Refugees and Climate Change

The following pieces of research relating to the impact of climate change in relation to refugee situations are now available online. The full details and web links are as follows:

The latest issue of Forced Migration Review, number 31, is dedicated to this issue and full details can be found at: http://www.fmreview.org/climatechange.htm

Forced Migration Online Resource Summary on climate change and displacement, online at
http://www.forcedmigration.org/browse/thematic/climate-change/

A transcript of the April 2008 ippr conference on climate change and displacement, online at
http://www.ippr.org/migration

Posted in: Refugee Studies and Publications.

Disposable People: Contemporary Global Slavery

A Hayward Touring exhibition in collaboration with
Autograph ABP and Magnum Photos.

Dates: 27 September - 9 November 2008.

Location: Royal Festival Hall, The Clore Ballroom, London

'Slavery in the contemporary world is what it has been since the beginning of human history – the complete control of one person by another. Violence is at the heart of that control, and the aim is profit.'

Kevin Bales, President of Free the Slaves

Today, over 200 years after the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, an estimated 27 million people worldwide are still locked into slavery and servitude across the globe. This major new photography exhibition, organised by Hayward Touring in collaboration with the photographic agencies Autograph ABP and Magnum Photos will take an in-depth look at the prevalence of slavery and injustice in the 21st century through the lenses of eight internationally acclaimed documentary photographers. The exhibition begins at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre and will be toured to venues across the UK. For more information please visit www.autograph-abp.co.uk

Posted in: Conferences & Events.

UEL Refugee Research Centre Seminar

Resiliance and social capital in asylum seeking families in Sweden

Professor Ulla Björnberg,

Department of Sociology, University of Gotehnburg, Sweden

October 8 2008, 6.00 – 7.30pm, Room EB.G08, East Building, UEL Docklands Campus

Abstract Research has suggested that social networks are important resources for children as well as for adults to resist health problems. For asylum seeking children social networking might be hard to accomplish due to constraints linked to social and legal contexts in the host country. Constraints can also be linked to the family situation and the circumstances they have to cope with in every day life. The situation of parents, in particular mothers, are important for the coping of children. In the paper I draw on results from an ongoing study on the experiences of asylum seeking children and their families in Sweden. The over arching research objective is to identify factors that are important for well being of children seeking asylum and to study how they cope with their experiences as asylum seekers. The tension between excluding experiences and expectations regarding how the situation of the child and it’s family should improve or deteriorate after the flight is for a child a constitutive reference for how coping strategies are developed. In the analysis I draw on theoretical concepts of resilience, empowerment and social capital. The main focus is on families who have waited for decisions regarding permanent residence for several months and sometimes more than a year. The empirical data are based on qualitative interviews with children from 9 years and with one parent for each child. Bio Dr. Ulla Björnberg is full professor of Sociology at the university of Gothenburg, Sweden. She is currently directing a research program on the health and wellbeing of asylum-seeking children and their families in Sweden. She has been engaged in several international projects on family policy and family life in Europe. She lectures on a variety of topics involving gender relations and gender structures, the welfare state and family policy. Dr. Björnberg has a long record of research on families, gender equality, lone mothers, reconciliation of employment and family life. Recently she has finalised a research programme on Family ties between generations. Public and private transfers between generations in different family forms. Ulla.Bjornberg@sociology.gu.se

ALL WELCOME!

Posted in: Refugee Studies and Conferences & Events.

Conferences and Training Events

Conferences and Training Events

Refugee Council One Day Course: ‘Age assessment awareness and working with age-disputed children.

15^th October 2008.

Full details can be found on the Refugee Council website at: http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/eventsandtraining/training/service/fulldetails.htm

Refugee Council Two Day Course: Key issues in asylum & Introduction to asylum support.

10^th & 11^th November 2008.

Full details can be found on the Refugee Council website at: http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/eventsandtraining/training/service/fulldetails.html

Managing economic migration and its impacts

19 Nov 2008, London
The Institute for Employment Studies annual public employment policy conference. Full details can be found at the following web link:

http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/policy/event.php?id=191108p

Posted in: Conferences & Events.

