Displaced Persons Research Articles

Association between forced displacement and cigarette smoking among Colombian adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective To establish the relationship between forced displacement and cigarette consumption among high-school students in Colombia. Methods A cross-sectional study was designed with the participation of high-school students (10th and 11th grade in Colombia) under 18 years of age. The crude and adjusted relationship (odds ratios) between internal forced displacement and cigarette consumption during the last month was established. It was adjusted for covariates (age, gender, educational level, and income) and confounding variables (depression and family dysfunction). Results 1,462 students between the ages of 13 and 17 participated (M = 15.98; SD = 0.83); 60.33% were women, 55.34% were in tenth grade, and 49.59% lived in low-income neighborhoods. A total of 113 (7.73%) students reported forced displacement, 103 (7.05%) reported depression, 1,112 (76.06%) scored for family dysfunction, and 149 (10.19%) students reported last-month cigarette consumption. After adjusting for covariates and confounding variables, forced internal displacement and cigarette smoking showed a statistically significant association (OR = 2.48, 95%CI 1.47–4.21). Conclusions A statistically significant relationship between forced displacement and last-month cigarette smoking among Colombian adolescents is observed. It is necessary to investigate other social determinants related to adolescent cigarette smoking.

Who Feels Safe? Uncertain Futures and Enduring Aspirations in Italy

ABSTRACT In an attempt of going beyond a simple opposition between those conceived as agents and those seen as subjects of disciplinary power, this article engages with a reflection on differential states of precariousness and (un)safety, which involve both ‘forced migrants’ and ‘citizens’. Drawing on ethnographic research in Milan (Italy), I outline some recent institutional changes in the Italian asylum system, which led to the political abandonment of refugees in situations of increasing marginalisation, but also to the layoff of several frontline asylum workers, who were often young people hit by the consequences of economic recession. Through the words and biographical trajectories of three young women (two asylum workers and one refugee), I trace the emergence of contested temporal and work experiences, marked by widespread feelings of uncertainty and devaluation. I approach empirically the idea of (un)safety as a material and bodily condition and as an emotional state, directly linked to the perceived possibility of being able to orient oneself towards the future. By zooming in on differential experiences of (un)safety and precariousness – but also on enduring aspirations – I aim at documenting the material and affective entanglements of acts of government, as well as their inherent potential for empowerment and transformation.

Internally Displaced Persons and Socio-territorial Integration in the Commune of Kaya in Burkina Faso: A Sustainable Solution Study

Burkina Faso, previously spared from destabilization of all kinds, suffered its first terrorist acts in April 2015 in Samorogouan. These first terrorist acts were followed by several others that led to the forced internal displacement of nearly 2,000,000 people. These IDPs have chosen 301 municipalities spread across the 13 regions of the country as destinations for refuge. The main objective of this study is to analyse the living conditions and socio-territorial integration of IDPs and durable solutions to address the crisis of forced internal displacement in the commune of Kaya. The research methodology consisted of conducting a literature review on the study topic, collecting primary data through field surveys, interviews and direct observations in the study area. The results of this study show that IDPs in Kaya commune face precarious living conditions. On the other hand, their conditions for socio-territorial integration are good in view of the cordial relations that the IDPs maintain with the host populations of the commune. In addition, durable solutions to address the forced internal displacement crisis include the resettlement of IDPs in other parts of the country, return to areas of origin and integration in IDP-hosting areas. These solutions could address forced internal displacement and address those affected. This would facilitate the reintegration or socio-territorial integration of IDPs either in their areas of origin or in their reception areas.

Pediatric Support for Children Eligible for Legal Humanitarian Relief.

Many children in immigrant families may qualify for legal protection-for themselves if unaccompanied, or as a derivative on parents' claims-on humanitarian grounds related to persecution or forced migration. Pediatric providers can offer a spectrum of multidirectional medical-legal supports to increase access to medical-legal services and support children who are undocumented or in mixed-status families. These activities can include providing trusted information, incorporating screening for health-related social needs, establishing networks for multidirectional referrals, and providing letters of support for legal protection. To expand workforce capacity for medical-legal services related to immigration, pediatric providers can also receive training to conduct specialized, trauma-informed forensic evaluations and can advocate at individual, local, state, federal, and global levels to address factors leading to persecution and forced migration while supporting individuals who may be eligible for legal protection. [Pediatr Ann. 2024;53(5):e183-e188.].

