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21. Managing International Protection Needs at Borders

Author:
Lucía Salgado, Susan Fratzke, Lawrence Huang, and Emma Dorst
Publication Date:
07-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
National borders are one of the primary apertures through which publics perceive and judge migration trends and policy. Dysfunction at borders has implications that go well beyond national security, affecting commerce and trade as well as human mobility of various kinds. For asylum seekers, who generally must reach another country’s territory in order to seek protection, borders can represent the difference between danger and safety. As publics in many countries become increasingly vocal in their dissatisfaction with the management of their nation’s borders, policymakers face the difficult task of designing border systems that prevent the outbreak (or perception) of chaos, even as major displacement crises and the complexities of mixed humanitarian, economic, and family reunification migration strain outmoded infrastructure. This report—part of the Beyond Territorial Asylum: Making Protection Work in a Bordered World initiative led by MPI and the Robert Bosch Stiftung—examines the key elements of an effective and protection-sensitive border system. It begins with an overview of what makes border management challenging at the best of times, and particularly so amid acute displacement crises. It then explores the core features of border processes capable of responding to mixed migration while protecting the right to seek asylum, and what conditions need to be in place for these procedures to be successful.
Topic:
Migration, Borders, Asylum, Protection, and Irregular Migration
Political Geography:
Global Focus

22. The End of Asylum? Evolving the Protection System to Meet 21st Century Challenges

Author:
Susan Fratzke, Meghan Benton, Andrew Selee, Emma Dorst, and Samuel Davidoff-Gore
Publication Date:
07-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
The international protection regime is under increasingly untenable pressure, and the obsolescence of the policy architecture on which it relies is becoming more and more apparent. The territorial asylum system, which requires asylum seekers to reach another country’s territory in order to seek protection, has proven itself to be a blunt tool with which to address the protection challenges of the 21st century. New crises, protracted displacement situations, and expanding norms about who merits protection have created a growing population of individuals in need of humanitarian protection. At the same time, other mobility pressures—including those rooted in demographic shifts, economic inequality, and climate change—have produced high levels of mixed migration, adding to the strain on border and asylum adjudication systems. This report, which concludes the Beyond Territorial Asylum: Making Protection Work in a Bordered World initiative led by MPI and the Robert Bosch Stiftung, sets out a vision for the ongoing evolution of the international protection system, with a focus on the future of asylum. It analyzes promising developments and best-in-class ideas around facilitating orderly entry, ensuring system efficiency, and building regional capacity, and how these elements could foster a system that is better at providing protection for those who need it and at securing public trust by reducing chaos at borders and within public systems that must manage migration.
Topic:
International Cooperation, Governance, Borders, Asylum, and Protection
Political Geography:
Global Focus

23. Displacement and International Protection in a Warming World

Author:
Samuel Davidoff-Gore and Lawrence Huang
Publication Date:
09-2024
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
Most climate-related displacement occurs within a country’s territory, but when people cross borders, it poses particular challenges. Policymakers in destination countries face the task of simultaneously managing borders and addressing arriving migrants’ emergency assistance and protection needs. Yet, the migration and refugee policy tools available are rarely, if ever, designed with climate displacement in mind. There is no consensus, for example, on what status climate-displaced people should receive, what rights and benefits they are entitled to, and how states should respond if climate change has rendered their homes uninhabitable. And unless policymakers proactively manage climate displacement, these movements can further weaken already fragile migration management and asylum systems. This issue brief explores what role the international protection system can and should play in responses to cross-border climate displacement and highlights steps policymakers could take to diversify the policy toolkit beyond the protection realm.
Topic:
Climate Change, Migration, Refugees, Displacement, Protection, and Climate Refugees
Political Geography:
Global Focus

24. Using Safe-to-Learn Strategies for Protecting Children with Disabilities in Schools

Author:
Mehek Naeem and Farhat Munir
Publication Date:
05-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Review of Human Rights
Institution:
Society of Social Science Academics (SSSA)
Abstract:
Children with disabilities are often more prone to abuse in Pakistan. This article is based on a qualitative study using formal interviews as a data collection tool. The participants were asked about their perspective on the current practices of protecting children in schools, especially those with disabilities, and how to improve the system for safeguarding the Children to Learn Initiative. The research found that a right-based, systematic approach needs to be taken to improve school systems for the protection of children with disabilities against abuse and neglect, where attention is paid to prevention, response strengthening, and overall management and referral systems.
Topic:
Human Rights, Children, Disability, and Protection
Political Geography:
Pakistan and South Asia

