Refugee Migration Research Articles

Public attitudes towards immigrants: A curious case of Croatia

AbstractThe Croatian population has been subjected to violent ethnic conflicts during the war in the 1990s and has more recently experienced large‐scale irregular and refugee migrations, as well as a notable increase in regular labour migration. Using data from the most recent wave of the European Social Survey, we have conducted an analysis of Croatian attitudes towards immigrants. Our study found that, despite Croatia's history of ethnic conflict and ongoing changes in its migration system, the Croatian population still exhibits relatively low levels of negative attitudes towards immigrants compared to other Eastern European countries. With regards to individual determinants of attitudes, one of the biggest surprizes is that political party preferences play a minor role in explaining attitudes towards immigrants. We discuss our findings and conclude that there is an urgent need for better theoretical and empirical framework for understanding illiberal tendencies in Eastern European societies, particularly within the current context of rapidly worsening security situation in Europe.

The effect of mass migration on disease transmission: Evidence from the Venezuelan refugee crisis

AbstractSince 2014, millions of Venezuelans have fled to neighboring countries. There is only one accessible land crossing along the Brazil–Venezuela border (Pacaraima) and the Brazilian highway system limits migrants to one route through the Amazon for almost 1000 km. Using this event as a quasi‐random treatment, we find that refugee migration increased malaria incidence in Pacaraima, but this was limited to individuals of Venezuelan nationality. We find no effect on Brazilians in Pacaraima or in other municipalities along the main refugee migration route. We therefore reject the hypothesis that Venezuelan refugees increased the risk of malaria among native residents.

Railway security checks at the border: between intrusive security technologies and fundamental traveller rights.

European railway borders are facing a particular exposure to security threats and need a delicate balance between securitization and free movement, especially amid globalisation, the current geopolitical landscape and increased migrant flows. For example, the war in Ukraine illustrated the challenges experienced at the Eastern EU borders by the refugee migration surge in early 2022. This exploratory focuses on the European border security control process from the rail border perspective. It encompasses a descriptive synthesis of the lessons learned from the UIC Refugee Task Force as well as insights from the ongoing EU-funded Horizon Europe project ODYSSEUS (Unobtrusive Technologies for Secure and Seamless Border Crossing for Travel Facilitation). Project ODYSSEUS aims to support the security and integrity of the European space, reduce illegal movements of people and goods across EU borders, facilitate travelling for citizens all while protecting fundamental rights of travellers. The project will test a combination of multi-behavioural and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant biometric user identity verification tools, allowing, when possible, citizens to cross EU border without any interruption or queue. Further, novel luggage and baggage checks will allow citizens' vehicles and cargos to be remotely checked at land borders to speed up the border check processes in a secure and reliable manner. The project will run three pilot tests at road, rail and water borders. In this paper, we analyse the implementation of project's technologies in the rail border crossing pilot test and discuss the implications for the actors involved in the process of railway border crossing (e.g., border authorities, railway operators and railway travellers).

Institutional Coadaptation Work: How Refugees and Provisioning Institutions Coadapt in Pursuit of Consumption Adequacy

Prior research on refugee migration documents the acculturation processes through which refugees adapt to the cultural context of the host society. In this research, the authors complement the insights from prior research by uncovering how the host society's provisioning institutions coadapt in response to the consumption adequacy needs of refugees. To understand these coadaptation practices, they gather qualitative data from low-income Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who were repatriated to India in the face of violent ethnic conflict. The data aid in theorizing the concept of institutional coadaptation work, defined as the dyadic coadaptation of refugees and a host society's provisioning institutions, to serve the consumption adequacy needs of refugees. This coadaptation perspective envisages change as a collective process in which agency is distributed among multiple actors in society. More specifically, this research provides focused policy recommendations explaining how the government, market, and community can work collaboratively to address consumption adequacy needs of refugees.

Impact of the COVID-19 and War Migration on HIV/AIDS Epidemiology in Poland.