“CLIMBING IS MY WEAPON” – A PSYCHOSOCIAL BOULDERING INTERVENTION FOR ADOLESCENTS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF ADOLESCENTS IN LEBANON

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Previous research highlights the positive effects of physical activity, also climbing therapy, on mental health, including benefits on depression and self-esteem. Recognising the mental health challenges faced by young people in Lebanon, particularly in the context of multiple crises and forced displacement, this interventional study explores the benefits of a psychosocial climbing programme in eastern Lebanon. METHODS In collaboration with the non-profit organisation ClimbAID, this waitlist-controlled, partially randomised, mixed-methods study examines the effects of an eight-week psychosocial bouldering group intervention on overall mental well-being, levels of psychological distress, self-efficacy and social cohesion among a group of host and refugee youth in the Bekaa Valley. Qualitative interviews with 40 participants provide insights into their experiences, lessons learned and subjective outcomes. The intervention, delivered by 2 trained facilitators and up to 2 volunteers, took place weekly for 2 hours with groups of up to 12 young people. RESULTS With 233 participants, the trial had a dropout rate of approximately 33%. The intervention group showed significant improvements in overall mental well-being and psychological distress compared with the waitlist groups. Group allocation was the only significant predictor of improved mental well-being, in addition to baseline scores. While no significant differences in self-efficacy and social cohesion were observed, qualitative analysis revealed that participants highly valued the non-judgmental approach, highlighting significant benefits in interpersonal relationships and mental well-being. CONCLUSION In the challenging humanitarian context of forced displacement, the psychosocial bouldering intervention effectively enhanced well-being and reduced psychological distress among host and refugee youth in Bekaa, Lebanon. As a group intervention, bouldering emerges as a valuable option for supporting host and refugee populations in low-income countries.

“A Bloody Migrant Who Thinks He Can Run a Union”: The Case of Jerzy Bielski, a Migrant Trade Unionist in 1950s Australia

Jerzy Bielski, a Polish displaced person (DP) who resettled in Australia in 1949, was the first post-war migrant to work for an Australian trade union. He was recruited in 1951 by the Australian Workers Union (AWU) as a migrant unionist and, some years later, established his own migrant trade union: the New Citizens Council. The council faced heavy criticism from within the trade union movement, including by right-wing DPs who, acting as Cold War warriors, were instrumental in the Labor Party split in the mid-1950s. Ultimately, this article argues that migrant trade union activism has a longer post-war history than is commonly acknowledged.

Sohbet

Sohbet (conversation) is a weekly, informal, religious-learning gathering that has been conducted by members of the Islamic Hizmet/Gülen Movement since its inception. The movement was established in Turkey in 1966 by Fethullah Gülen and his followers. It has evolved into a transnational social movement through educational, dialogical, and humanitarian aid/entrepreneurial activities. The movement was held responsible by the Turkish government for the so-called coup attempt in 2016. Tens of thousands of members fled, and the movement’s centre of gravity shifted from Turkey to the diaspora. This ethnographic research project addresses the transformations within the movement during the diaspora phase. Focusing on a female sohbet group in Helsinki, I investigate the participants’ understandings of sohbet and how the sohbet has evolved since 2016. Thematic analysis reveals three predominant themes for understanding: socialization, belonging to a community, and a quest for piety. This article illustrates that sohbet is a space for religious learning, social interactions, and affirming a shared identity that shapes the hizmet habitus. Furthermore, sohbet revitalized the hizmet habitus following the forced migration. This study contributes to the existing literature on the sohbet by investigating it post-migration. Simultaneously, it contributes to studies on religious movements and how migration affects them.

