“Chuwa ma yeh, ga ma ye” is an expression in the Karenni language that translates roughly as “between a rock and a hard place” or, more accurately, “difficult to move forward, difficult to go back.” The phrase aptly characterises the…
In 2005 the Royal Thai Government eased restrictions and allowed resettlement from the camps on the Thai-Burmese border to countries in the west. The impact of resettlement in the camps has been of great concern to the Karen Women’s Organisation…
Throughout this time, political uncertainties, protracted and constant refugee flows, and a changing policy environment have affected refugees’ access to education, the quality and relevance of the education they receive and their ability to use the skills and knowledge acquired…
Since March 2004, the UK has run a resettlement programme, known as the Gateway Protection Programme (GPP), for ‘quota refugees’. Refugees are selected by UNHCR field officers and arrive in the UK with permanent legal status. To date, refugees from…
There are 4.4 million refugees registered and residing in the countries and territories served by UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), in addition to four to five million Palestinians living in the diaspora,…
Kenya’s December 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections were highly contentious and within a few days of the announcement of Kibaki’s re-election as president, communal violence spread across the country. Within a few weeks it had led to over 1,200 deaths…
Detailing the findings of the rapid assessment of gender-based violence (GBV) suffered in camps,[1] the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) said the women had repeatedly expressed fears of sexual violence…
In 2008, the Brazilian National Committee for Refugees (CONARE) celebrates its 10th anniversary. Created by the 1997 Refugee Act, CONARE is an inter-ministerial and inter-institutional body which works to determine refugee eligibility, promote refugee-related public policies, design and evaluate resettlement…
International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s involvement in the problem of human trafficking in Japan dates back to 1996 when it published a report exposing the unacceptable situation of Filipino women trafficked to Japan. That report and earlier warnings by NGOs…
Many asylum seekers suffer from health problems arising from their flight and the violence that preceded it: most often problems of physical movement and mental and psychiatric problems such as depression, fear and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research on Iraqi…