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131. Externalizing the Crisis: Buffer Zones Around the EU

Author:
Emma Burström
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:
With the Syrian civil war soon entering its fifth year of armed conflict, the European Union is facing the largest influx of people in its history. Over 710,000 refugees and irregular migrants, of which a majority were Syrians, entered EU territory in the first 3 quarters of 2015 only (FRONTEX, 2015). Despite several informal top-level meetings between the EU member states and a pledge to relocate 160,000 refugees from the two main reception countries Greece and Italy, concrete action has yet to be taken and, as of yet, less than two hundred have been resettled within the EU (European Commission (d), 2015). Attempts to manage the influx of refugees and irregular migrants on a supranational level have been met with resistance from the governments of the member states. As the situation deteriorates and the number of people arriving shows no sign of abating, the member states are desperately looking outside the EU for solutions. Hoping to persuade transit countries to participate in refugee protection, and to contribute to stronger borders, the EU is engaging in various projects and negotiations focusing on its near abroad, with the aim of creating a buffer against the migrants. This policy update will briefly explore the history and implementation of these buffer zones, from the visa restrictions during the Yugoslav wars in the 90’s to the increasing use of ‘safe third countries’ today. Further, the positive and negative aspects of these buffer zones will be examined with the objective of: 1) detecting the possible risks of human rights violations, poverty, and insecurity, that closed border could cause; and 2), highlighting the potential benefits to the refugees and irregular migrants, the host countries, and the refugee sending countries, that could be the result of well-constructed policies.
Topic:
European Union, Refugees, Conflict, and Syrian War
Political Geography:
Europe, Middle East, and Syria

132. Effects of the Syrian Refugees on Turkey

Author:
Oytun Orhan
Publication Date:
01-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
Abstract:
TESEV Foreign Policy Program and ORSAM (Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies) in order to understand the effects of Syrian asylum seekers to Turkey, visited Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kilis, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Mersin and Kahramanmaraş respectively during four different field study trips in three months. They held series of meetings with municipalities, professional organizations, chambers of trade and industry, civil society organizations, opinion leaders, locals and Syrians. This report has been prepared in the light of the observations and data gained from these field studies.
Topic:
Civil Society, Migration, Refugees, Refugee Crisis, Syrian War, Public Policy, and Services
Political Geography:
Turkey, Middle East, and Syria

133. Toward a European Migration and Mobility Union

Author:
Jacob Funk Kirkegaard
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)
Abstract:
After surviving its worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and the near collapse of its common currency, Europe is now engulfed by hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa. It needs new and permanent migration institutions and resources not only to accommodate the influx of refugees but also to set up a new border control system throughout the region. These demands pose a challenge for European policymaking as serious as the euro crisis of the last five years. Kirkegaard proposes a migration and mobility union, to be implemented gradually, with the goal of comprehensively reforming European migration policy.
Topic:
Human Welfare, Humanitarian Aid, Migration, Governance, and Refugees
Political Geography:
Africa, Europe, and Middle East

134. Regional refugee protection in comparative perspective: Lessons learned from the Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and Europe

Author:
Kate Jastram
Publication Date:
11-2015
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW Sydney
Abstract:
Refugee movements in South-East Asia, the Middle East and Europe during 2015, along with the fact that more people are displaced now than at any time since the Second World War, provide an opportune moment to revisit some of the key regional cooperation arrangements for refugee protection. There are lessons to be learned, in particular from the 1989 Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indochinese Refugees, and its precursor agreement in 1979 (CPA), as well as from the 1989 International Conference on Central American Refugees (CIREFCA). These two programs were widely seen as successful when they were implemented, and they have stood the test of time. Regional refugee protection cooperation arrangements can provide practical, principled responses by several States working together to meet the protection needs and humanitarian challenges posed by the movement of asylum seekers, whether fleeing in large or small numbers. There is no single definition of a regional cooperation arrangement, but the most important and useful examples are those that are protection-oriented. The need for States to work cooperatively is found in the Preamble to the 1951 Refugee Convention, and UNHCR’s Executive Committee, comprised of 98 States, has provided a great deal of guidance on regional approaches to protection. States participate in regional arrangements because they can be an effective means of providing protection in a manner beyond the reach of a single State. Regional arrangements can be flexible and responsive to the particular circumstances presented, within a basic framework of protection principles. The legal issues relevant to regional refugee cooperation arrangements can be organised in three categories: non-refoulement (non-return) and other substantive standards; procedural standards; and standards of treatment.
Topic:
Regional Cooperation, Refugees, Protection, and UNHCR
Political Geography:
Europe, Middle East, and Southeast Asia