Objectives: This study analyzed trends in HIV/AIDS in Poland over the time period of 2009-2021 and the potential impact of COVID-19 and the migration of war refugees from Ukraine. Methods: Long-term trends were assessed by joinpoint regression using data from Polish HIV/AIDS registries. The HIV/AIDS burden was also compared before and during the pandemic and refugee migration. Results: In 2009-2021, the upward tendency in the rate of new HIV infections until 2017 and decrease after 2017 was accompanied by a downward trend in new HIV/AIDS diagnoses and mortality. From the pandemic's beginning until March 2022, rates of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses dramatically decreased to later increase to pre-pandemic levels, which partially coincided with the wave of migration of refugees from Ukraine. Conclusions: Long-term analysis of HIV/AIDS in Poland showed a downward trend in new HIV/AIDS diagnoses and related mortality in 2009-2021. While the pandemic has reduced the number of detected HIV/AIDS cases, a subsequent increase in new HIV diagnoses in 2022 may be related to lifting the COVID-19 restrictions and war refugees' migration. These observations have implications for the WHO European Region, seeking to end AIDS as a public health problem by 2030.

Railway security checks at the border: between intrusive security technologies and fundamental traveller rights

Background European railway borders are facing a particular exposure to security threats and need a delicate securitization and free movement, especially amid globalisation, the current geopolitical landscape and increased migrant flows. For example, the war in Ukraine illustrated the challenges experienced at the Eastern EU borders by the refugee migration surge in early 2022. Methods This paper will focus on the European border security control process from the rail border perspective. It will encompass the lessons learned from the UIC Refugee Task Force as well as insights from the ongoing EU-funded Horizon Europe project ODYSSEUS (Unobtrusive Technologies for Secure and Seamless Border Crossing for Travel Facilitation). Project ODYSSEUS aims to support the security and integrity of the European space, reduce illegal movements of people and goods across EU borders, facilitate travelling for citizens all while protecting fundamental rights of travellers. Results The project will test a combination of multi-behavioural and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant biometric user identity verification tools, allowing citizens to cross EU border without any interruption or queue. Further, novel luggage and baggage checks will allow citizens’ vehicles and cargos to be remotely checked at land borders to speed up the border check processes in a secure and reliable manner. The project will run three pilot tests at road, rail and water borders. Conclusion In this paper, we analyse the implementation of project’s technologies in the rail border crossing pilot test and discuss the implications for the actors involved in the process of railway border crossing (e.g., border authorities, railway operators and railway travellers).

Afghan Migration Coverage Of 2023: An Analysis From Pakistan

The study has been designed to investigate the coverage of Afghan migrants in leading Newspapers of Pakistan. Afghan refugees are residing in Pakistan from the past 3 decades. The study focused on the news coverage of recent Afghan refugee migration from Pakistan following the government of Pakistan decision to send off undocumented migrants to Afghanistan. For Newspapers, daily Dawn, Daily Jang and Nawaiwaqt were selected. The studies use framing as a theoretical framework to analyze the treatment given to Afghan refugees in the selected press. The finding of the study indicates that the Nawaiwaqt gave more favorable coverage to Afghan refugees followed by Dawn and least was given by Daily Jang. While unfavorable treatment was highest in the coverage of Jang newspaper.

The burden of infectious diseases throughout and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023) and Russo-Ukrainian war migration.