Selection of News Stories (30/09/08)

Young Iraqi girls turned into perfect weapon (The Times) - [text online]

Investigation into claims of abuse on asylum-seekers (The Independent) - [text online]

Far-right leader claims he is 'real victor' in Austria (The Independent) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Southern Sudan: Abyei displacement - OCHA Situation Report No.30; 25 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Côte d'Ivoire: Urban displaced slip into obscurity (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Pakistan: Some 20,000 have fled for Afghanistan (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Liberia: UN SC extends peacekeeping mission for another one year (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Gaza/Lebanon: UNRWA and AAAID cooperate to help poor Palestine refugees (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Afghanistan: Security situation 'markedly' worse, reports UN (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Bangladesh: 9 months after Sidr, survivors begin to rebuild their lives (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Fifty-two Somalis perish in Gulf of Aden smuggling incident (UNHCR) - [text online]

Fifty-two Somalis die after being left adrift by smugglers for 18 days in Gulf of Aden (UNHCR) - [text online]

Some 20,000 people flee Pakistan's tribal areas for Afghanistan (UNHCR) - [text online]

A UN safety net for refugees in Africa (UNHCR) - [text online]

UNHCR provides Ramadan evening meals to Iraqi refugees in Amman (UNHCR) - [text online]

Kuwait Voices: Stateless in Jahra (Refugees International) - [text online]

Sweden stresses importance of human rights during General Assembly debate (UN News) - [text online]

Chad calls for strengthened UN peacekeeping presence in troubled east (UN News) - [text online]

DR Congo calls on UN to use force to impose peace on rebel holdouts in east (UN News) - [text online]

Republic of Congo calls for increased support for joint UN-AU mission in Darfur (UN News) - [text online]

Ecuador, at UN, calls on European Union to reform migration policies (UN News) - [text online]

Corruption thwarts development in Africa, Libya says at UN debate (UN News) - [text online]

Posted in: News.

Selection of News Stoires (29/09/08)

Austria election delivers gains for far-Right (The Daily Telegraph) - [text online]

Far Right storms election as Austrians back anti-EU rhetoric (The Times) - [text online]

Anti-foreigner campaign boosts Austrian far-right (The Independent) - [text online]

Vow to pursue Sudan over 'crimes' (BBC News) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Humanitarian action in Southern Sudan weekly bulletin, week 36, 07 - 13 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Southern Sudan: Abyei displacement - OCHA Situation Report No.30; 25 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Humanitarian action in Southern Sudan weekly bulletin, week 37, 14 - 20 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : DR Congo: OCHA Humanitarian Situation Update No. 03 - North Kivu, 20 - 26 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Situation report: Drought/Food Crisis in Ethiopia - 23 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Situation Report No. 15 on the Situation in Georgia 23 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Colombia: OCHA Humanitarian Situation Report No. 31, 11 ? 18 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : DR Congo: OCHA Humanitarian Situation Update No. 03 - North Kivu, 20 - 26 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Sudan: UN anticipates at least 10,000 may return to Abyei towards end of Oct 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

DR Congo: Renewed fighting displaces 100,000 more civilians (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

We're having an identity crisis (The Guardian) - [text online]

UNHCR provides Ramadan evening meals to Iraqi refugees in Amman (UNHCR News) - [text online]

New hope in the heart of Katanga province (UNHCR News) - [text online]

New UNHCR initiative grows out of Colombian swamp village project (UNHCR News) - [text online]

DRC: Resurgence in rape and recruitment of child soldiers (Amnesty International) - [text online]

Ennui and Encouragement at a UN Conference (Refugees International) - [text online]

First ID Card unveiled by the Home Secretary (Home Office) - [text online]

UN mission deploys extra police as fighting continues in eastern DR Congo (UN News) - [text online]

Hungary, Czech Republic urge UN to play ongoing role with Kosovo (UN News) - [text online]

At UN, Malta calls for assistance in dealing with large-scale migration (UN News) - [text online]

Asylum update - 28 September 2008 (ICAR) - [text online]

Posted in: News.

