Country Of First Asylum Research Articles

Motherhood Motivations: African Refugee Women Resettled in Australia and Return Visits to a Country of First Asylum

This article expands on conceptualizations of refugee “return” by examining why African women resettled as refugees in Australia return to visit the country of first asylum from which they were previously resettled. I show that their return visits do not relate to attachment to place, but are motivated by social obligations to practise “motherhood” to family members who, due to conflict-induced displacement, remain in a country of first asylum. I argue that the phenomenon of refugee “return” cannot be conflated exclusively with return to country of origin but is, for African women in particular, centred on the reinvigoration of care relationships across diasporic settings of asylum in which family remain. Building on an emergent focus on feminization in migration studies, I show how these gendered dynamics of refugee “return” are an entry point from which to re-consider how scholarship and policy take into account “family” in contexts of forced migration.

Refugee education in countries of first asylum: Breaking open the black box of pre-resettlement experiences

The number of refugees who have fled across international borders due to conflict and persecution is at the highest level in recorded history. The vast majority of these refugees find exile in low-income countries neighboring their countries of origin. The refugee children who are resettled to North America, Europe, and Australia arrive with previous educational experiences in these countries of first asylum. This article examines these pre-resettlement educational experiences of refugee children, which to date have constituted a ‘black box’ in their post-resettlement education. Analysis is of data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, key informant interviews in 14 countries of first asylum, and ethnographic fieldwork and interviews in four countries. The article argues that contemporary conditions of conflict usefully inform conceptual understanding of refugee education globally, including the types of schools that refugees access in countries of first asylum and their rates of access. It further identifies three empirical themes that are common to the educational experiences of refugees in countries of first asylum: language barriers, teacher-centered pedagogy, and discrimination in school settings. The article examines the theoretical and practical relevance of these pre-resettlement educational experiences for post-resettlement education of refugee children.

“Durable Solutions,” Transnationalism, and Homemaking among Croatian and Bosnian Former Refugees


 
 
 This article proposes that the UNHCR-supported “durable solution” programs for former refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina and from Croatia were at odds with the actual exilic experiences of former refugees. It introduce homemaking as an essential aspect of a successful durable solution and proposes supplementing the usual ethno-politicized understandings of home in the specific context with analyses of the process of homemaking at different scales—house (dwelling), community (the wider space of settlement containing natural, cultural, social, and economic aspects) and nation. The article also argues that repatriation and local integration in the country of first asylum—two allegedly distinct and opposite solutions to refugee crises—should be viewed as intertwined processes within a broader transnational context. It is concluded that their combination brought a durable solution to refugee predicaments in the specific case. 
 
 

Neuropsychiatric disorders among Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Jordan: a retrospective cohort study 2012-2013.

BackgroundThe burden of neuropsychiatric disorders in refugees is likely high, but little has been reported on the neuropsychiatric disorders that affect Syrian and Iraqi refugees in a country of first asylum. This analysis aimed to study the cost and burden of neuropsychiatric disorders among refugees from Syria and Iraq requiring exceptional, United Nations-funded care in a country of first asylum.MethodsThe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees works with multi-disciplinary, in-country exceptional care committees to review refugees’ applications for emergency or exceptional medical care. Neuropsychiatric diagnoses among refugee applicants were identified through a retrospective review of applications to the Jordanian Exceptional Care Committee (2012–2013). Diagnoses were made using International Classification of Disease-10th edition codes rendered by treating physicians.ResultsNeuropsychiatric applications accounted for 11% (264/2526) of all Exceptional Care Committee applications, representing 223 refugees (40% female; median age 35 years; 57% Syrian, 36% Iraqi, 7% other countries of origin). Two-thirds of neuropsychiatric cases were for emergency care. The total amount requested for neuropsychiatric disorders was 925,674 USD. Syrian refugees were significantly more likely to request neurotrauma care than Iraqis (18/128 vs. 3/80, p = 0.03). The most expensive care per person was for brain tumor (7,905 USD), multiple sclerosis (7,502 USD), and nervous system trauma (6,466 USD), although stroke was the most frequent diagnosis. Schizophrenia was the most costly and frequent diagnosis among the psychiatric disorders (2,269 USD per person, 27,226 USD total).ConclusionsNeuropsychiatric disorders, including those traditionally considered outside the purview of refugee health, are an important burden to health among Iraqi and Syrian refugees. Possible interventions could include stroke risk factor reduction and targeted medication donations for multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and schizophrenia.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13031-015-0038-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Safe Third Country Concept in International Agreements on Refugee Protection Assessing State Practice