Understanding how the infectious disease burden was affected throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is pivotal to identifying potential hot spots and guiding future mitigation measures. Therefore, our study aimed to analyze the changes in the rate of new cases of Poland's most frequent infectious diseases during the entire COVID-19 pandemic and after the influx of war refugees from Ukraine. We performed a registry-based population-wide study in Poland to analyze the changes in the rate of 24 infectious disease cases from 2020 to 2023 and compared them to the prepandemic period (2016-2019). Data were collected from publicly archived datasets of the Epimeld database published by national epidemiological authority institutions. The rate of most of the studied diseases (66.6%) revealed significantly negative correlations with the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections. For the majority of infectious diseases, it substantially decreased in 2020 (in case of 83%) and 2021 (63%), following which it mostly rebounded to the prepandemic levels and, in some cases, exceeded them in 2023 when the exceptionally high annual rates of new cases of scarlet fever, Streptococcus pneumoniae infections, HIV infections, syphilis, gonococcal infections, and tick-borne encephalitis were noted. The rate of Clostridioides difficile enterocolitis was two-fold higher than before the pandemic from 2021 onward. The rate of Legionnaires' disease in 2023 also exceeded the prepandemic threshold, although this was due to a local outbreak unrelated to lifted COVID-19 pandemic restrictions or migration of war refugees. The influx of war migrants from Ukraine could impact the epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases. The present analysis indicates that continued efforts are needed to prevent COVID-19 from overwhelming healthcare systems again and decreasing the control over the burden of other infectious diseases. It also identifies the potential tipping points that require additional mitigation measures, which are also discussed in the paper, to avoid escalation in the future.

Risk preferences and refugee migration to Europe: An experimental analysis

Although the large majority of Syrians fleeing the civil war remain in neighbouring or nearby countries, others embark on hazardous land or sea crossings in pursuit of the uncertain prospect of obtaining refugee status in Europe. Understanding in what ways Syrian migrants who stay in nearby countries differ from those who seek asylum in Europe can help to better target European asylum policies. We address this issue by combining two experimental databases of refugees in Egypt and Luxembourg. First, we measure original risk preferences on the Egypt sample and show that Cumulative Prospect Theory (CPT) is better suited for modelling refugee behaviour under risk than Expected Utility Theory (EUT). Second, we compare the risk preference parameters of the two samples under the CPT framework and find that, on average, refugees in Egypt are more loss averse and overweight low probabilities more than their counterparts who migrated to Luxembourg. These results suggest a possible self-selection process among refugees migrating to Europe based on their risk preferences, which challenges current policy schemes.

Shaping Strict Migrant Policies through Housing Strategies in Denmark

In Denmark, approximately one million people reside in public housing. This sector encompasses over half of all “immigrants and their descendants from non-Western countries “. Educational attainment and employment rates among public housing residents are notably lower than the na-tional average, and a significant proportion rely on transfer income (Landsbyggefonden, 2022). In 2020, the Housing and Planning Authority designated 25 public housing areas as 'disadvantaged residential areas.' According to the Ministry of Housing, these areas are beset by several chal-lenges, including higher unemployment rates, lower educational levels, increased criminal activity, a predominance of residents with only basic education, and substantially lower incomes compared to the broader population (Bolig- og Planstyrelsen, 2020). The political strategy for addressing these disadvantaged areas has significantly changed in recent years. Since 2018, the Danish parliament, supported by a broad majority, has implemented the Parallel Society Agreement (PSA). Key elements of the PSA include mandatory childcare from age one for children in these areas, a prohibition on individuals receiving transfer incomes from relocating to the most severely affected 'ghetto areas,' language assessments for children beginning in kindergarten, and a cap of no more than 40% public housing in these areas. This is to be achieved by demolishing existing public housing and developing new private properties (PSA, 2018). These regulations, unique to areas predominantly inhabited by ethnic minorities, prompt questions about whether this represents a singular approach to housing policy or a continuation of practices that have been evolving since the 1980s with the increase in labor and refugee migration. This article will demonstrate, through policy document analysis and three case studies in Denmark, how politicians and the media construct a narrative that ethnic minorities in disadvantaged housing areas, often labeled as ghetto areas, lack the desire for cultural interaction and integration with the wider Danish society. This perception paves the way for legal and administrative practices that systematically discriminate against ethnic minorities, illustrating how housing policy is intricately connected to migration policy in Denmark.

