Institute for Social Research, May 2012) [text via APO]

"The Resettlement Journey of Somali and Sudanese Refugees from Camps in Kenya to New Zealand," Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 2, no. 1 (June 2012) [full-text]

Starting from Refugees Themselves: Sketch for an Institutional Ethnography of Refugee Resettlement (Carleton University, Jan. 2012) [text]
- Winner of 2012 CARFMS Graduate Student Essay Contest.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

New Publications: Comparing Policies, Global Reports, Public Institutions, Sexual Violence Research, Spatial Dependence

Global Report 2011 (UNHCR, June 2012) [access]

Measuring and Comparing Migration, Asylum and Naturalisation Policies: The International Migration Policy and Law Analysis (IMPALA) Project (IMPALA, 2011) [text]

"Refugees and their Relationships to Public Institutions," Transnational Social Review, vol. 2, no. 2 (2012) [full-text]

A Research Agenda for Sexual Violence in Humanitarian, Conflict and Post-conflict Settings: Executive Summary (Sexual Violence Research Initiative, May 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Spatial Dependence in Asylum Migration (SSRN, May 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications. 

12 June 2012

Focus on the Middle East

Upcoming event:

The Arab Spring: Impact on Asylum and Human Rights in the Middle East and North Africa, Geneva, 20 June 2012 [info]

Publications:

Analysis: Aid Work Conundrum in Unpredictable Yemen (IRIN, June 2012) [text]

Analysis: Principles or Pragmatism? Negotiating Access in Syria (IRIN, June 2012) [text]

"Caught in the Borderlands: Torture Experienced, Expressed, and Remembered by Eritrean Asylum Seekers in Israel," Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 2, no. 1 (June 2012) [full-text]

"Evolving Roles of National and International NGOs in Protracted Urban Refugee Contexts: The Case of Iraqis in the Middle East," Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 2, no. 1 (June 2012) [full-text]

International Protection Considerations with regard to People Fleeing the Syrian Arab Republic (UNHCR, June 2012) [text]

Israel’s Refugee Practices, Past and Present (Migrants at Sea, June 2012) [text]

Post-conflict Governance in Nahr El Bared Palestinian Refugee Camp: The State's Technologies of Control and Shifts in UNRWA Practices, Thesis submitted to the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies (American University in Cairo, May 2012) [info]
- Note: There is a one-year embargo on access to this text.

Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Escape Violence, but Hardship Continues (Refugees International Blog, June 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Focus on Africa

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) released a new report today; Internal Displacement in Africa: A Development Challenge "highlights how internal displacement is not just an humanitarian, human rights or peace-building challenge, but also a development one."

Other recent publications on Africa include:

Darfurians in South Sudan: Negotiating Belonging in Two Sudans, Citizenship and Displacement in the Great Lakes Region Working Paper, no. 7 (International Refugee Rights Initiative, May 2012) [text]

Humanitarian Crisis in South Kordofan: The Need for a Political Solution, HPG Briefing Notes (ODI, May 2012) [text]

"It Takes the Whole Village": Assisting Socially and Economically Marginalized Women in African Refugee Camps and Post-Displacement Venues, Graduate Student Projects, Paper no. 2 (Boise State University, May 2012) [text]

Kenya: Enhancing Information and Transparency for Internally Displaced Persons (Article 19, June 2012) [text]

UNHCR Repatriates almost 14,000 Angolans; Steps up Pace of Return Ahead of Deadline (UNHCR, June 2012) [text]

"We can run away from bombs, but not from hunger": Sudan’s Refugees in South Sudan (Amnesty International, June 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications. 

