Browsing by Subject "Refugees"

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    A critical examination of the humanitarian visa as a complementary pathway in ameliorating the plight of “climate displaced persons” in Eastern Africa.
    (2025) Kanyangi, Leah Aoko; Khan, Fatima
    Eastern Africa has grappled with increasing numbers of displaced persons in the past 20 years because of flooding, tropical storms, landslides, and prolonged seasons of drought. Although there is widespread recognition of the impact of climate change on populations in this region, persons displaced across borders due to climate-related disasters still face challenges in finding protection. This is the case because of their unclear legal status under regional and international law as a unique category of refugees, with scholars arguing over their legitimacy in the international humanitarian landscape. In Eastern Africa, regional economic blocs such as the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) have recognised the need to safeguard persons fleeing due to climate change-related disasters. This has been attempted using soft law regional policy frameworks to fill the legal vacuum in recognising human mobility because of climate change disasters. Within this afrocentric context, this thesis adopts a systematic qualitative research methodology, utilizing document analysis, policy review, and case studies to explore complementary pathways for climate-displaced persons in Eastern Africa. The study conducts an in-depth examination of key international and regional frameworks, including UN reports, the Global Compacts on Refugees and Migration, UNHCR's Climate Action Reports, and the IPCC Assessment Reports. It assesses regional instruments and policies relevant to climate-induced displacement to provide a comprehensive understanding of existing legal and policy gaps. Through a critical review of these documents and case studies, the research evaluates the effectiveness of current protection mechanisms, if any and identifies potential solutions to enhance the legal status and rights of climate-displaced individuals. In particular, the thesis proposes humanitarian visas as a practical complementary pathway and legally sound approach to addressing protection gaps, offering a structured pathway for displaced persons facing climate-related threats.
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    In chronic exile: A critique of South Africa's legal regime for refugees in protracted refugee situations
    (2017) Khan, Fatima; Chirwa, Danwood
    The major thrust of refugee protection worldwide is directed towards providing assistance to refugees in emergency situations. In South Africa, a large number of refugees have moved beyond this initial emergency phase such that the extended nature of their refugee status has left them in a state of continuous vulnerability. Their prolonged exile has led to violations of various rights recognised by international law and South Africa’s own constitutional and refugee law. Faced with restricted access to rights, refugees in South Africa live in poverty, are frustrated, and do not realise their full potential, to say nothing about the overt and brutal attacks they constantly face as victims of xenophobia. Their continued status as refugees deprives them of opportunities and subjects them to constant fear of harassment and exploitation. Even though neither the UNHCR nor the South African government has classified refugees living in South Africa as being in a protracted situation, many refugees have been in South Africa for five years or longer, with no durable solution in sight. This thesis highlights the plight of refugees in protracted refugee situation in South Africa and recommends suitable solutions to the problems this situation raises.
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    Innovative Financial Inclusion for migrants and refugees living in urban areas: Practical lessons for Southeast Asia from Africa
    (2019) Tongboonrawd, Baranee; Alhassan, Abdul Latif; Makoni, Patricia
    The purpose of this study is to examine the innovative financial inclusion for the under-served urban migrant and refugee population in Thailand, respectively. The increasing number of urban migrants and refugees in Thailand requires innovative financial inclusion and livelihood interventions. Many migrants and refugees do not have access to formal financial services due to their legal documentation, although their demands for financial services still exist and remain unsatisfied. The evidence from Kenya in Africa could provide implications and viable options for Thailand in implementing financial inclusion and livelihood programmes in different ways. Using data from the migrants and refugees residing in Bangkok, Thailand through individual interviews, the discourse and narrative qualitative analytical methods were employed to analyse data. The key findings from this study include financial needs, financial inclusion options, livelihood assets and strategies, financial literacy, as well as the livelihood approaches that can support the wellbeing of urban migrants and refugees in the host countries. The findings also revealed the difference in financial needs between urban migrants and refugees in Thailand due to their unique needs and livelihood goals. The data analysis suggested that the financial inclusion and livelihood interventions in Kenya could be applicable for refugees and migrants in Thailand. The roles of financial technology and innovation also have a positive impact in accelerating the financial inclusion of refugees and migrants. The recommendations from this study can help to create the enabling environments for financial inclusion of migrants and refugees in the urban context of Thailand. A comprehensive needs assessment on livelihoods and financial inclusion could explore the actual needs of the migrant and refugee population in in Thailand. The coaching sessions for new arrival groups of migrants and refugees can help them to adjust their livelihood strategies while residing in the host country. The innovation and technology will promote the cost-effective informal banking and open up employment and economic opportunities. The advocacy for the rights of migrants and refugees should be strengthened, including the legislations regarding basic healthcare and education. With a dramatic increase in migration, a better understanding of urban contexts will help develop workable interventions for financial inclusion of urban displaced persons, eventually building resilience and reducing poverty among migrants and refugees.
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    Migrant and refugee populations: a public health and policy perspective on a continuing global crisis
    (BioMed Central, 2018-09-20) Abbas, Mohamed; Aloudat, Tammam; Bartolomei, Javier; Carballo, Manuel; Durieux-Paillard, Sophie; Gabus, Laure; Jablonka, Alexandra; Jackson, Yves; Kaojaroen, Kanokporn; Koch, Daniel; Martinez, Esperanza; Mendelson, Marc; Petrova-Benedict, Roumyana; Tsiodras, Sotirios; Christie, Derek; Saam, Mirko; Hargreaves, Sally; Pittet, Didier
    The 2015–2017 global migratory crisis saw unprecedented numbers of people on the move and tremendous diversity in terms of age, gender and medical requirements. This article focuses on key emerging public health issues around migrant populations and their interactions with host populations. Basic needs and rights of migrants and refugees are not always respected in regard to article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 23 of the Refugee Convention. These are populations with varying degrees of vulnerability and needs in terms of protection, security, rights, and access to healthcare. Their health status, initially conditioned by the situation at the point of origin, is often jeopardised by adverse conditions along migratory paths and in intermediate and final destination countries. Due to their condition, forcibly displaced migrants and refugees face a triple burden of non-communicable diseases, infectious diseases, and mental health issues. There are specific challenges regarding chronic infectious and neglected tropical diseases, for which awareness in host countries is imperative. Health risks in terms of susceptibility to, and dissemination of, infectious diseases are not unidirectional. The response, including the humanitarian effort, whose aim is to guarantee access to basic needs (food, water and sanitation, healthcare), is gripped with numerous challenges. Evaluation of current policy shows insufficiency regarding the provision of basic needs to migrant populations, even in the countries that do the most. Governments around the world need to rise to the occasion and adopt policies that guarantee universal health coverage, for migrants and refugees, as well as host populations, in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. An expert consultation was carried out in the form of a pre-conference workshop during the 4th International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC) in Geneva, Switzerland, on 20 June 2017, the United Nations World Refugee Day.