A Selection of Today's Headlines (26/09/08)

Mugabe urges lifting of sanctions (BBC News) - [text online]

Zimbabwe power-sharing deal faces disaster (The Times) - [text online]

Purge on Muslim clerics who turn a blind eye to the abuse of women (The Times) - [text online]

Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe accuses Britain of genocide in UN (The Daily Telegraph) - [text online]

Jacqui Smith unveils the UK's new identity card - with no sign of Britain (The Daily Telegraph) - [text online]

First sight of the ID cards that will soon be compulsory (The Independent) - [text online]

Forced marriages: the trail of misery and fear in Britain (The Independent) - [text online]

Give amnesty to illegal migrants, says senior Conservative (The Independent) - [text online]

Unrepentant Mugabe addresses the UN (The Independent) - [text online]

Beijing issues warning over peace prize choice (The Independent) - [text online]

More destitution in Leeds (Institute of Race Relations) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Nepal: Mid and Far Western Floods and Landslides OCHA Situation Report No. 2 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

ID card design revealed by home secretary (The Guardian) - [text online]

Government reveals first identity cards (The Guardian) - [text online]

Iraqi refugee's Australian dream finally comes true (UNHCR) - [text online]

Burma: One Year After Violent Crackdown, Repression Continues (Human Rights Watch) - [text online]

Cambodia: Human rights defenders silenced through the legal system (Amnesty International) - [text online]

Battle against terror is multidimensional, Pakistani leader tells UN (UN News) - [text online]

Religious leaders add their voice to UN drive to end violence against women (UN News) - [text online]

Iraq no longer poses threat to global peace and security, UN gathering hears (UN News) - [text online]

Thousands of Somalis flee capital after fresh fighting this week – UN agency (UN News) - [text online]

Georgian refugees afraid to return (Ruters AlertNet) - [text online]

IDP News Alert, 25 September 2008 (IDMC) - [text online]

Posted in: News.

UN channel on YouTube

The United Nations have launched a new channel on the social networking YouTube site. Full details can be found via the web link at:

http://www.youtube.com/unitednations

Posted in: Web Sites & Tools.

Aid workers kidnapped in Ethiopia (BBC News) - [text online]

Burmese democracy veteran freed (BBC News) - [text online]

Burma frees political prisoner after 19 years (The3 Daily Telegraph) - [text online]

Zimbabwe starves as Robert Mugabe stalls on new government (The Daily Telegraph) - [text online]

Burma's longest-serving political prisoner freed (The Independent) - [text online]

Sudan: Opportunity in the Midst of Crisis (Enough Project) - [text online]

Somalia: Gunmen abduct two foreign aid workers (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Pakistan: UNHCR seeks $17million to help displaced people (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Afghanistan: Despite international aid, situation of children deteriorating (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

More than 5,000 refugees resettled from Nepal (UNHCR) - [text online]

UNHCR welcomes UAE decision on stateless people (UNHCR) - [text online]

UNHCR urges reinforced EU commitment to protection of Iraqi refugees (UNHCR) - [text online]

Myanmar: Freedom for U Win Tin but 2,100 political prisoners remain behind bars (Amnesty International) - [text online]

Burma activist freed from jail after 19 years vows to fight on (The Guardian) - [text online]

Kenya on path to full recovery after post-election violence, UN debate hears (UN News) - [text online]

‘Precarious calm’ returns to scene of recent Congolese clashes, reports UN (UN News) - [text online]

Africa advancing on democracy and human rights, General Assembly told (UN News) - [text online]

African-UN peacekeepers in Darfur train Sudanese forces on protection (UN News) - [text online]

Kosovo issue could undermine international system, Serbian leader tells UN (UN News) - [text online]

KENYA: Maureen: "When I reported my rape to the police, they arrested me" (IRIN News) - [text online]

Sierra Leonean refugees in Liberia move to new homes after UN-funded repairs (UN News) - [text online]

GLOBAL: What happens to aid money? (IRIN News) - [text online]

ZIMBABWE: Tortured, raped and forgotten (IRIN News) - [text online]

UNICEF welcomes British recognition of migrant children’s rights (UN News) - [text online]

BURUNDI: Denise Nzohabonayo: "We are here because we have no land to go to" (IRIN News) - [text online]

KENYA: Abubakar, "This tree has been my home for years" (IRIN News) - [text online]

UN calls on European Union to uphold pledges to protect Iraqi refugees (UN News) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Timor-Leste: Humanitarian update 30 Aug - 12 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Posted in: Publications.

New Reports and Publications

State, Nation, Citizen: Rethinking Repatriation. RSC Working Paper Number 48 written by Katy Long, (August 2008). Online at: [Full Text] http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/PDFs/RSCworkingpaper48.pdf

(Source: Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford – http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/).