One of the expressions of international cooperation among States in the field of refugee protection is the adoption of international agreements that implement the “safe third country” and the “country of first asylum” concepts. This paper examines the legal background to these concepts and State practice by considering three selected case studies (Spain, South Africa and the US). The paper analyses the legal implications and significance of issues arising and provides a critique of the system and its premises. In particular, the paper considers whether a multilateral arrangement – such as the Dublin III Regulation or the Canada-US Agreement – has the potential to become a model for the development of an inter-State agreement whereby one of the State Parties effectively delivers all relevant international obligations (including the right to asylum) on behalf of all States bound by such system. The dual nature of the system is analysed, as an operational instrument creating obligations between States while at the same time allowing for the delivery of States' international obligations towards refugees.

The New Great Game: Pakistan’s Approach to Afghanistan after 2014

A modern day Great Game is playing out in Inner Asia once again. Like the Great Game of the nineteenth century, it centers on Afghanistan, a land that falls outside every state's sphere of influence and has always been intensely hostile to foreigners, making it a perfect playing field. China, India, Russia, and the United States are the major powers embroiled in competition in and around Afghanistan, but Pakistan is also very much in the game. As the most significant front-line state, as well as the country of first asylum to the largest number of Afghan refugees (and largest refugee population in the world from 1982 to 1997), Pakistan correctly saw itself as having invested much in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation in the 1980s. This investment cost Islamabad a great deal, however, even as it provided a great opportunity. Afghan mujahideen operated from Pakistani soil to attack Afghanistan, causing retaliatory attacks by the Soviet and Afghan governments that accompanied all the ills that millions of refugees can inflict on a poor state. At the same time, Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) used the Afghan war of the 1980s to refine its strategy of leveraging asymmetric actors to influence events in hostile or less-governed spaces in the country's immediate neighborhood. This goes to the heart of the security dilemma facing Pakistan today, which also helps explain its problem with India and how Afghanistan after 2014 fits into that relationship.The Great Game construct offers much to our understanding of post-2014 Afghanistan and the factors that will likely drive the competition there. This essay articulates Pakistan's primary national interests in Afghanistan and how those interests can be expected to play out in the context of the interests of the other major actors that are also engaged there. It will conclude with some predictions about Pakistan's post-2014 approach to Afghanistan.Pakistan and Afghanistan: Historical ContextEven before the partition of 1947, Pakistan's security consciousness has been dominated by the perceived threat posed by its larger neighbor India, with which it has fought four wars and numerous smaller conflicts. India's sheer size has helped it prevail in all these military exchanges, prompting Pakistan to invest more and more in its military over time. Today, Pakistan has a large and very professional military with a poor track record against India's military, a large nuclear arsenal with robust delivery systems (postured against India's Cold Start conventional doctrine), and an active use of asymmetric actors (guerrillas, insurgents, irregulars, and terrorists), especially in the contested area of Kashmir. This strategic triad both reflects and reinforces the fixation of the Pakistani military on India, motivates Pakistan's spending and doctrines, and causes it to focus increasingly on building, funding, training, and running asymmetric actors outside Pakistan.In the 1990s, after the Soviet Union collapsed and the United States extricated itself from Afghanistan, only Pakistan remained deeply engaged there. Russia, the United States, China, and India all had other priorities: modern Russia was a weakened successor to the Soviet Union, the United States was focused on the Persian Gulf and Eastern Europe, China was reeling from the Tiananmen Square uprising, and India was set adrift from its treaty arrangement with the Soviet Union in the wake of the latter's collapse. The United States left Afghanistan largely in the hands of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with a decade of increasingly virulent Islamism and destructive civil war as the result. In the latter half of the 1990s, Iran also became engaged in supporting its clients in western, central, and northern Afghanistan, deepening the civil war into ethnic-sectarian cleansing.The Afghan war that erupted after September 11, 2001, changed the regional equation. Today, the United States plays the dominant role, but a rising China, emerging India, re-emerging Russia, troubled Iran, and other regional players all are actively involved in Afghanistan, as are multilateral and nongovernmental organizations. …