11 June 2012

Information/Communication Technologies

Closing the Loop: Responding to People's Information Needs from Crisis Response to Recovery to Development - A Case Study of Post-Earthquake Haiti (Internews, May 2012) [text]

Crisis Mapping, Humanitarian Principles and the Application of Protection Standards: A Dialogue between Crisis Mappers and Operational Humanitarian Agencies, Geneva, 17 Nov. 2011 (World Vision, 2012) [text]

Deepening Participation and Improving Aid Effectiveness through Media and ICTs: A Practical Manual Translating Lessons Learned into Daily Practice (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, 2011) [text]

New Technologies in Humanitarian Aid, London, 29 March 2012 (ODI, March 201) [access]

Social Media Use and the Humanitarian Sector (Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research, April 2012) [text]

Still Left in the Dark? How People in Emergencies Use Communication to Survive – and How Humanitarian Agencies Can Help, Policy Briefing, no. 6 (BBC Media Action, March 2012) [text]

Urban Refugee Protection in Cairo: The Role of Communication, Information and Technology, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 236 (UNHCR, May 2012) [text]

When Information Saves Lives: 2011 Annual Report - Internews Humanitarian Information Projects (Internews Network, Jan. 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications. 

08 June 2012

Focus on Statelessness

The European Network on Statelessness (ENS) was officially launched today.  Its aim is to promote legal and policy development, raise awareness, and support capacity building initiatives.  The web site provides access to information about its activities, the full-text of a variety of resources (reports, policy briefs, etc.), the ENS blog, and Twitter feed.  Interested parties can sign up for a newsletter, but it would also be great if the site could implement an RSS feed!  For more information about this new network, read this related blog post.

Publications:

"Addressing Statelessness," Global Report 2011 (UNHCR, June 2012) [text]

"Book Review: Statelessness in the European Union: Displaced, Undocumented, Unwanted, Caroline Sawyer & Brad K. Blitz, eds., New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011," Law & Society Review, vol. 45, no. 4 (Dec. 2011) [text via SSRN]

Ministerial Meeting, Geneva, 7-8 December 2011 (UNHCR) [access]
- Statements, state pledges and other meeting documents are now available as zipped files.

Persons at Risk of Statelessness in Serbia (UNHCR, June 2011) [text]

South Sudan Nationality: Commitment Now Avoids Conflict Later (Refugees International, May 2012) [text]

"Statelessness and Human Rights: The Role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)," EAFIT Journal of International Law, vol. 2, no. 2 (2011) [full-text]

UAE, Comoros and Statelessness (Statelessness Blog, June 2012) [text]

And finally, watch for the forthcoming "Equal Rights Trust Guidelines to Protect Stateless Persons from Arbitrary Detention," due to be published at the end of June 2012. For more information, visit the ERT's project page.

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

07 June 2012

Language Matters

Applied Language Solutions: I Say 'Tomato' (Free Movement, March 2012) [text]

"The Complexities of Interpreting in Refugee Contexts: An Examination of Issues and Practice," Chapter in Proceedings of the "Synergise!" Biennial National Conference of the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2011) [info]
- See earlier version here.

"Discursive Deracialization in Talk about Asylum Seeking," Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, vol. 21, no. 2 (March/April 2011) [full-text]

"How Language Testing Used to Authenticate Asylum Claims Fails to Recognise the Reality and Complexity of Language," Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 23 (Feb. 2012) [full-text]

"Ruling: The State is Obligated to Provide Adequate Translation Services in RSD Interviews," Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 27 (June 2012) [full-text]

"A Truthful Accounting of Events": The Roles of Linguistic Strategy, Narrative, and Performance in United States Asylum Hearings, Senior Projects Spring 2012 (Bard College, May 2012) [text]

And finally, watch for a future special issue of Language and Intercultural Communication, the theme for which will be "Migrating Languages: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Refugees, Asylum and Migration."

Tagged Publications. 