Media Framing of African Refugee Migration to Europe: An Analysis of Narrative Constructions From Selected Global Media Houses in 2023

The framing of migrants from Africa to Europe on the global media is complex and quite obscure. The manner in which media tells a story is quite critical as it has the potential to influence the discernment of the public from different parts of the world. The main goal of the study was to examine how the global media houses portrayed African migrants to Europe in 2023.This was guided by two specific objectives:To examine the global media outlets' coverage of African refugee migration to Europe and to analyze the language used by the media to describe African refugees, assessing for bias, stereotypes, or stigmatization. The study was guided by the framing theory. The study employed a qualitative method design to conduct a detailed analysis of media framing surrounding African migration to Europe. Data was collected from all the global media houses with a sampling frame from three major media houses which included: The Cable News Network (CNN), The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and the Eastern Africa. Data was analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings indicated that, how global media houses cover the migration of people from Africa to Europe exposes the intricate narrative formed by a variety of both negative and positive views. While the CNN and BBC comprise varied perspectives to the issues, The Eastern Africa gives insight into the regional circumstances surrounding the migration problem as well as the humanitarian concerns. Across all the examined media houses (CNN, BBC, The Eastern Africa), there is an inclination towards portraying the African migrants in negative light, underscoring their impact on destination states. There were instances of Bias and stereotypes that could potentially lead to stigmatization. The study recommended that there is need for balanced reporting from media houses, there needs for some ethical considerations in reporting and that media houses should mainly focus on their role of creating awareness and advocacy.

A Comprehensive Analysis of National and Supranational Approaches to Refugee Migration within the Framework of European Integration

This essay examines the European Union’s (EU) response to refugee migration, focusing on policy contributions, national approaches, and prospects for collaboration. By analyzing the 2015 European migrant crisis and the ongoing Ukrainian refugee crisis, it elucidates the complexities surrounding refugee migration in the EU. The study explores EU legislative developments, including the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, and evaluates divergent national perspectives, ideological barriers, and challenges to collaboration within the organization. It underscores the importance of solidarity and equitable burden-sharing in addressing refugee migration. Using theoretical analysis and empirical evidence, this paper offers insights into the EU’s efforts to manage refugee migration and the implications for future policymaking and collaboration.

Trends of Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Poland: Assessing the Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and War in Ukraine.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis, which is preventable by vaccination. This study analyzed trends of HAV infections in Poland according to socio-demographic features in the years 2009-2022 and assessed the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023) and the migration of war refugees from Ukraine (since February 2022). In 2009-2022, 7115 new cases of HAV infection were diagnosed in Poland, especially among men (66.4%) and in urban areas (77.4%). Infections among men were most common at the age of 25-34 (median rate 0.43 per 105) and in women aged 15-24 (median rate 0.39 per 105). Analysis of the 14-year frequency of HAV infections exhibited three trends, regardless of gender, age, and residence. The infections revealed a downward trend in 2009-2014, increased significantly in 2014-2018, and decreased again after 2018. A particularly rapid increase in HAV infections occurred between March 2017 and February 2018 (median rate 0.79 per 105). The high level of new infections persisted until the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, at which point it dropped significantly but did not reach the level recorded before March 2017. During the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 dominance period, the median rate of HAV infections was 0.053 per 105, with a four-fold increase being observed from February 2022 (when the migration of war refugees from Ukraine began) to August 2022. The presented results can serve as a reference point for further observations in Central Europe. The HAV epidemiological situation is unlikely to escalate in Poland but requires further monitoring.

How regional attitudes towards immigration shape the chance to obtain asylum: Evidence from Germany

Abstract Asylum recognition rates in advanced democracies differ not only across states but also vary within them, translating into fluctuating individual chances to obtain protection. Existing studies on the determinants of these regional inequities typically rely on aggregate data. Utilizing a German refugee survey and leveraging a quasi-natural experiment arising from state-based allocation rules tied to national dispersal policies, we test two explanations for the perplexing regional differences. Drawing on principal–agent models of administrative decision-making, we test whether asylum decision-makers consciously or unconsciously comply with regional political preferences between 2015 and 2017 in Germany, one of the major European destination countries for refugee migration. We furthermore explore whether such biased decision-making amplifies in times of organizational stress as suggested by the statistical discrimination theory. Using mixed-effects logistic regressions, our analyses confirm a lower approval probability in regions with more immigration-averse residents or governments. We cannot confirm, however, that this association is mediated by high workloads or large knowledge gaps. Our results thus suggest that regional political biases affect the individual chance of asylum-seekers to obtain protection irrespective of temporal administrative conditions.