New ICAR Briefing entitled: Employment issues for refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. Available online at:
http://www.icar.org.uk/employment_briefing

(Source: Welcome To Your Library Digest - http://www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk/).

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons has published a: 'Report on an announced inspection of Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre, 4-8 February 2008'.
Download the report at:
http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspect_reports/irc-inspections.html/544687/Yarls_Wood_2008.pdf?view=Binary (pdf file, 445kb)
(Source – Institute of Race Relations: http://www.irr.org.uk/)

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons has published a: 'Report on the unannounced full inspection of the short-term holding facility at: Edinburgh Airport, 20 February 2008'.
Download the report at:
http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspect_reports/STHF-reports/edinburgh-airport-sthf?view=Binary (pdf file, 177kb)
(Source – Institute of Race Relations: http://www.irr.org.uk/)

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons has published a: 'Report on a full announced inspection of Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre, 10-14 March 2008'.
Download the report at:
http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspect_reports/irc-inspections.html/544670/tinsley-house-IRC-2008?view=Binary (pdf file, 1.5mkb)
(Source – Institute of Race Relations: http://www.irr.org.uk/)

The Home Office has published: 'Asylum Statistics: 1st Quarter 2008 - United Kingdom'.
Download the statistics at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/asylumq108.pdf (pdf file, 248kb)
(Source – Institute of Race Relations: http://www.irr.org.uk/)

The Research, Development and Statistics Directorate of the Home Office has published: 'Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2007'.
Download the statistics at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb1108.pdf (pdf file, 2.3mb)
(Source – Institute of Race Relations: http://www.irr.org.uk/)

The Home Office has published a: 'Control of immigration: quarterly statistical summary, United Kingdom, April 2008 - June 2008'.
Download the statistical summary at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/coiq208.pdf (pdf file, 608kb)
(Source – Institute of Race Relations: http://www.irr.org.uk/)

The Home Office has published a statistical bulletin: 'Control of immigration: statistics, United Kingdom 2007'.
Download the statistical bulletin at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb1008.pdf (pdf file, 1.2mb)
(Source – Institute of Race Relations: http://www.irr.org.uk/)

The UK Border Agency of the Home Office has published: 'A strong new force at the border, August 2008'.
Download the report at:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/managingourborders/astrongnewforceattheborder/strongnewforce.pdf?view=Binary (pdf file, 448kb)
(Source – Institute of Race Relations: http://www.irr.org.uk/)

The Government Equalities Department has published: 'Social Enterprise: Making it work for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women'.
Download the report at:
http://www.equalities.gov.uk/publications/407665_SOCIAL%20ENTERPRISE%20WEB.pdf (pdf file, 1.1mb)
(Source – Institute of Race Relations: http://www.irr.org.uk/)

Great Lakes Pact and the Rights of Displaced People: A Guide for Civil Society (IDMC and IRRI, Sept. 2008) [English text] [French text]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Iraq's Refugee and IDP Crisis: Human Toll and Implications (Middle East Institute, August 2008) [text via Human Security Gateway]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Access to Protection at Airports in Europe (Hungarian Helsinki Committee, 2008) [text]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Evaluation of UNHCR’s returnee reintegration programme in Angola (UNHCR, August 2008) [text]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Humanitarian Implications of Climate Change: Mapping Emerging Trends and Risk Hotspots (CARE, August 2008) [text via ReliefWeb]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Barriers to Asylum: The Marabastad Refugee Reception Office (Forced Migration Studies Programme, August 2008) [text]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Conflict, Arms, and Militarization: The Dynamics of Darfur’s IDP Camps, HSBA Working Paper no. 15 (Small Arms Survey, Sept. 2008) [text]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Internal Displacement to Urban Areas - the Tufts-IDMC Profiling Study, Khartoum, Sudan (Feinstein International Center & IDMC, August 2008) [text]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Opportunity and conflict: the impact of a refugee influx on decentralisation in Mali, New Issues in Refugee Research Paper no. 163 (UNHCR, Sept. 2008) [text]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Towards a ‘soft law’ framework for the protection of vulnerable migrants, New Issues in Refugee Research Working Paper, no. 162 (UNHCR, August 2008) [text]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Thematic Compilation of Executive Committee Conclusions, 3rd ed. (UNHCR, August 2008) [text]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Posted in: Publications.

