Human rights have no borders
The number of refugees worldwide has grown from 8 to 15 million in the last decade. In this context the much publicised rise in the number of asylum seekers coming to Ireland, from 424 people in 1995 to 3,883 people…
Bosnia and Herzegovina: problems and progress in the return process
The efforts of the international community are increasingly focused on measures helping the return process. These efforts are urgent, as the continued large-scale displacement is a heavy burden on a country struggling to recover from a particularly violent and destructive…
Managing the return of refugees to Bosnia and Herzegovina
In the early stage of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a difficult debate took place between the European governments, UNHCR, ICRC and other organisations regarding the fate of those displaced by the war. Finally, the European nations reluctantly…
The view from the battlements: community work on the fringe of Fortress Europe
Recent legislation, notably the laws commonly referred to as loi Pasqua (1993) and loi Debré (1997) have been widely criticised though they have not been more severe than immigration legislation elsewhere in Europe. On the other hand the French authorities…
Refugee crisis in the Great Lakes: have any lessons been learned?
The words 'Rwanda' and 'genocide' are inextricably linked for all time, signifying one of the most horrifying chapters in human history. In a three-month period, from April to July 1994, an estimated one million Rwandans were massacred. ...Collectively, the international…
Responding to crises in the African Great Lakes
A UN Centre for Conflict Analysis Before coherent response to conflict is possible, clarity and unity of understanding among key international players are essential. A practical proposal to counter the time pressures and to promote unity of understanding would be…
The reality of return: IDPs in Darfur
On 5 July 2005, a Declaration of Principles for the Resolution of the Sudanese Conflict in Darfur was signed in Abuja by the Sudanese government, the Sudan Liberation Movement and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement.[1] Although this is unquestionably…
Assisting the return of displaced Dinka Bor
Sudan’s civil war drove hundreds of thousands of people from their homes to encroach on others’ resources, often sparking conflicts within and between southern communities. At the same time, traditional methods of governance and arbitration, that once kept inter-ethnic and…
Epic trek of Mabia IDPs
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) – with support from the World Food Programme, OCHA, UNICEF, World Vision, MSF Spain and the Camboni missionaries – assisted some 5,000 IDPs from 10 different tribes on a 350-km return route through the…
IDPs and urban planning in Khartoum
Tragic recent events have drawn attention to the neglected issue of IDP settlements in the Khartoum metropolis, now home to five million people. In May 2005 Sudanese security forces arrived in the squatter area of Soba-Aradi, 30km south of Khartoum.…