Managing forced migration: Overt and covert policies to limit the influx of Ukrainian refugees

AbstractThe Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in massive refugee migration. In this article we consider how the European Union (EU) and the United States have so far managed this influx of people. For reasons explained in the article, the EU is more focused on humanitarian aid, while the United States is especially engaged through military aid. The EU and the United States have historically employed both overt and covert means of limiting refugee migration, and this has been especially the case with migrants of color. Ukrainian refugees have no problem entering EU countries and receiving help (work permits, housing, etc.), while the United States uses various ways that make entry into the United States fairly complicated and thus contain Ukrainian migration (e.g., difficulty filling out applications, finding a sponsor in the United States).

The Social, Economic, and International Relations Impact of the 2023 Israel-Hamas War

Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023, is not the first of its type. The Israeli-Palestine tension can be traced back to 1947 following the UN Partition Plan that divided the British Mandate of Palestine into Jewish and Arab Nations. Following Britain’s withdrawal from the Peninsula, the Jewish leaders declared the State of Israel, sparking the first Arab-Israeli conflict and this tension has worsened over the years. We use Thomas Hobbes's Social Contract to explain the tension between both parties. According to Hobbes, man lives in a State of Nature which is characterized by war and the continuous fear of death. This fear of death is the reason why man enters into a contract (Social Contract). There have been diverse schools of thought as to the origin of the Israeli-Palestine tension. Some believe it is the 1947 UN Partition Plan, others believe it is the June 1967 war, while others believe it is religion. Regardless of the original cause, it is evident that both parties have retained severe casualties over the years. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to review the economic, social, and international relations consequences of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. The current war has had several social consequences: refugee migrations, lack of basic survival necessities, withdrawal of medical aid groups, starving refugees, desolated cities, and allegations of rape and sexual torture. Economically, the war has led to the loss of income from economic activities, an increase in oil prices, reignited inflation, high-interest rates, increased government expenditures, and exchange rates. It has also impacted international relations among nations due to a split in support between Israel and Palestine. Nevertheless, there is an allowance for further study because this paper is limited only to the social, economic, and international relations impact of the war.

Revisiting Punjab’s Transformative Journey, 1947-1966: An Appraisal

"Punjab, often referred to as the 'Land of five rivers,' has been a significant player in shaping India's historical narrative, leaving an enduring mark on its trajectory. This imprint stems from the courageous and patriotic endeavours of the people of Punjab, who have etched out a distinctive place for themselves. A comprehensive study of its people becomes imperative to comprehend the nuanced dynamics of Punjab's history. This involves delving into their historical, cultural, and religious roots and understanding their political legacy. The year 1947 marked India's liberation from British rule, coinciding with a partition based on the two-nation theory. Punjab bore a heavy toll during this partition, experiencing substantial human and territorial losses. The partition's catastrophic aftermath overshadowed the jubilation of independence for Punjab. Post-partition, Punjab portrayed a sombre and bleak landscape, with the migration of refugees significantly altering the communal composition of the region. This migration upheaved the administrative, economic, and political structures, introducing many complex challenges. The division of Punjab along communal lines generated a palpable sense of indignation and frustration among the Sikh community. The expectations of establishing a Sikh State in independent India, fervently supported by Sikh, Congress, and Hindu leaders, remained unfulfilled. Perceiving an unequal distribution of territory between Hindus and Muslims, the Sikhs advocated for a Punjabi Suba. In their pursuit of this objective, the Akali Dal employed diverse strategies. This culminated in the reorganisation of Punjab on March 21, 1966, leading to its further trifurcation."