A List of Newly Published Journals

An updated list adapted from the Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog, (http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/):

Australian Journal of Emergency Management, vol. 23, no. 3 (August 2008) [full-text]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Citizenship Studies, vol. 12, no. 5 (2008) [contents]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Disaster Prevention and Management, vol. 17, no. 4 (2008) [contents]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, vol. 6, no. 1 (2008) [contents]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Disasters, vol. 32, no. 3 (Sept. 2008) [contents]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

European Journal of Migration and Law, vol. 10, no. 2 (2008) [contents]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, vol. 17, no. 3 (July 2008) [contents]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, vol. 22, no. 3 (Spring 2008) [contents]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

International Journal of Refugee Law, vol. 20, no. 3 (Oct. 2008) [contents]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 34, no. 8 (2008) [contents]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Women's Asylum News, no. 77 (Aug./Sept. 2008) [text via Refworld]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog - http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/)

Posted in: Periodicals.

News Stories (23/09/09)

Sudan lobbies against Bashir case (BBC News) - [text online]

Burma 'to free 9,000 prisoners' (BBC News) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Humanitarian action in Southern Sudan weekly bulletin, week 36, 07 - 13 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Colombia: OCHA Humanitarian Situation Report No. 31 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Sierra Leonean refugees relocate to new houses in Liberia (UNHCR News) - [text online]

UNHCR calls for Darfur action at Britain's Labour Party Conference (UNHCR News) - [text online]

UNHCR says conditions right for Congolese to go home from Zambia (UNHCR News) - [text online]

Central, Eastern Europe aim to improve refugee status decisions (UNHCR News) - [text online]

UNHCR distributes first aid in Georgia-South Ossetia "buffer zone" (UNHCR News) - [text online]

UNHCR and UAE Red Crescent launch fund-raising campaign for refugee women and children (UNHCR News) - [text online]

UK to lift reservation on United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Refugee Council) - [text online]

TUC Congress 2008 - our report (Refugee Council) - [text online]

Labour Party Conference Update (Refugee Council PoliBlog) - [text online]

No change for Zimbabweans on work (Refugee Council PoliBlog) - [text online]

African Union: Don’t Trade Away Justice in Darfur (Human Rights Watch) - [text online]

President's Corner: UN Must Proceed with ICC Case Against Sudan’s Leader (Refugees International) - [text online]

President’s Corner: U.S. Needs to Ratchet Up Response to Iraqi Refugees (Refugees International) - [text online]

SUDAN: Mounting criticism against govt for crackdown after rebel attack (IRIN News) - [text online]

UN warns it may halt food aid to Palestinians displaced from Lebanese camp (UN News) - [text online]

Bangladesh: migrant worker rights (Global Voices) - [text online]

Iraq: Look at the world - where is the peace? (Global Voices) - [text online]

Senior UN, African Union officials outline worsening situation in Darfur (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Zimbabwe: Hunger begins to take its toll (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

TIMOR-LESTE: IDP returns slowed by squatters occupying homes (IRIN News) - [text online]

At least six Somali civilians die in attack on peacekeepers (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Asylum update - 17 September 2008 (ICAR Blog) - [text online]

Posted in: News.

News Stories (22/09/08)

Gaza-Egypt border crossing opens (BBC News) - [text online]

Sex with trafficked women to be criminalised (The Independent) - [text online]

Immigrant attacks spark riots in Italy (The Independent) - [text online]

East European workers quit UK to head home (The Observer) - [text online]

Michael Rosen performs I Can't Stand It Anymore (The Guardian) - [text online]

ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report : Humanitarian action in Southern Sudan weekly bulletin, week 36, 07 - 13 Sep 2008 (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Employers warned to prepare for tough new immigration controls (Home Office) - [text online]

Turkey scared to admit Armenian genocide, says historian (The Guardian) - [text online]

Zimbabwean accord will be hard to implement but worth the effort – UN envoy (UN News) - [text online]

Human Rights Council takes up racism and defamation of religions (UN News) - [text online]

Conditions right for Congolese to return home from Zambia, says UN agency (UN News) - [text online]

Posted in: News.

