The RRN Research Digest provides a synopsis of recent research on refugee and forced migration issues from entities associated with the RRN and others.
You can download the digest in PDF format here: RRN Research Digest
NEW RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
Crush, J., Chikanda, A., & Ramachandran, S. (2025). New Directions in South-South Migration. Springer. Open access. This book offers a comprehensive understanding of South-South migration. It explores crucial migration themes such as migrant integration in urban areas, migration and rural transformation, urban migration policy environment, migration corridors, and migrant precarity and survival, especially food security. It features contributions from eminent scholars in the Global South, namely, Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean and the Middle East. Chapters in the book present theoretical perspectives and practical case studies building on the results of detailed surveys, in-depth interviews, field observations and other materials. The book highlights new findings and research outputs from recent and ongoing collaborative projects between multiple researchers from the Global South and North. The book is intended for researchers, graduate students and teachers of geography, social policy, refugees and migration studies, history, international development and urban studies.
Foster, M., Neo, J., & Sperfeldt, C. (2025). Statelessness in Asia: Causes, Conditions, and Challenges in Context. In M. Foster, J. Neo, & C. Sperfeldt (Eds.), Statelessness in Asia (pp. 1–38). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Open access. While statelessness remains a global phenomenon, it is a global issue with an Asian epicentre. This chapter situates the book within the context and multi-disciplinary scholarship on statelessness in Asia by reviewing the causes, conditions and/or challenges of statelessness. It recognizes statelessness in this region as a phenomenon beyond forced migration and highlights the arbitrary and discriminatory use of state power in producing and sustaining statelessness. The chapter reviews the ‘state of statelessness’ in Asia, including applicable international, regional and national legal frameworks. It also maps some of the core themes that emerge from the contributors’ examination of the causes and conditions of statelessness in Asia. These include: the relationship between ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic diversity and statelessness; the legacies of colonialism; contemporary politics surrounding nation-building, border regimes and mobilities; as well as intersecting vulnerabilities. The chapter concludes with some preliminary thoughts on frameworks of analysis and future research agendas, including challenges and prospects for reform.
Biorklund, L. (2025). “We pay with our life and our body:” Gendered and intimate geopolitics of vias Pa’l Norte. Political Geography, 119, 103317. Focusing on life history narratives produced with Central American women on the move in southern Mexico and engaging an intimate geopolitics lens, this article presents differential gendered, classed, and embodied experiences embedded in the vias (routes) Pa’l Norte. The expression Pa’l Norte, commonly used by those traversing migratory routes in Mexico, is not limited to ‘towards the north’ in a literal or geographical sense. Based on ethnographic and participatory research, the article illustrates how Pa’l Norte is both a tangible and imagined destination that encompasses diverse relational intimacies, including safety, hope, love, fear, and trauma. Assuming a geopolitically produced gender exclusion in crossing borders, it explores how changes in infrastructure and migration policies since 2020, including the halt of la Bestia, a transpacific cargo train frequently used by migrants, along with transnational migration governance aimed at preventing northbound movement, have influenced people’s dis(ability) to move in southern Mexico, perpetuating historical exclusions and violence, including the erosion of women’s bodily autonomy. By gendering the concept of viapolitics and providing an intimate reading of it, the article unpacks how women’s experiences of moving slowly and paying with their bodies, and sometimes their lives, in southern Mexico today relate to other women’s experiences in different places and times.
Kihato, C. W. (2025). Securitization is (normal) politics: Epistemological insights from Kenya’s forced migration and security experience. Migration Studies, 13(2). Open access. Using Kenya as a case study, this article contributes to the ongoing migration security debate, calling for a fundamental rethinking of the conceptual framework that underpins securitization theory. It challenges the Copenhagen School’s perspective on securitization, collapsing its foundational norm/exception, politics/securitization binaries. By underscoring the mutually constitutive nature of these processes, the study questions the very existence of a clear distinction between ‘normal’ politics and securitization, arguing that violent and exclusionary practices often operate alongside, rather than outside of, democratic politics. In doing so, the study seeks to amplify the epistemological and ontological significance of African contributions to theory building, countering narratives that label African countries’ politics as methodological outliers. Ultimately, this recovery not only offers a more accurate understanding of securitization in Kenya, it critiques understandings of ‘normal’ politics as ‘good’, exposing the complicity of liberal democracy in the forceful exclusion of securitized identities.
Petrozziello, A. J. (2025). Intersectionality as method for human rights research: Identifying who is made stateless and how through UN treaty body reviews. Journal of Human Rights, 24(2), 182–198. Open access. Few theories have generated the kind of international and interdisciplinary engagement as intersectionality. Nevertheless, intersectionality as a research paradigm has yet to gain ground in human rights research. People can experience the same rights violation on multiple grounds, yet human rights research design and methods—like rights frameworks and treaty bodies themselves—tend to examine each form of discrimination separately or additively. This article demonstrates the value of intersectionality as a methodological approach for human rights research by discussing feminist methodological insights developed through a global qualitative study of exclusionary birth registration practices that lead to statelessness. The discussion highlights three intersections that block access to birth certificates: gender, religious, and ethnic discrimination at the civil registrar; disability and ethnic discrimination in contexts of mobility; and discrimination based on gender, race, and migration status in reproductive healthcare. The conclusion offers human rights researchers an intersectional method for analyzing observations from all human rights mechanisms on a particular issue, to gain a more fulsome understanding of the operations of power that violate rights.
