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 No. 25
Recent Publications and New Research
Discretion to Deport: Intersections between Health and Detention of Syrian Refugees in Jordan by Petra Molnar
This article looks at Jordan’s policies to detain and deport Syrian refugees. Documented reasons for detention and deportations include work permit infractions, including the deportation of Syrian doctors and medical practitioners, as well as deportations for communicable diseases. Detention and deportation policies in Jordan are highly discretionary, making interventions and advocacy on behalf of those detained difficult. Detention and deportation can also have disproportionate impact on populations that are already marginalized, including members of the LGBTI community, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, and those engaged in sex work. Available at:
https://refuge.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/refuge/article/view/40401/36454
Migrant and asylum-seeker children returned to Kosovo and Albania: predictive factors for social–emotional wellbeing after return by Daniëlle Zevulun, Wendy J. Post, A. Elianne Zijlstra, Margrite E. Kalverboer & Erik J. Knorth
This study aims to gain knowledge about the child-rearing environment and the social–emotional wellbeing of migrant children who have returned to Kosovo and Albania after a stay in a European host country. Based on a sample of 106 returned families, the study investigated the predictive factors for children’s social–emotional wellbeing using regression analyses. The findings indicate that the wellbeing of returned children is not only dependent on conditions after repatriation, but also on the conditions which the families left in the host country. To enable sustainable return in a child’s best interests, the needs of vulnerable families and children should be thoroughly assessed prior to return, and reintegration support should be tailored to their situation. Available at:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1369183X.2017.1391076?needAccess=true
Oxford Monitor of forced migration Vol. 7 No. 1
The Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration (OxMo) is a bi-annual, independent, academic journal that engages with issues of forced migration. This current publication covers 5 sections/monitors. The policy monitor offers critical analyses of current and emerging policies and practises undertaken by governments, NGOs and organisations. In the field monitor, we hear from those who have had direct experience with forced migrants. Third is a section that offers a platform for individuals with lived experiences of forced migration to offer their views and insights. In this issue, Jasem AlWrewir, a Syrian refugee living in the Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan, reflects on the opportunities and limitations of cash-for-work programmes. Fourth, the law monitor analyses laws, policies, as well as practices and their possible implications for the rights of forced migrants. Here, James Wookey seeks to show the impact of legal developments by describing the encounters of three fictional refugees with Hungarian law. Lastly, in this issue’s academic article, Christoph Tometten closely analyses the legal entry schemes for forced migrants to Germany and warns that resettlement may be turning into a tool for containment. Available at:
http://oxmofm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/OXMO-Vol-7-No-1.pdf
Reports, Working Papers and Briefs
Refugee Self-Reliance Moving Beyond the Marketplace, RSC Research in Brief 7
This Research in Brief presents new research on refugee self-reliance and addresses areas not commonly included in current discussions. In particular, it focuses on social and cultural, practical, and programmatic aspects of refugee self-reliance. In so doing, it rethinks the concept of refugee self-reliance and aims to contribute recommendations to help achieve positive outcomes in policy and practice. Available at:
Tackling the root causes of human trafficking and smuggling from Eritrea: The need for an empirically grounded EU policy on mixed migration in the Horn of Africa
In 2014, in recognition of the challenges of “mixed migration”, 37 states in Europe and Africa, along with the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU), formed a policy platform (the “Khartoum Process”), with a particular focus on tackling smuggling and trafficking. The platform’s aim is to strengthen cooperation and create a sustainable regional dialogue on mobility and migration. This paper, based on 67 qualitative interviews conducted in Ethiopia, Sudan and Europe with Eritreans on the move, directly engages with this framework. It analyses the approach taken by states in the region, in cooperation with regional and international actors, to more effectively combat trafficking and smuggling in light of the experiences and decision-making processes of the individuals interviewed. Available at:
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/IRRI%20Report%20final%20Nov%208.pdf
Responding to Refugee Crises in Developing Countries: What Can We Learn From Evaluations?
This working paper draws from the evaluation work of OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members and aims to strengthen the evidence base to help improve future responses to refugee crises in developing countries. the paper provides evidence from evaluations to feed into guidance on better programming that is being developed through the DAC Temporary Working Group on Refugees and Migration. Available at: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/responding-to-refugee-crises-in-developing-countries_ae4362bd-en
News Reports and Blog posts
In this edition we present three articles that tackle the issue of off-shore processing of Asylum claims.
External EU Hotspots: The cat keeps coming back by Marie Walter-Franke
The idea to set up EU hotspots in North Africa keeps coming up as European leaders seek enhanced control of mixed migration in the Mediterranean. Like the cat in Harry Miller’s comical song, external processing of asylum claims just won’t stay away. How realistic is it for the EU to establish external hotspots? This blog post outlines political, legal and practical issues related to the hotspots idea. Available at: http://www.delorsinstitut.de/en/all-publications/external-eu-hotspots-the-cat-keeps-coming-back/
Offshore Processing and Complicity in Current EU Migration Policies (Part 1&2) by Daria Davitti and Marlene Fries
In the first part of this blog post, the authors reconstruct a complex web of migration policies that indicate a shift towards offshore processing of asylum claims in Niger and possibly Chad. In the second part, they seek to answer an obvious yet difficult legal question, namely who bears responsibility in scenarios of extraterritorial complicity such as this one? They argue that the new plan could not be implemented without the close cooperation of various actors: European Union (EU) institutions and Member States, third countries (Niger and/or Chad) and UN organisations (IOM and UNHCR). The two parts of the blog are available at:
https://www.ejiltalk.org/offshore-processing-and-complicity-in-current-eu-migration-policies-part-1/ and https://www.ejiltalk.org/offshore-processing-and-complicity-in-current-eu-migration-policies-part-2/
Why Some E.U. States Want Hotspots in the Sahel by Marie Walter-Franke, and Shani Bar-Tuvia
The idea of sifting refugees from economic migrants far from Europe’s borders is an old idea gaining renewed currency. The prospect of processing camps in the Sahel came a step closer in August when France, Germany, Spain and the E.U. sealed a migration deal with Niger, Chad and Libya. The agreement foresees camps where the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) would identify refugees for resettlement to Europe. This article looks into the growing externalization attempts by European countries. Available at:
Digital and Social Media
Palestinians Podcast
This is a podcast dedicated to telling everyday stories about Palestinians living all over the world. It aims to increase public awareness and understanding of the strife of Palestinians worldwide and to improve public opinion and perception of this displaced population. This podcast is about the PEOPLE of Palestine. Stories about Palestinians’ experiences, stories, memories, and lives will be shared. You can find the initiative on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/PalestiniansPodcast/about/?ref=page_internal or you can listen to the podcasts at: http://www.palestinianspodcast.com/