Revisiting Punjab’s Transformative Journey: 1947 to 1966

Punjab, the “Land of five rivers”, has played a major role in the history of India and had left a deep imprint on the course of Indian History. This imprint on Indian History is due to the people of Punjab, who through their courage and patriotism have carved out an important place for themselves. To understand the nature and dynamics of Punjab history in its true perspective, it is important to study the people of Punjab; their historical, cultural and religious background and their political heritage. In 1947, India got Independence from the British rule and at the same time it was partitioned on the on the basis of two nation theory. In this partition Punjab had to pay a heavy price both in term of human and territorial loss. The joy and achievement of independence for Punjab was marred by the holocaust of partition. After partition Punjab presented a very gloomy and downright dismal picture. Migration of refugees significantly altered the communal composition of Indian Punjab. It also shook the administrative, economic and political machinery of the province to its foundation and brought in its wake a host complicated problems. The division of Punjab on communal lines spread a sense of indignation and frustration among the Sikhs because the hopes of creating a Sikh State in Independent India rose by the Sikh leaders and supported by the congress and Hindu leaders had not been fulfilled. The Sikhs felt that they had been given a raw deal in the distribution of territory between the Hindus and the Muslims giving the expression to this feeling hence the demand for a Punjabi Suba was made and in its struggle for the achievement of Punjabi Suba, the Akali Dal employed a variety of strategies, due to which on 21st March 1966 reorganization of the Punjab took place and Punjab was further trifurcated.

Rohingya Crisis In Bangladesh: Causes, Consequences And Remedies

Bangladesh, a nation marked by its dense population, continues to wrestle with multifaceted challenges even 52 years after gaining independence while navigating the sophistications of development. Among these challenges, the pressing issue of the Rohingya people's plight takes center stage, with various forms of oppression, including mass killings, executions, forced labor, deportation, and the denial of fundamental human rights, rendering them stateless. This study seeks to dissect the roots of the Rohingya crisis and explore its repercussions on Bangladesh. Employing an exploratory research approach, data from secondary sources were qualitatively analyzed using content analysis to discern underlying themes and patterns. The findings reveal that the Rohingya crisis is primarily driven by the lack of documentation, the rise of authoritarianism, and a complex religious landscape. Additionally, the paper identifies social, economic, and environmental challenges as direct consequences of refugee migration in Bangladesh. These insights hold significant implications for policymakers and practitioners actively involved in addressing the Rohingya crisis. Offering a comprehensive analysis, the study also proposes practical policy recommendations grounded in the specific context of the crisis, aiming for tangible applications in real-world scenarios.

Mass migration governance and openness toward refugees: Comparing Germany and Turkey

AbstractThis study seeks answers to the question: ‘Under what conditions do communities with migration experience in refugee‐receiving states become more open toward accepting more refugees and why?’. The research seeks answers to this question by examining the attitudes of individuals (N = 37) from Turkey who have been living in Germany for at least a year and who have sufficient familiarity with the characteristics of governance of mass migration in both countries. The findings suggest that the respondents are more pessimistic about the consequences of Turkey accepting more refugees in the future, while they are optimistic about the outcomes of the arrival of more refugees in Germany. This study posits that receiving communities' perceptions about the host state's regulatory and institutional capacity in managing mass migration and integration of refugees shape their attitudes toward the possibility of the influx of more refugees over time. The findings indicate that efficient mass migration governance in a receiving state is identified through four characteristics: (i) admission of educated refugees, (ii) proper refugee registration procedures, (iii) systematic integration processes, and (iv) effective monitoring and law enforcement mechanisms. The study concludes that local communities view public authorities as the key actors in managing the consequences of mass migration and establishing and sustaining good mass migration governance at the receiving state level is likely to facilitate positive attitudes towards accepting more refugees.