Medical conditions among Iraqi refugees in Jordan: data from the United Nations Refugee Assistance Information System

To determine the range and burden of health services utilization among Iraqi refugees receiving health assistance in Jordan, a country of first asylum. Medical conditions, diagnosed in accordance with the tenth revision of the International classification of diseases, were actively monitored from 1 January to 31 December 2010 using a pilot centralized database in Jordan called the Refugee Assistance Information System. There were 27 166 medical visits by 7642 Iraqi refugees (mean age: 37.4 years; 49% male; 70% from Baghdad; 6% disabled; 3% with a history of torture). Chronic diseases were common, including essential hypertension (22% of refugees), visual disturbances (12%), joint disorders (11%) and type II diabetes mellitus (11%). The most common reasons for seeking acute care were upper respiratory tract infection (11%), supervision of normal pregnancy (4%) and urinary disorders (3%). The conditions requiring the highest number of visits per refugee were cerebrovascular disease (1.46 visits), senile cataract (1.46) and glaucoma (1.44). Sponsored care included 31 747 referrals or consultations to a specialty service, 18 432 drug dispensations, 2307 laboratory studies and 1090 X-rays. The specialties most commonly required were ophthalmology, dentistry, gynaecology and orthopaedic surgery. Iraqi refugees in countries of first asylum and resettlement require targeted health services, health education and sustainable prevention and control strategies for predominantly chronic diseases.

Refugees in Diaspora: From Durable Solutions to Transnational Relations

When people flee conflict or persecution, a common pattern is for most to seek safety in other parts of their country, for a substantial number to look for refuge in a neighbouring country or countries, and for a smaller number to seek asylum in countries further afield, perhaps on other continents. If displacement persists and people consolidate themselves in their territories of refuge, complex relations will develop among these different domains of what we may call the “refugee diaspora”: that is, among those at home, those in neighbouring territories, and those spread further afield. Each of these domains corresponds to some extent to one of the sites associated with the three “durable solutions” that UNHCR is charged with pursuing for refugees: integration in the country of first asylum, resettlement in a third country, or return to the homeland. Taking its cue from the burgeoning literature on diasporas and transnationalism, this paper explores whether the notion of “durable solutions” can be squared with the transnational character of refugees. It offers a simple schema for considering diaspora and transnational relations, and suggests that transnationalism might be considered in itself as an “enduring” if not a “durable” solution to displacement.

Seeking refuge: Central American migration to Mexico, the United States, and Canada

Preface and Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction 1. The Wars in Central America and the Refugee Crisis 2. Designing a Refugee Policy: Mexico as Country of First Asylum 3. Refugees or Economic Migrants? The Debate over Accountability in the United States 4. Humanitarianism and Politics: Canada Opens Its Doors to Central America Conclusion. Shared Responsibility? Legacies of the Central American Refugee Crisis Notes Selected Bibliography Index

Processes and Critiques of the Indo-Chinese Comprehensive Plan of Action: An Instrument of International Burden-Sharing?

The Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indo-Chinese Refugees was devised to respond to the many thousands of people fleeing Vietnam and Laos in the 1980s. The principal objectives of the CPA 1989 were to reverse that exodus by putting in place the political and practical framework that would stem future irregular flows and return those not in need of international protection. It created a system of refugee status determination (screening) in the countries of first asylum that allowed those who met the criteria to be resettled, but those who fell outside to be returned to their country of origin. While it restored asylum in the region, there were many problems with the CPA that led to concerns that it was merely an example of political expediency. The CPA forced UNHCR to address many mandate and ethical issues. Under the CPA, UNHCR was the primary vehicle through which many of the burden-sharing arrangements were coordinated and steered. The Agency played a pivotal, and in many respects novel, role in all aspects of the CPA in the region, particularly in Vietnam. For UNHCR, the CPA was confirmation that to protect refugees and the institution of asylum, the organisation had to be actively engaged at all stages and places in the displacement cycle, including with non-refugees and in countries of origin.