25. The Protection and Promotion of Civic Space in UN Peacekeeping Operations

Author:
Lauren McGowan
Publication Date:
10-2024
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
International Peace Institute (IPI)
Abstract:
UN peacekeeping operations have a vital role to play in protecting and promoting civic space. Shrinking civic space undermines human rights, generates instability, and impacts the ability of missions to execute their mandates. Supporting civic space is also connected to core areas of missions’ work, including support to political processes, the protection of civilians, and the promotion of human rights. This paper identifies how missions are contributing to the protection and promotion of civic space and the obstacles they face in doing so. It identifies how civic space has been reflected in mission mandates and analyzes whether the inclusion of explicit language on civic space has an impact on the work undertaken by missions. It also explores how missions have sought to protect and promote civic space and examines the challenges they face when engaging in these activities. Despite these challenges, the paper concludes that peacekeeping missions have unique advantages in protecting and promoting civic space, such as their ability to protect civilians and connect civic space initiatives to broader political mandates. Yet their efforts are not always part of a common strategy for promoting and protecting civic space. The paper offers four considerations to help guide future exploration of the topic: Policymakers should consider the utility of adding explicit language on civic space to mission mandates and weigh the risks and benefits. Missions should consider how to connect the dots between their different efforts related to civic space. Missions that have implemented more systematic approaches to monitoring civic space should gather lessons on whether and how this monitoring has impacted their ability to respond to civic space restrictions. The UN should improve reporting on the collective impact of activities related to civic space to illustrate the role missions play and their comparative advantages.
Topic:
United Nations, Peacekeeping, Protection, and Civic Space
Political Geography:
Global Focus

26. Practical Guide for Formulating Public Policies to Prevent Violence Against Women

Author:
Igarapé Institute
Publication Date:
07-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Igarapé Institute
Abstract:
Violence against women is a complex and devastating reality, manifesting in various forms, including physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse. Within this context, this guide presents programs and initiatives evaluated by renowned organizations such as the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (JPAL), the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, and UN Women, highlighting approaches that have shown high effectiveness and efficiency in preventing violence against women. The goal is to use these practical experiences as a foundation for evidence-based public policy formulation to prevent violence against women. We begin by analyzing the risk and protective factors associated with violence against women. Using the “Pyramid of Gender-based Violence” by the Institute for Studies on State and Participation – Health as a framework, we explore the different forms in which these factors operate, from individual to structural. We also provide context for the legal landscape related to violence against women, emphasizing the role of the Maria da Penha Law as a regulatory milestone in Brazil. Based on examples of programs already implemented and evaluated worldwide, the guide underscores the importance of initiatives that promote women’s financial autonomy through access to employment opportunities, professional training, and entrepreneurship. It also emphasizes efforts to challenge gender stereotypes and foster relationships based on mutual respect and equal rights. The guide reaffirms the need for public policies focused on preventing intrafamilial and domestic violence, including strengthening the protection network for women with specialized support services and effective security measures. It suggests implementing educational and awareness programs on gender violence to transform environments where violence against women occurs, such as schools and homes. Additionally, it advocates for promoting safe and inclusive spaces. Finally, the guide highlights the importance of involving all sectors of society in implementing these policies, including the government, civil society, the private sector, and the community at large. Only through coordinated, long-term efforts can we create an environment where all women can live free from violence and with dignity.
Topic:
Development, Public Policy, Domestic Violence, Gender, Protection, and Violence Against Women (VAW)
Political Geography:
Global Focus

27. The State of Torture Report

Author:
Sinqobile Makhathini, Amina Mwaikambo, and Cathy-Ann Potgieter
Publication Date:
11-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR)
Abstract:
Torture in South Africa has a complex and troubling history rooted in colonial and apartheid practices, where torture was used frequently by state security forces to suppress dissent and control Black and marginalised communities. Despite legal reforms during the post-apartheid dispensation, concerns about torture and ill-treatment persist, often associated with law enforcement practices and conditions in detention centres. Challenges therefore remain in fully eradicating torture practices and ensuring accountability within the justice and law enforcement systems. This report aims to examine the prevalence and persistence of torture in South Africa to assess the current gaps in legal protections, as well as provide recommendations for enhanced monitoring, accountability, and victim support.
Topic:
Torture, Law Enforcement, Accountability, and Protection
Political Geography:
Africa and South Africa