The Migration & Security research team analyses global migration flows and patterns in times of peace and conflict. It seeks to understand the economic, social, political and environmental causes of migration, as well as evaluate the host communities’ responses to immigrant flows and the refugee crisis.
Challenges in the implementation of Community-based Protection Interventions in Humanitarian and Development Settings: A Case Study of the Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan
‘This policy paper seeks to shed light on the challenges in the implementation of UNHCR’s community-based protection framework at Za’atari refugee camp, Jordan. It does so by investigating the gaps between UNHCR’s community-based protection framework and the activities implemented on the ground by INGOs working as UNHCR’s operational partners. To better understand these dynamics, a…
Selectivity in the Recognition and Protection of Refugees: An Analysis of the Disparate Treatment of White and Non-White Refugees within the EU Asylum Regime
“This toolkit sheds light on the disparate treatment of refugees entering Europe according to their origin by looking at the recent episodes along the Polish border – on one hand, the border shared with Ukraine, and on the other hand the border shared with Belarus. Through theoretical lenses such as Third World Approach to International…
Replacing those who have gone: Evaluation of Kazakhstan’s “South-North” Resettlement Programme
“After Kazakhstan gained its long awaited independence in 1991, these ethnic minorities started leaving the country, supported by resettlement schemes managed by their respective historic homelands, like Germany, Poland and Russia. This massive exodus caused a population imbalance across the country, leaving Kazakhstan’s northern provinces virtually uninhabited. In order to attract more workers and migrants…
Towards Humane and Dignified Living Conditions for Refugees and Other Migrants: A Human Security Framework for Assessing ‘Migration Camps’ in Europe
“The practice of detaining refugees and other migrants falls in line with the general European approach towards migration governance – part in parcel to the securitized framing of refugees and other migrants, resulting in their treatment as threats to host countries rather than as vulnerable populations themselves.” By: Xander Creed Published on 7 June, 2022
Are Children at the Centre or the Periphery?: Brief Consideration on Humanitarian Projects Focusing on Refugee Children in Turkey
Turkey is still known as the country that hosts the highest number of Syrian refugees in the world, the majority of which consist of women and children. In response to the emergent needs of education for refugee children, two large projects, Conditional Cash Transfer for Education for Syrians and Other Refugees, and Project on Promoting…
A Gender-Relational Approach Applied to Refugee Programmes
This toolkit is part of HDRI’s first toolkit series and is a collective effort made by our fellow researchers Iliana Flores Pérez, Mélissa Hamdi, Silvana Limni, Loïs Willekers and research coordinator Lilou Berenguier. Published on June, 2021 The front page cover illustration is courtesy of theartist, Rouxbin Smit, and is protected by copyrights.For further/any queries,…
The invisible walls of asylum : the ineffective application of asylum law in a postcolonial Europe
If the international protection of refugees and stateless persons is guaranteed by the Geneva Convention of 1951, the colonial legacies of the European continent keep influencing the policies of asylum. Indeed, theses lack of effectivity and the fundamental rights and human rights of the refugees are often not respected. This paper assesses how this lack…
Domestic Migrant Workers at the Intersection of Vulnerability: A Path Towards the Dismantling of the Kafala System in Lebanon
In Lebanon, there are approximately 250,000 domestic migrant workers (DMWs) primarily from Sub-Saharan Africa and South and South East Asia. The system that regulates their right to reside and work in the country, called the kafala, by tying the foreign worker to their employer, creates an imbalance of power, which disproportionately favours the employer. DMWs…
Refugees in Limbo: The Implications of Australia’s Externalized Border Policies in Indonesia
The topic of immigration has a longstanding tendency to be used as a political wedge in Australia, securitized by politicians for political gains. This gave rise to the government’s hardline stance and policy towards ‘illegal’ immigration, considered to be one of the strictest in the world. Seeking to deter any boat from arriving at its…
Migrant Women and Girls from the Northern Triangle and their Journey Through Mexico: A Downward Spiral of Hazards
This paper provides an overview of the context faced by women and girls in each specific Northern Triangle of Central America country (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador). More specifically, it analyses the reasons behind women and girls’ decisions to leave their countries of origin and the multiple dangers they face during their migratory route through…
European grand strategy: In the age of weaponized migration
This paper will analyse the cultural, regulatory and socio- economic factors affecting TCM use, specifically in France and Italy. Comparisons between the two countries will help to illustrate the significance of the different factors. This analysis will provide insights into areas in which potential changes and policies can be implemented to remove existing barriers and…
How to Build an Invisible Empire: The Vast Overseas Chinese Network that Knows No Borders
In their own unique way, Chinese ethnic diasporas function as their own authentic forms of globalization. The ebbs and flows of Chinese migration over the centuries have culminated in the creation of a vast, global network of overseas Chinese. Entangled within this global network of overseas Chinese are the Hakka people. Hakka minority groups can…
Migration and Economic Development: Impacts of Remittances on Sending Countries
Migration has steadily increased, bringing radical changes to society, moving beyond local and national borders and becoming global. According to the International Migration Report 2020, the worldwide number of international migrants (including refugees) is 272 million, of which nearly two-thirds are labour migrants. The migration process has brought enormous changes to our societies, within both…
Post-Crisis Policy: Proposals for Comprehensive EU Asylum Reform
The 2015 refugee humanitarian crisis and the policy responses of the European Union (EU) illuminate the pressing need for a comprehensive approach to forced migration into Europe. The policy responses of the EU and member states undermine many of the foundations upon which the Union was built: Solidarity among member states and adherence to human…
Time for Change: Rethinking the European Union Refugee Policy in Lebanon
The European Union (EU) has increased its cooperation on the management of the refugee influx with the Lebanese government and has been the leading donor in Lebanon in the context of Syrians’ displacement. In its turn, the Lebanese government has indirectly delegated key responsibilities in refugee protection and assistance to supranational organizations. Despite the fact…
Why Regional Solidarity Is Not Enough: The Need for a Sustainable Solution to the Venezuelan Refugee Exodus.
The Venezuelan refugee crisis has impacted the majority of countries in Latin America. There have been attempts at having a unified and sustainable regional response, but the outcomes have been deficient. Further, the policies and strategies implemented thus far have focused on the short-term results. Accordingly, this paper will explore the regional responses that have…
The black sheep of Europe: Orbán’s Hungary as a political grey zone
Since assuming power in Hungary in 2010, the Fidesz Party under Viktor Orbán has gradually but decisively moved towards more authoritarian rule. Though Hungary remains a member of the European Union and is far from a dictatorship, the growing power of the executive branch has raised concerns about the future of the country. In hopes…
From Policy to the Street: A Review of French Asylum Policy Surrounding the CAOs
In 2015, in response to an increase in the size of unauthorized refugee camps in places such as Calais and Dunkirk, the French government created a network of centers for the welcome and orientation of migrants, known as les Centres d’Accueil et d’Orientation (CAO). However, since their creation, and due partly to the central role…
Human Development Research Initiative 