A Remaining Hope for Durable Solutions: Local Integration of Refugees and Their Hosts in the Case of Uganda

The protracted nature of conflicts in countries of the global South means that return to home countries for many refugees is increasingly delayed. At the same time, global terrorism and concerns about security have slowed processes of resettlement in countries of the North. Local integration to host communities in countries of first asylum may be a remaining option. This paper explores possibilities for revival of local integration as a durable solution. The authors situate the study within the framework of protracted refugee situations globally and, specifically, within the existing local settlement structure and the Self Reliance Strategy (SRS) in Uganda. Benefits to refugee-hosting communities are analyzed through two case studies: local integration through commerce and through primary education. The paper concludes by exploring ways in which stakeholders, including refugees, UNHCR, and donor governments can work together to promote shared and simultaneous development in refugee and national communities, specifically in conceptualizing the durable solution of local integration within the context of a national framework for development.

Part 6: Regional Meetings Strengthening the Capacity of Countries of First Asylum in the Region to Offer Adequate Protection Regional Meeting in Cairo (3-5 July 2001)

Part 6: Regional Meetings Strengthening the Capacity of Countries of First Asylum in the Region to Offer Adequate Protection Regional Meeting in Cairo (3-5 July 2001)

Aid, Relief, and Containment: The First Asylum Country and Beyond

A fundamental problem that confronts the European Union today is how it can maintain its commitment to the institution of asylum while checking irregular migration and the abuse of its asylum system. In order to explore a response to this dilemma the paper addresses the following questions: what role can relief and aid policies play in influencing migration patterns? What should be the appropriate approach to the granting of relief and aid to developing countries of first asylum? Should it be viewed as a part of the larger problem of development or be treated as a distinct issue? What kind of a relief/aid model will help refugees return to post–conflict societies and stop the conflict from reproducing itself? The paper examines two different approaches to address these questions: the alliance–containment approach and the distributive–developmental approach. It also looks at some empirical evidence, which reveals that at present it is a conservative alliance–containment approach that informs EU relief and aid practices. This approach, however, does not help achieve the stated objective of checking abuse of asylum and migration procedures while sustaining a commitment to a liberal asylum regime. The paper goes on to identify the gaps in EU policy and the lessons that can be drawn. It concludes by looking at different policy alternatives and suggesting the adoption of a reformist distributive–developmental model. The implementation of this model holds out the hope of reverting to a more liberal asylum regime while controlling irregular migration and “bogus” asylum seekers, for the reformist distributive developmental model takes a more long–term view of migration trends and also seeks to address the growing North–South divide.

Refugees, Race, and Gender: The Multiple Discrimination against Refugee Women

This paper examines the intersectionality of race and gender in refugee situations, and the multiple forms of discrimination experienced by refugee women. It explores the notion of racism as a root cause of refugee generation, and the gendered nature of the refugee experience. The manner in which racism and sexism intersect to compound the human rights violations that refugee women experience is explored in the treatment of sexual violence in international and domestic law and policy; during armed conflict; in refugee camps; in countries of first asylum; and in countries of resettlement. Using a case study of one strand of refugee policy in Australia, it illustrates the impact of this discrimination on refugee women. The forthcoming World Conference against Racism offers a unique opportunity for this phenomenon to be addressed by the international community.

African Refugees: Development Aid and Repatriation

This is a collection of 12 papers on aspects of the refugee problem in Africa. first brief section provides the legal framework for defining and assisting refugees. The second section considers the lack of resources that contribute to refugee production and inadequate relief aid. Since relatively few African refugees are able to avail themselves of one permanent solution to their plight--resettlement abroad--the third section discusses the two other permanent solutions utilized--settlement in countries of first asylum and repatriation. The fourth and final section examines issues concerning refugees and the problems of economic development in Africa. (EXCERPT)