Publications Listed on ReliefWeb

A selection of the publications recently made available via the ReliefWeb portal, (www.reliefweb.int):

Title - The 'Humanitarian Frontline', Development and Relief, and Religion
- What Context, Which Threats and Which Opportunities?
Source - University of Ghent
Date - Jul 2008
URL Address -
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/OCHA-7J3JMN?OpenDocument

Title - The 'Humanitarian Frontline', Development and Relief, and Religion
- What Context, Which Threats and Which Opportunities?
Source - University of Ghent
Date - Jul 2008
URL Address -
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/OCHA-7J3JMN?OpenDocument

Title - The Evolution of UN Peacekeeping (2): Reforming DPKO
Source - Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
Date - Nov 2007
URL Address -
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/PANA-7HRDVG?OpenDocument

Title - The Evolution of UN Peacekeeping (1): Hybrid Missions
Source - Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
Date - Nov 2007
URL Address -
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/PANA-7HRDXL?OpenDocument

Title - Humanitarian Implications of Climate Change: Mapping Emerging
Trends and Risk Hotspots
Source - CARE
Date - Aug 2008
URL Address -
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/PANA-7HRGCF?OpenDocument

Title - Gender Justice and Reconciliation
Source - Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
Date - Nov 2007
URL Address -
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/PANA-7HRGFJ?OpenDocument

Title - Climate Change and Human Vulnerability: Mapping Emerging Trends and
Risk Hotspots for Humanitarian Actors
Source - CARE
Date - Mar 2008
URL Address -
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/AMMF-7HUJ4T?OpenDocument

Title - State, Nation, Citizen: Rethinking Repatriation
Source - Refugee Studies Centre
Date - Aug 2008
URL Address -
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/AMMF-7HVJ97?OpenDocument

Title - Annual Report 2007
Source - Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue
Date - Aug 2008
URL Address -
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/KKAA-7HW9MF?OpenDocument

Title - Local Integration: An Under-Reported Solution to Protracted Refugee
Situations
Source - UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Date - Jun 2008
URL Address -
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/AMMF-7H3J6Z?OpenDocument

Posted in: Publications.

New Web Resources

Audit Commission website on migrant workers
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/migrantworkers/

This website expands on the Audit Commission’s report Crossing Borders published in 2007, which looked at the varying impact that the increase in migration for work has had in different parts of England. The website includes additional and expanded case study material, with a particular focus on data issues and on engaging with migrant workers themselves. One of the case studies (no 11) looks at changes to Cumbria’s library service. (Source: Welcome To Your Library Digest – http://www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk/).

UNHCR Statistics Update:

We are pleased to inform you that updated statistics on monthly asylum
applications submitted in selected industrialised countries are now
available. The data, which include country totals as well as selected
countries of origin, cover the period from January to June 2008 and refer to
44 countries in Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania. The data have been
posted on the UNHCR Statistics website (www.unhcr.org/statistics) under
ASYLUM TRENDS.

Iraqis in Egypt Website:

Since the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003, almost 2.5 million Iraqis
have fled their homes to seek asylum in neighbouring countries.
Now Iraqis in Egypt brings you the first ever in-depth online resource
into one of these refugee populations. Close to 150,000 refugees from Iraq are now trapped in Egypt. They have little hope of integration and no home to return to.

Iraqis in Egypt:

We are an association of journalists, filmmakers, artists and researchers working together with the Iraqi community of Egypt to bring world attention to this unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

Visit iraqisinegypt.org now for the latest media releases, films, podcasts and more.
http://www.iraqisinegypt.org/. Contact us on: info@iraqisinegypt.org

IDMC: Interactive Senegal photo gallery

A photo gallery showing villages affected by internal displacement in Senegal's Casamance region is now available to view. Estimates of the number of people internally displaced in the region range between 10,000 and 70,000. Although armed attacks against civilians along the southern border with Guinea-Bissau were reported in the first few months of 2008, people have continued to return to their homes where possible.

The pictures, taken by photographer Martin Evans, show some of the challenges and successes of the villages' reconstruction. View the gallery
(Source: IDMC - http://www.internal-displacement.org/)

Posted in: Web Sites & Tools.

A couple more events...