Corruption and Good Governance in Africa: A Hermeneutical Analysis

Human beings are social and communal animals and cannot but live in an ordered society and have interactive relationships, hence good governance, which is essential for their well-being and development. This fact grounds their forming governmental apparatus to coordinate the things that are common to them; otherwise, violence and warfare may continue unabated. Good governance does not just happen. Those elected or appointed into positions of governance need to be effective, efficient and exhibit an ethical character to ensure that the good life constitutive of the promotion of human rights, provision of social facilities, and all that provide a better life for the people are in place. In the African continent, many of those in governance, instead of working for the public good to ensure a better life for their citizens, serve their private and parochial interests to the detriment of the welfare of the people by engaging in massive corruption. Corruption, especially political and public, has grave effects on the economy and the lives of the people all over the continent. Massive corruption has siphoned public funds for development projects and lodged them in foreign banks. This has led to poverty and underdevelopment, weakened sustainable development goals, caused youth restiveness, led to forced migration, poor environmental growth, and loss of millions of lives. Problematized in this paper is a continent endowed and blessed with natural and human resources but remains the poorest, most undeveloped continent in the world because of corruption. The paper used hermeneutics and critical analytic methods to examine corruption as an impediment to good governance in Africa. The hermeneutics method was used to interpret, decipher, and highlight the importance of this work’s principal concepts. The critical-analytic method was used to rationalize the arguments. The paper found that massive corruption is decimating the continent and that there is a need to combat it to ensure good governance. It concluded that combating corruption will help create a better continent where people enjoy a good life and democratic entitlements

Editorial: Beyond Terrorism and Sexual Slavery: Dynamics of armed conflicts, trafficking, and forced migration

This Editorial introduces a Special Issue of Anti-Trafficking Review on the theme of armed conflicts and their relationships with and impact on human trafficking, forced migration, and exploitation. It provides an overview of the literature on this theme, which has primarily focused on terrorism and sexual slavery. It then outlines the articles in the Special Issue, which expand our understanding of the topic by adding nuances to the experiences of people who flee, or choose to remain in, conflict-affected areas.

Strategies to Prevent Violence Against Children in the Home: A Systematic Review of Reviews.

Violence against children (VAC) in the home, or by household members, is a human rights and social problem with long-lasting consequences for individuals and society. Global policy instruments like the INSPIRE package have proposed strategies to prevent VAC, including Implementation and enforcement of laws, Norms and values, Safe environments, Parent and caregiver support, Income and economic strengthening, Response and support services, and Education and life skills. This systematic review of reviews aimed to synthesize the recent evidence base (i.e., published since 2000) for each INSPIRE strategy to reduce VAC in the home or by household members. We searched four databases using controlled vocabularies and keywords and searched for additional records in prior reviews of reviews. A total of 67 studies were included in this review, including literature reviews, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and other types of reviews. We found extensive evidence supporting the effectiveness of parent and caregiver support interventions. However, reviews on other INSPIRE strategies were scarce. We also found a vast underrepresentation of samples from low- and- middle-income countries, children with disabilities, and families affected by forced displacement and conflict. In sum, this systematic review suggests that there are several promising strategies to prevent VAC (e.g., home visiting and parent education), but further research is necessary to strengthen the current body of evidence and effectively inform the implementation and scale-up of evidence-based interventions to protect children from violence globally.

SOCIAL AND PEDAGOGICAL PROBLEMS OF REFUGEE/IDP STUDENTS UNDER BLOCKADE

Forced displacement or forced migration causes physiological and psychological stress that negatively impacts the physical, emotional well-being and education of refugee/IDP students. The purpose of the article is to identify the socio-pedagogical difficulties faced by refugee/IDP students. The research was conducted under blockade conditions from December 2022 to June 2023 in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Methods: A mixed-type research method was used (quantitative survey, qualitative interview, focus groups, observation) among refugee/IDP students, their parents, as well as their teachers, and the results were processed using expert research, historical, comparative analysis. The results of the study confirm that forced displacement is the main cause of cognitive, behavioral, motivational, consumer, and communicative difficulties among forcibly displaced students. 69.6% of refugee/IDP students believe that after forced displacement they began to study worse, and among the problems that trouble them, respondents noted longing and nostalgia for home (62%), which is an endemic phenomenon. Interestingly, the majority of parents (74.2%) believe that their children's school performance has declined due to displacement. And the absolute majority of teachers (72.2%) characterize the weak initiative and passivity of refugee/IDP students. They have psycho-pedagogical problems: learning difficulties, neurotic reactions, phobias, sleep/appetite disorders, and behavioral disorders due to traumatic shock.