Tanous, O., Hosny, N., & Joseph, S. (2025). Are we all post traumatic yet? A critical narrative review of trauma among Arab refugees. International Journal of Social Determinants of Health and Health Services. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most studied, diagnosed, and treated mental health disorders in settings of war and displacement. A large body of literature has questioned the utility of the PTSD framework and its application to traumatic stress among populations experiencing wars, political violence, and displacement that is chronic and on a population level. No review has yet summarized the conceptual alternatives proposed by scholars for refugees in or from the Arab region. This article reviews conceptual articles from the last three decades that propose alternative frameworks to understand trauma and traumatic stress among Arab refugees in the Arab region. The authors have identified nine articles that critiqued the applicability of PTSD framework for Arab refugees and/or provided alternative key concepts. Themes such as the individualistic nature of PTSD, the nature and longitude of traumatic stress, the “normalization of traumatic stress,” and the medicalization of trauma have emerged. The articles also discuss social justice as recovery, diagnostic recommendations, and the flow of knowledge production from the Global North to the Global South. Our article expands a growing body of literature critiquing the applicability of Western psychiatric models in settings in the Global South, specifically the Arab region.
REPORTS AND POLICY BRIEFS
Civilians in Conflict (Data). (2025). Ecoi.net. In the 2nd post of this methods series, the authors continue to explore the role of civilians in conflict data, focusing on the insights provided by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) and the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) datasets. By examining variables such as “civilian targeting”, “deaths_civilians” and the event type of “violence against civilians”, they delve into the complexities of how to responsibly interpret and apply such variables when analysing the impact of conflict on civilians.
International Student Mobility: A Post-Pandemic Reset or a Broader Challenge? by Elizabeth Collett. (2025). Migration Policy Institute. International education has become a huge market, estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars per year. Tertiary-level institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada continue to draw large numbers of international students, but other destination countries have also entered the mix. And while Chinese and Indian nationals are among the largest groups of international students, enrollment is growing from countries as varied as Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Brazil. This Transatlantic Council on Migration report outlines important considerations for governments seeking to answer questions about the sustainability of rising numbers, some universities’ reliance on international student tuition, and whether international education is in fact helping countries meet critical skills needs. It provides an overview of recent developments in the international education sector and explores policy levers that can be used to shape demand for international study, the form learning opportunities take, and how they can be smartly aligned with future labor market needs.
Leaving No Child Behind Report. (2025). Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion. This report highlights the global issue of childhood statelessness, which affects millions of children and denies them their right to a nationality. Statelessness often stems from discrimination, gaps in birth registration, conflicting nationality laws, and is frequently passed from one generation to the next. Without nationality, children face serious barriers to accessing basic rights- especially education. These barriers, whether legal or practical, prevent stateless children from enrolling in school or completing their studies. The result is often low self-esteem, poor educational outcomes, and limited opportunities in life. While international law guarantees the right to education for all children, many national laws and policies still exclude stateless children. Community groups working directly with affected families stress the need for better support, inclusive policies, and alternative education projects that meet children where they are.
Lives in Dignity: Lessons from Applying Development-Oriented Approaches in Forced Displacement Contexts. (2025). Relief Web. Lessons from Applying Development-Oriented Approaches in Forced Displacement Contexts captures key learning from 14 LiD-funded projects implemented across 15 countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. These projects involved 36 implementing partners (21 local) with US$27 million committed, and 46 per cent going directly to local partners. Key lessons centered around three main areas: partnerships, people and community centred approaches, and sustainability.
Migration Governance in Unsettled Times: How Policymakers Can Plan for Population Change by Meghan Benton, Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, and Kate Hooper. (2025). Migration Policy Institute. Populist claims that immigration is chaotic, unlawful, and unfair are increasingly resonating even within societies whose members generally believe some level of immigration is needed to maintain economic competitiveness. This shift, which has pushed governments of all stripes toward greater restrictions and reduced the appetite for experimentation, comes at a particularly fraught time. This Transatlantic Council on Migration issue brief explores the factors behind this breakdown in immigration governance and lays out strategies for reform, drawing lessons from a range of countries. In particular, it makes the case that regular, long-term planning—while a tall order when governments are grappling with short-term pressures—will be essential if countries are to successfully navigate emerging demographic and economic challenges.
The Cost of Neglect: Two years of war in Sudan. (2025). International Rescue Committee. As Sudan marks two years since the outbreak of war, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns of unprecedented humanitarian disaster and failed diplomacy. With millions displaced and famine spreading, IRC urges the international community to retrain focus on Sudan, releasing key policy recommendations to avert further catastrophe.