135. The Economic Condition of Displaced Iraqis Living in Jordan: A Study of Vocational Training

Author:
Farah Thalji
Publication Date:
08-2010
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Strategic Studies (CSS)
Abstract:
The Iraqi War has garnered international attention as a traumatic conflict in many respects. Rising death tolls, expensive military operations, internal fragmentation and civilian suffering have all become hallmarks of the ongoing conflict. This often overshadows the distress of Iraqis scattered to neighboring countries by the war. This report focuses the lens on displaced Iraqis who have fled to the neighboring Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to seek refuge. Refugees are used as the instrument for measuring the impact of the conflict and its residuals on others in the region. The subsequent goal is to demonstrate the rippling effect of conflict in such a manner that goes beyond the surface to the longer-term effects that are often overlooked by the media in favor of shocking short-term events. One problem Iraqis face in Jordan is economic survival. There is a pervasive attitude that Jordan only harbors wealthy Iraqis. While this stereotype may apply to some Iraqis, it is certainly not a reality for many –particularly considering that seven years have passed since the start of the war and personal funds have been depleting. One of the troubles that Iraqis in Jordan now face is the inability to participate in the labor force due to legal restrictions. With an estimated population of somewhere between 450,000 to 700,000 Iraqis amongst Jordan’s population of 6 million, this poses a serious problem. An assessment of the situation attempts to understand the Iraqi effort for survival by focusing on vocational training and support for displaced Iraqis. The goal of such an effort is to capture the Iraqi attempt to transition into the labor market in Jordan. It also reflects that economic involvement in the Jordanian economy is becoming increasingly necessary as security continues to remain an issue in Iraq and the fear of return persists. Discussing the political and legal as well as the social status of Iraqis in Jordan forms a necessary foundation for the study of their economic situation and the subsequent merit of vocational training programs.2
Topic:
Economics, Refugees, Displacement, and Vocational Training
Political Geography:
Iraq, Middle East, and Jordan

136. Guidelines for Persons and Organizations Providing Support for Victims of Forced Migration

Author:
A. Tamer Aker, Dilek Kurban, Etyen Mahçupyan, and Pınar Önen Süren
Publication Date:
01-2009
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
Abstract:
The outcomes of forced migration as a reality of Turkey have been increasing and varying over time. The situation affects not only the victims of forced migration but also the general population of the cities that accept the migrants, and from which people migrate, the socio-economic and cultural fabric of these cities, and thus, indirectly, the entire country. Although in recent years the government has taken some positive -nevertheless limited- steps, these have not been sufficient. The victims of forced migration, the vast majority of whom continue to live in deep poverty and deprivation, have legal, social, political and healthcare problems that need to be addressed urgently. That steps are taken by the state with the purpose of solving these problems is ideal and correct. However, it is also a fact that the size and scope of problems resulting from forced migration have pushed the limits of the state resources and its capacity. In addition, there does not seem to be sufficient political will in regard to generating comprehensive and permanent solutions for the problem, at least in the short term. Nevertheless, there exist some concrete steps that can be taken towards a solution by people and organisations offering support for internally displaced persons (IDPs) without waiting for the state to play the necessary role. The purpose of these guidelines is: to make easier the support and aid efforts offered to displaced persons by human rights advocates carrying out work concerning the daily lives of victims of forced migration, lawyers, health workers, and public and local government workers; to help shape the road map these persons shall prepare in order to address the problems of victims of forced migration, paying attention to the subjective conditions of each individual; and to offer a summary of the main principles, which need to be observed throughout this process. Since the present document is the first of its kind, we thought that it would be better to keep the guidelines as comprehensive as possible and, in line with this, to add certain points to the appendices; these are the points that may be deemed topical or may cause reservations, and are yet to be field tested. In this respect, matters and methods highlighted in these guidelines, whilst putting forth the ideal situation, imply that the expert who shall use the document may make a selection based on specific conditions and their good sense. Also, it should be noted that while getting into contact with victims of forced migration, it may be necessary to identify some groups that are sensitive and shy away from help, such as men and teenagers, and to generate alternative ways to reach them. We are hoping that these guidelines and their appendices, which have been designed with the goal of being developed as deemed necessary by their users, will constitute the initial steps for the users and displaced persons to work together.
Topic:
Refugees, Displacement, Forced Migration, and Guidelines
Political Geography:
Turkey and Middle East

137. Continued Protection, Sustainable Reintegration: Afghan Refugees and Migrants in Iran

Author:
M.J. Abbasi Shavazi and D. Glazebrook
Publication Date:
05-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU)
Abstract:
Focusing on Iran, this is the third briefing paper from AREU’s long-term research project looking at Afghans’ transnational networks in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.
Topic:
Migration, Refugees, Humanitarian Intervention, transnationalism, and Sustainability
Political Geography:
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Middle East

138. Afghans in Pakistan: Broadening the Focus

Author:
Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit
Publication Date:
01-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU)
Abstract:
This briefing paper looked at the situation of the roughly 3 million Afghans who were residing in Pakistan at the time, and argued that the refugee framework no longer adequately addressed the reality of this transnational population.
Topic:
Migration, Refugees, Displacement, transnationalism, and Humanitarian Crisis
Political Geography:
Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Middle East