Recognizing the agency of forced migrants with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics

Abstract In recent years, scholarship and policy reports have slowly attended to the lived realities of forced migrants with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). However, these emerging discourses are typically characterized by a violation-centric view that focuses on queer migrants’ vulnerabilities and experiences of victimization. Yet, what remains strikingly absent from existing research and advocacy engagement is how refugees with diverse SOGIESC across different settings also actively seek out services and build support networks; how they engage with their experiences on their own terms; how they resist violence; or in other words, how they exercise various forms of agency. In this field reflection, we emphasize the importance to recognize how and under what conditions forced migrants with diverse SOGIESC exercise agency. We put forward illustrative examples based on field reflections of working with refugees with diverse SOGIESC, opening up new perspectives for research, policy, and activism.

Соціально-економічні виклики інтеграції та просторового розподілу внутрішньо переміщених осіб унаслідок війни

The full-scale Russian military aggression against Ukraine launched on February 24, 2022 has led to a massive flow of forced migrants, both external and internal, which is unprecedented and the most massive forced displacement in Europe since World War II. So far, there is a significant inequality of attention to the socio-economic needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, because most activities of international institutions and scientific attention are devoted to the needs and study of refugees, while the needs of IDPs are often “ignored” or understudied in terms of disproportionate spatial distribution of IDPs, challenges of integration into host communities, problems of consolidation of IDPs and local population, etc. The analysis of the existing body of literature on Ukrainian IDPs showed that the study of their current socio-economic situation, problems with integration into host communities and features of spatial distribution is poorly represented for the period of a full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war against the background of a huge body of pre-2022 literature. Taking into account such an insignificant body of literature on post-2022 Ukrainian IDPs, the main tasks of this study are twofold: (1) to fill the gap and expand the spectrum of knowledge about the current socio-economic situation of Ukrainian IDPs and the key problems of their integration into host communities in the conditions of a full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war; (2) analyze positive and negative international practices of IDP integration and develop recommendations for Ukraine. This article is devoted to the analysis of trends and the identification of the main socio-economic challenges of the integration and spatial distribution of Ukrainian IDPs, as well as the development of proposals for using their migration potential for the resilient development of Ukraine and host communities. The novelty of the research lies in the highlighting of positive and negative international practices of IDP integration and, as a result, the necessity of forming long-term solutions regarding the urgent socio-economic needs of Ukrainian IDPs and their spatial placement is emphasized. The dataset of the study was formed on the basis of data from reports of various international organizations and data from official state statistics. To achieve the goal of the article, quantitative methods are used, in particular, descriptive statistics and ranking. It was established that in the global context, Ukraine ranks third in the world by the number of IDPs, and their number is almost 6 million people (7 times more than before the full-scale Russian invasion), which definitely impacts the course of global migration processes. In the national context, it was found that the pattern of the spatial distribution of IDPs within the country indicates that most IDPs gravitate to the regions where the role of the regional centre is performed by one of the five metropolises of Ukraine (not including temporarily occupied Donetsk) — Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro and Lviv, which are powerful socio-economic centres and flagships of the country’s settlement system. It was found that the biggest challenges for the socioeconomic integration of IDPs into host communities are high unemployment, financial difficulties in meeting basic needs, housing problems, social stigmatization, as well as conflicts between IDPs and the population of host communities. The analysis showed that the current situation with Ukrainian IDPs requires from the government of Ukraine and the authorities of the host communities not short-term, but longterm solutions to the urgent problems of IDPs: in particular, social housing and proper housing conditions, social protection, avoiding shameful international practices of spatial placement of IDPs and much more.