Resettlement or Repatriation: Screened-out Vietnamese Child Asylum Seekers and the Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indo-Chinese Refugees (CPA), adopted at the Geneva conference in 1989, was premised on the 'new' assumption that not everyone leaving Viet Nam was a refugee. From then on all were to be screened in order to separate those entitled to refugee status from economic migrants, with the latter being returned to Viet Nam. A special screening procedure was provided for unaccompanied minors, based not only on the usual standard of 'well-founded fear of persecution,' but also on the 'best interests' of the child and the principle of family unity. In February 1994, the screened out population included nearly a thousand unaccompanied children under the age of 18, whom countries of first asylum have been reluctant to return. With only a few voluntarily choosing to go back, many have been confined to camps and separated from their families for up to three years or more. In 1993, the UNHCR decided to give priority to the repatriation of such children, under the 'Family Reunification Operation.' Implementation began slowly, but the CPA Steering Committee recently set the end of 1994 as the target date for family reunification and repatriation of all screened-out unaccompanied minors remaining in countries of first asylum. This article analyzes their situation and the important question of non-consensual repatriation, considered from the perspective of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and focusing on the rights of children who have endured prolonged separated from their families. Among other issues, the author concludes that while the best interests of the large majority of screened out child asylum seekers require prompt repatriation and reunification, the best interests of some individual children may require an exception to the rule.

Refugee-Host Interactions: A Field Report from the Ukwimi Mozambican Refugee Settlement, Zambia

As a result of the civil war which has been raging in Mozambique for 16 years, an estimated 1.7 million Mozambican people have sought refuge in neighbouring countries and more than 3.5 million have been internally displaced (World Refugee Survey 1993:67). At present, Mozambique has the largest registered refugee population on the African continent. By the end of 1992,l.l million Mozambicans had found asylum in Malawi, more than 300,000 in South Africa1 and the KaNgwane, Gazankulu, Lebowa and KwaZulu homelands, about 264,000 in Zimbabwe, 72,000 in Tanzania, 25,000 in Zambia and 20,000 in Swaziland (ibid.). Local integration in the country of first asylum has been the only durable solution for these longterm refugees, most of them having a rural background. Rural refugees either spontaneously settle in border areas or are channelled towards assigned areas where they are regrouped, registered and assisted. Self-settled Mozambican refugees are found in border areas in Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. According to World Refugee Survey (1993), up to 130,000 Mozambicans have settled spontaneously in the Zimbabwean countryside. They are also found in the homelands of Gazankulu, KaNgwane, Lebowa and Kwazulu. Self-settled refugees create small villages or settle among the local population. They manage to integrate and survive with the assistance of local people, by gaining land from local chiefs, trading or by obtaining agricultural wage labour. They

The Vietnamese Experience in America.

Preface Acknowledgments I. The Vietnamese Entrance into America The Fall of Saigon The First and Second Waves of Refugees Subsequent Waves of Refugee Peoples Refugees and Immigrants The Countries of First Asylum The Counries of Second Asylum II. Emigration to the United States The Flight Experiences in Transit Entry and Orientation III. Initial Resettlement U.S. Resettlement Policies Community Reception Community Conflict Vietnamese Culture in America Vietamese Religious Life Vietnamese Community Organizations Mutual Assistance Associations IV. The Vietnamese-American Community Adaptation and Stabilization Cultural Continuity The Boat People The Orderly Departure Program V. Societal Integration and Adjustment Employment Occupational Characterizations and Patterns Assistance Programs and Utilization Coping and Education Transportation Housing Health Care and Cultural Values Mental Health Problems Interethnic Competition Intraethnic Competition VI. Personal Adjustments and Self-Identity Language Acquisition Family Customs and Kinship Family Size and Characteristics The Emerging Family and Economics Changing Roles with the Family Courtship, Marriage, and Family Traditions Amerasians and the Resettlement Process The Celebration of Tet VII. Contemporary Vietnamese-American Society Stability and Fluidity An Emergining Model of Adaptation Achievement in America The Outlook for the Future Appendix Notes Suggestions for Futher Reading Index Illustrations follow chapter 4.

The Concept of Country of First Asylum

The Concept of Country of First Asylum

"Resettled Refugees from Ethiopia: Who gets into the United States?"

introduction Success in flight from one's country of origin does not guarantee a secure place of refuge. Most refugees languish for years, even decades, in a neighboring country of first asylum. In general terms, relocation in the industrialized North depends upon individual initiative and application of receiving-country admission policy. This article identifies main waves of post-revolution refugees from Ethiopia who have managed to secure resettlement in the US and investigates characteristics which distinguish the admitted from their counterparts who have not moved beyond first refuge in Sudan. The First Step