With many Ukrainian refugees facing prolonged stays in host countries, they require effective access to decent work, education, and social and financial services.
The Temporary Protection Directive does not contribute to an effective integration process. Measures to facilitate refugee integration need to be put in place even if return is the preferred durable solution.
In this special issue on ‘Mobilising for rights in the MENA region’, we look at how people are working to ensure that the rights of forced migrants are respected and strengthened in the Middle East and in North Africa. As the introductory article says, “The authors show the importance of acts of mobilisation in different locations and contexts. However, they do not shy away from reflecting on the many obstacles that often confront such efforts.”
In this special feature, a range of authors examine how localised or transnational acts of mobilisation can support the rights of forced migrants in the Middle East and North Africa region.
The voices of Palestinian women of Syria are often silenced in knowledge produced in humanitarian research and practice. ‘Speaking back’ sessions provide crucial insights into these women’s experiences and their relevance for discussions on rights mobilisation.
Refugee-led initiatives supporting refugee communities in the Middle East have developed in different ways in response to an often restrictive policy environment. The international humanitarian and research communities should acknowledge the capacity of these initiatives and find ways to listen to, learn from and collaborate with them more effectively.
Activists in the Sahara have mobilised to protect the rights of migrants to mobility and safety during their journeys to North Africa but they face significant challenges in a hostile political environment.
Minority refugees and their supporters in Jordan have tried to address the unmet needs of their marginalised communities through daily acts of resistance and informal network-building efforts.