Вірогідні наслідки євроінтеграції для розвитку міграційних процесів в Україні

Population losses caused by the war, in particular forced migration abroad, are an obvious challenge to the stability of Ukraine, and can become a serious brake on its post-war recovery and development. Future EU membership carries with it the risk of further departure of citizens who will have the right to live, work, and study freely on the territory of a united Europe. In order to find adequate answers to possible problems in a timely manner, it is necessary to try to identify the most likely direction of the development of the migration situation in the context of European integration, which is the purpose of this article. Its novelty lies in the substantiation of the possible volumes of migration, its dynamics, composition and consequences under the influence of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. The analysis is based on the most widely used theoretical approaches to explaining migration, data on intra-European migration movements after previous EU enlargements, as well as the migration experience of Ukrainians in recent decades. When processing factual and analytical material, historical, logical, comparative methods, the method of scientific abstraction are used. Both theoretical considerations and actual data indicate a natural short-term intensification of migration of the population of the countries joining the EU. As a result of the war, the destruction of the economy, unemployment and impoverishment of the population, the exodus from Ukraine may be even larger. Additional ground for such an assumption is the experience of labor migration, which has been used by Ukrainians since the 1990s as a strategy for survival in crisis conditionst. At the same time, joining the EU, as it was proven by previous enlargements, contributes to the increase of labor productivity, the activation of the economy, the inflow of foreign investments and, as a result, the gradual increase of wages and the welfare of the population, which in the context of migration reduces the motivation to leave and determines the return. Citizens of Ukraine, as a democratic state, will independently decide whether to stay in the country, leave it or return to its territory. At the same time, the state can provide institutional and informational support to migrants, protect the interests of its citizens abroad, and create conditions for return. The development of migration policy taking into account the perspective of Ukraine’s accession to the EU is extremely relevant not only from a scientific, but also from a practical point of view.

Women's Lives and Voices in Conflict Situations Matter: A Study of Farmer-Herder Conflict in Agogo Traditional Area, Ghana.

This study examines Agogo Traditional Area (ATA) women's well-being during farmer-herder conflicts. It emphasizes women's voices, and survival mechanisms in conflict resolution. A gendered dimension to the farmer-herder conflict in the ATA is essential to a more lasting resolution in the afflicted area. Qualitative data from semistructured interviews and Focus Group Discussions with ATA women shows how the conflict affected them. Themes were created to clarify and frame the discussions. The themes included safety and security, destruction of crops, death and forced migration, and impact on infrastructure. Civil society organizations addressing violence should offer psychosocial help to women victims in conflict areas in Ghana.

The right to freedom of movement during a wartime

The right to freedom of movement is a fundamental human right, which is accepted as the ability of everyone to move and freely choose their place of residence, freely leave any country, including their own. In the conditions of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, there is a need to reconsider the permanent approaches to understanding the essence of this right and its key aspects.
 It was determined that the consequences of the full-scale invasion became a trigger for one of the most massive migration flows from Ukraine to other states, in particular to the countries of the European Union. This has caused a certain easing in the aspect of the procedure for traveling abroad and has permitted people to leave Ukraine without documents for traveling abroad.
 It is justified that the right to freedom of movement is not absolute and, accordingly, may be subject to restrictions, which, nevertheless, must meet the requirements of legality, proportionality of such restrictions, and the legitimacy of their purpose. Thus, freedom of movement may be restricted, in particular, in territories where a state of war or emergency has been imposed, as well as in temporarily occupied territories. It was established that in order to prevent the violation of the right to freedom of movement, a number of measures are taken, including, in particular, the inspection of regulatory legal acts for the presence of corruption risks, which is carried out by the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption.
 It has been analyzed that possible violations of the right to freedom of movement, in particular cases of forced relocation of Ukrainian citizens to the territory of the aggressor state, may constitute crimes punishable by the International Criminal Court. It was determined that there is a need to reclassify such acts from a crime against humanity to a crime of genocide in view of the focus of the aggressor state on the concrete and intentional destruction of the Ukrainian national group.