06 June 2012

Focus on Climate Change

*(updated)

Climate Change, Environment and Migration in the Sahel: Selected Issues with a Focus on Senegal and Mali, Working Paper, no. 1 (MICLE, 2012) [text]

"Climate Change, Environmental Degradation, and Migration: A Complex Nexus," William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review, vol. 36, no. 3 (2012) [full-text]

Climate Change, Human Security and Violent Conflict: Challenges for Societal Stability
(Springer, 2012) [info]
- Part 4 focuses on "Climate Change and Migration"; includes chapters on "Climate Change and Human Migration: Towards a Global Governance System to Protect Climate Refugees," "'Climate Refugees' as Dawning Catastrophe? A Critique of the Dominant Quest for Numbers," and "Environmentally-Forced Migration in Rural Areas: Security Risks and Threats in Mexico."

"Does International Law Provide an Adequate System for Protecting Climate Refugees?," Studii Juridice Universitare, no. 1-2 (2011) [full-text]

Domestic Solution for Thousands of Climate-displaced Bangladeshis (New Internationalist Blog, May 2012) [text]

Environmental Change and Global Migration Futures, Oxford, 21-22 June 2012 [info]

*"Rethinking the 'Debate on Environmental Refugees': From 'Maximilists and Minimalists' to 'Proponents and Critics'," Journal of Political Ecology, vol. 19 (2012) [open access text]

The Sahel — A Crisis Within a Crisis (Refugees International Blog, May 2012) [text]

"Sea Level Rise and the Freely Associated States: Addressing Environmental Migration Under the Compacts of Free Association," Columbia Journal of Environmental Law, vol. 37, no. 1 (2012) [full-text]

Tagged Publications.   



05 June 2012

New Issue of JRS

The latest issue of the Journal of Refugee Studies (vol. 25, no. 2, June 2012) is now available.

  • Realizing One's Rights under the 1951 Convention 60 Years On: A Review of Practical Constraints on Accessing Protection in Europe [abstract]
  • A New Path Forward: Researching and Reflecting on Forced Displacement and Resettlement: Report on the International Resettlement Conference: Economics, Social Justice, and Ethics in Development-Caused Involuntary Migration, the Hague, 4–8 October 2010 [abstract]
  • Social Technology and Refugee Encampment in Kenya [abstract]
  • Towards Transformative Participation: Collaborative Research with ‘Urban IDPs’ in Uganda [abstract] [related thesis]
  • A Case Study of Political Failure in a Refugee Camp [abstract]
  • Household Economy and Livelihoods among Iraqi Refugees in Syria [abstract]

Seven book reviews are also included.

Tagged Periodicals. 


New Issues of App. Adv., AWR, FRLAN, Humanity, OxMo, Power & Educ., Ref. Bull., WAN

Appellate Advocacy to Advance Asylum Law (May 2012) [full-text]
- From the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies.

AWR Bulletin, vol. 50, no. 1 (2012) [contents]
- Mix of articles including "Environmentally Displaced Persons: No Refuge from the Elements or the Law."

Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 27 (June 2012) [full-text]
- Lead article is "Palestinians who fall under the 1951 Convention: a Norwegian case."

Humanity: An International Journal of Human Rights, Humanitarianism, and Development, vol. 3, no. 2 (Summer 2012) [contents]
- Focus is on "Militarism and Humanitarianism."  Also includes "The Humanitarian Condition: Palestinian Refugees and the Politics of Living."

Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 2, no. 1 (June 2012) [full-text]
- Includes three policy-, four legal-, and two field-related notes, three academic articles and one first hand report.

Power and Education, vol. 4, no. 2 (2012) [contents]
- Part 2 of special issue on "Migration and Education"; includes "'For Them It's Sink or Swim': Refugee Students and the Dynamics of Migration, and (Dis)placement in School" and "Addressing the 'Citizenship Assumption' in Critical Pedagogy: Exploring the Case of Rejected Female Sub-Saharan African Asylum Seekers in Malta." See also Part 1 contents.

Refugee Bulletin, no. 5 (March-May 2012) [full-text]
- From UNHCR Rwanda.

Women's Asylum News, no. 110 (April/May 2012) [full-text]
- Lead article is "Gender-related asylum claims in Europe: A comparative analysis of law, policies and practice in nine EU Members States."

Tagged Periodicals.