NEWS AND BLOG POSTS
Canada’s refugee policy could gain renewed attention amid U.S. deportations by Owen Guo, April 15, 2025. CTV News. Back in 2015, the Syrian refugee crisis dominated the final stretch of the federal election as party leaders debated Canada’s approach to asylum seekers. Not this year. With the 2025 federal election consumed by economic angst over U.S. tariffs, Canada’s refugee policy has largely faded from the spotlight. But a recent increase in asylum seekers at a Quebec border crossing could bring the issue back into focus — one that will extend far beyond the campaign trail.
Fresh details emerge on Australia’s new climate migration visa for Tuvalu residents. An expert explains by Jane McAdam, April 9, 2025. The Conversation. The details of a new visa enabling Tuvaluan citizens to permanently migrate to Australia were released this week. The visa was created as part of a bilateral treaty Australia and Tuvalu signed in late 2023, which aims to protect the two countries’ shared interests in security, prosperity and stability, especially given the “existential threat posed by climate change”. The Australia–Tuvalu Falepili Union, as it is known, is the world’s first bilateral agreement to create a special visa like this in the context of climate change. This article spotlights what is known so far about why this special visa exists and how it will work.
Germany orders halt on UN refugee resettlement program by Elizabeth Schumacher, April 8, 2025. DW. Germany has ordered a temporary halt to a UN refugee resettlement program it has been participating in for years, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) confirmed on Tuesday. The program is designed for refugees in particular need of protection, such as children, victims of torture, or people in dire need of medical treatment, who cannot stay in their first country of arrival. UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman for Germany, Chris Melzer, has said that the program was stopped “during the coalition negotiations” that are ongoing between the conservative Christian Democrat (CDU) bloc and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD).
Targeting Pro-Palestinian Students (and Why That’s Bad for the Jews), April, 2, 2025. The Asylumist. The Trump Administration has been targeting pro-Palestinian activists under an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which provides, “An alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable.” Here, the author discusses INA § 237(a)(4)(C)(1) and some policy implications of its widespread use.
EVENTS, RESOURCES, DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Canada’s Migration Diplomacy and the Protection of Migrants: Between International Commitments and National Practices. University of Ottawa. Join us for the inaugural conference of the University Research Chair on Migrant Protection and International Law, marking the official launch of the Chair and introducing its first flagship project on Canada’s migration diplomacy. This conference will explore Canada’s approach to migration diplomacy and its impact on the country’s global reputation and domestic practices. Featuring Professors James Milner (Carleton University), François Crépeau (McGill University), and Idil Atak (TMU), moderated by Delphine Nakache, Chairholder and Professor at the Faculty of Law (Common Law Section). This is a hybrid and bilingual event on May 20, 2025, 11 AM – 2 PM ET.
Localization in the Rohingya refugee response: Dr Miriam Bradley (Senior Lecturer in Humanitarian Studies, University of Manchester). University of Oxford, Refugee Studies Centre. The humanitarian localization agenda calls for power and resources to be transferred from international actors to local and national responders in the places affected by crisis. Despite a consensus that humanitarian responses should become more localized, debates persist on how best to achieve this practically. Moreover, there is little evidence to show how such a shift in power affects humanitarian outcomes. This paper asks how localization is understood and implemented in the Rohingya refugee response in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, and with what consequences for the Rohingya population there. It argues that the response scores high on many of the criteria against which localization is measured. This seminar will be in person on May 7, 2025, 5 PM – 6 PM, Seminar Room 1, Oxford Department of International Development, 3 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TB.
Protecting the Human Rights of Migrants at Sea: A Course on the International Law of Maritime Jurisdiction, Interception, and Search and Rescue for the Middle East and North Africa – Facilitator’s Guide. IOM UN Migration. The Course on Protecting the Human Rights of Migrants at Sea, and this underpinning Facilitator’s Guide, has been developed for practitioners training national authorities in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region – and is likely to be of value to national authorities in other regions as well. Its main purpose is to strengthen the technical, analytical and operational capacities of migration officials to more effectively protect human rights in the maritime migration context. In addition to giving an overview of the international legal framework relevant to migrants at sea, the Course and this accompanying Guide cover the following: a review of the law relating to maritime zones and jurisdictional questions at sea; coastal State interception of migrant smuggling vessels and the human rights implications of “effective control”; and maritime search and rescue, including the duties to rescue, coordinate and disembark passengers to a “place of safety”. This Facilitator’s Guide relies on a mixed methodology, linking lecture material with case studies and other activities to help officials explore and apply the law of the sea in practice.
2nd Global Conference on SRHR & Gender Equity in Refugee and Humanitarian Crises. Hope for Refugees International. This unique two-day event brings together a diverse group of participants—from refugees and asylum seekers, academia, to health and social services professionals and community advocates—to explore key issues related to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), gender-based violence, and equity for marginalized populations. The event will be from May 9-10, 2025, 163 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 1S1, Canada.