International legal aspects of regulation of forced migration

The article examines the peculiarities of the legal regulation of the international legal regulation of forced migration and the determination of prospects for its development. The opinion is expressed that the emergence of new technical means and methods of production, means of communication, changes in the social sphere of states, deformation of the geopolitical space and many other factors of a socio-economic and political nature caused the growth of migration flows in the world. It has been established that the state policy in the field of population migration is designed to ensure the regulation of population migration movements, overcoming their negative consequences both for the international community, each country in general, and each migrant in particular.
 It is noted that the Universal Mechanism for the Protection of the Rights of Forced Migrants is based on the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951 and the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees of 1967. In addition, it is emphasized that an important role in ensuring the international protection of refugees and asylum seekers is also played by the Recommendations acts adopted within individual UN bodies, as well as other universal documents supplementing the specified legal array.
 Based on the analysis of scientific points of view and legislation, the author comes to the conclusion that the main norms of international and regional acts in the field of forced migration, which serve as guidelines for domestic systems of legislation and law enforcement, as well as for global tools for solving the problems of forced migration in general, are the principles non-discrimination, non-refoulement, family unity, interstate cooperation, international solidarity and observance of the best interests of the child. The need to create effective mechanisms for the implementation of international legal documents in the field of forced migration, to strengthen the international responsibility of states, and to determine the optimal methods of final or long-term solutions to the refugee problem was noted.

Doomed at Sea? Maritime Spaces and the Jewish Refugee Crisis in the 1930s

ABSTRACT This article provides new insights into the history of forced migration during the Nazi regime by investigating the maritime space of the ‘ship’ and its inscribed notions and perceptions in times of persecution and oppression. It highlights the various functions and transformations of the ‘ship’, but also analyses the conflicting social, political and economic interests of the different protagonists. Using the ships Königstein and Caribia as case studies, the paper opens up new perspectives on the processes of Jewish forced migration and illustrates the importance of maritime spaces for a better understanding of the Jewish refugee crisis in the 1930s.

“Our moon has these blood clots, and it is no use hiding them”: In conversation with Rahul Pandita

ABSTRACT Rahul Pandita is an acclaimed Indian writer and journalist. He is a 2015 Yale World Fellow, and the author of multiple bestselling non-fiction books, including Hello, Bastar: The Untold Story of India’s Maoist Movement (2011) and Our Moon Has Blood Clots: The Exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits (2013). He is known chiefly for his reportage on Maoist insurgencies in central and eastern India and the issues pertaining to Kashmiri Pandits in Northern India. His works focus on violence, displacement, and life for those with experience of forced migration. Our Moon Has Blood Clots is one of the first books to portray the events of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus and its aftermath. This conversation focuses on Pandita’s perspective on his writings and the plight of the exiled Kashmiri Pandits. It also covers the trauma experienced by the community, especially in exile, and the question of their approach towards a better future.

Navigating the legal liminalities of a de facto state: Migrant precarity and placeholder identity papers in Northern Cyprus

Abstract This article studies the contested legal–political dynamics around forced migration flows to and through an unrecognized state: the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). We adopt an analytical perspective drawn from the literature on performative politics and the legal anthropology of documents to explore how migration dynamics interact with the contested legal status of the TRNC. Our two main questions are: What practical shape do the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers take in an interstitial legal space, where the foundation of law is itself subject to ambiguity, suspension, and contestation? And what implications—opportunities and hazards—does this constellation have for refugees and asylum-seekers? Drawing on interviews, lived experience and fieldwork observations, we make two arguments. First, we contend that the interstitial status of the TRNC represents both an opportunity for refugees and a threat. Secondly, we argue that a purely legal or technical understanding of legal identity and concurrent rights is inadequate; we must subject these phenomena to a politically informed analysis of the everyday practices through which legal norms and spaces are continuously shaped and reshaped.