Conferences, Events and Calls for Papers

International migrants in rural areas: communities, impacts and issues
http://www.ippr.org/events/?id=3235
7 October 2008, St Martins in the Fields, Trafalgar Square, London, 10am-4pm
The event, organised by think tank ippr, aims to:

- present new research on the impact of migration on public services in rural areas

- examine ways in which public services might become more responsive to migrants

- present new research on the risk to rural economies caused by changing migration flows, and look at how these risks can be managed.

More information at weblink above.

(Source: Welcome To Your Library Digest – http://www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk/)

Information services for migrants and refugees
http://www.cilip.org.uk/specialinterestgroups/bysubject/international/activities/training/default.htm

Tue 14 Oct 2008, British Library pm (registration from 1.30pm)

The International and Library Information Group (ILIG) of CILIP is running two half-day seminars on this day, one of which is on information services for migrants and refugees. It includes presentations by Helen Carpenter (Paul Hamlyn Foundation and former WTYL Project Co-ordinator), Diana Edmonds (Assistant Director Culture, Libraries and Learning, London Borough of Haringey) and Amanuel Gebrekidan (British Broadcasting Corporation, Future Media and Technology, Information and Archives) and will be chaired by Stephanie Kenna from the British Library. For more information and how to book see weblink above

(Source: Welcome To Your Library Digest – http://www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk/)

Posted in: Conferences & Events.

Institute for Race Relations Conference

Details of the forthcoming Institute for Race Relations anti-racist conference to mark 50 years of the IRR on Saturday 1 November 2008, 2-7pm in London, with Lee Bridges, Victoria Brittain, David Edgar, Liz Fekete, Arun Kundnani, Herman Ouseley, Colin Prescod, A. Sivanandan and Salma Yaqoob.
For more information, see the website: http://www.irr.org.uk/2008/november/ha000001.html or email: events@irr.org.uk or phone 020 7837 0041.

Posted in: Conferences & Events.

Conferences, Events and Calls for Papers

Call for papers for the workshop on 'Environmental Change and Migration:
Evidence and Developing Norms for Response'. This conference is being organised by the Refugee Studies Centre and the International Migration Institute and will be held on 8 and 9 January 2009 in Oxford.

Further details can be found on the Refugee Studies website at: http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/conf_conferences.html

A conference on Refugee Warehousing, Pittsburgh, organised by FORGE and which will take place at Pittsburgh, (USA), between 10-12 October. Full details available online at: www.refugeeconference.org.

Forced Migration Review issue 33 - to be published in May 2009 - will
include a feature on 'Protracted displacement situations'. The deadline for submission of articles will be: 18 January 2009
See www.fmreview.org/protracted.htm
<http://www.fmreview.org/protracted.htm> for full details.

One day course – 12 November: ‘Working with interpreters’
An invaluable course for anyone who uses interpreters on a regular basis. The course offers guidance on good practice when working with interpreters to ensure you are acting within the law and in the best interests of your client.

To book please email training@refugeecouncil.org.uk
Fees: £99 reduced rate (NGO or voluntary organisation), £160 standard rate (statutory/educational body/business)
Course venue: Refugee Council, 240 – 250 Ferndale Road, London SW9 8BB

Posted in: Conferences & Events.

Welcome to the Blog!

Hello and welcome to the new and slightly revised Refuge Studies Blog for the 2008-2009 academic year. This blog will now form a part of our online resources to support both the taught masters programme in Refugee Studies at the University of East London and also the Refugee Council Archive and associated collections held within the archives at the UEL Docklands Campus Library.

Please feel free to use this blog and to recommend any improvements that you would like to see and we would very much like you to consider posting any comments to our posts here on the blog.

I hope you find this blog useful and good luck for the year ahead!

Best Wishes,

Paul Dudman
Archivist.

News Stories (20/09/08)

Hunger levels soar in East Africa (BBC News) - [text online]

Riot after Africans shot in Italy (BBC News) - [text online]

Muslim police anger over leaflet (BBC News) - [text online]

Asylum rules 'risk human rights' (BBC News) - [text online]

Terror inquiry proves a nice little earner (The Times) - [text online]

Georgia: UNHCR distributes first aid in South Ossetia "buffer zone" (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Kenya: Hundreds displaced in "drought" clashes (ReliefWeb) - [text online]

Mugabe: Signing coalition deal was humiliating (The independent) - [text online]

Revival of the numbers game? (Institute for Race Relations) - [text online]

Posted in: News.