Displaced Refugees Research Articles

Changes in Greek Attitudes and Policies Towards Refugee Reception Between 2020 and 2024

The study examines changes in policies and attitudes related to refugee reception and survival migration in Greece between 2020 and 2024. We analysed the changes in migration policy in Greece during the 2020-2021 pandemic, the situation in refugee camps and the government’s response measures. Putting the information together, we can see that Greece has been handling refugees and migrants in accordance with international and EU standards. Greece is constantly improving conditions in refugee camps and improving life security. By understanding the situation of Greece’s reception of refugees from war-torn countries in the Middle East from 2023 to 2024, we can also understand that Greece has linked its policy on refugee immigration with its national conditions, striving for mutual benefit, and providing assistance to displaced refugees as much as possible. The study sorted out and analysed the refugee migration policies and government measures in Greece from 2019 to 2024, and more directly compared the changes in Greek policies and laws under different challenges. At the same time, we also analyse the impact of these changes from a sociological perspective.

Impact of Forced Relocation and Community Integration on Household Well-being of Urban Refugees in Kenya

Forced displacement is a global issue that affects millions of people all over the world. Refugees are forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, or other forms of violence. The majority of refugees often end up in urban areas, where they face numerous challenges, including social exclusion, limited access to basic services, and economic marginalization. This study examines the relationship between forced displacement, social cohesion, and household welfare outcomes of urban refugees in Kenya. The study utilized household data on urban refugees in Kenya sourced from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), 2020 [85], and, the Kenya Continuous Household Survey (KCHS), 2019 [41]. The study estimates were regressed using the Ordinary Least Squares method and diagnostic tests were done to determine the accuracy of the estimates. The study found that an additional member in an urban refugee household led to an asset increment of 6.7%. The study further found that an additional habitable dwelling in an urban refugee household increased family assets by 71.9%. Utilization of mobile banking services, having nuclear members abroad, and participation in community-based organizations also had a positive impact on family asset accumulation in a refugee household. The study also found that utilization of mobile money transfer (M-PESA), negatively influenced family assets. This study contributes to the literature on Urban refugees as it gives insights into factors that can improve welfare and enhance social cohesion between refugees and host communities in Kenya. Gaps have also been identified in the mandate of UNHCR beyond the camps and the role of the Kenyan Government in urban housing programs for refugees.

The Displacement Economies Framework

Protracted displacement of refugees and IDPs (internally displaced people) is one of the most critical humanitarian problems today. Legislation often prohibits refugees’ rights to work, move beyond camps, or attain citizenship, while IDPs lack access to security and services. New approaches are urgently needed to overcome barriers to economic integration of displaced people’s livelihoods and enterprise as a stepping-stone to broader social integration. Drawing on refugee, development and informality literatures, this paper proposes a new Displacement Economies Framework, a theoretical and programming tool that helps bridge the humanitarian-development divide and highlight the agency and collective economic contribution of displaced people.

‘Hosting refugees is the most rewarding experience’: migrant identity and affective positioning in curated NGO stories

ABSTRACT This study explores positive migrant storytelling in non-governmental organizations’ advocacy campaigns. We focus on the practices and implications of leveraging storytelling towards charity organizations’ institutional goals. Drawing upon critical discourse studies and narrative studies, we propose a critical storytelling approach that pays attention to the specific nature of storytelling as a discourse practice in itself. We focus on a UNHCR human-interest story of refugee displacement and subsequent integration into the UK. We employ the heuristic concept of positioning that calls for analysis at different, though interrelated levels of narrative activity, to explore how affect is mobilized and the specific identity categories and affect types that are created for migrants and their hosts. We then situate these identity positions in wider dominant discourses of migrant integration. We show that the story foregrounds emblematic refugees, worthy of hosts’ support as well as relationships of dependence between migrants and the host society as requisites to successful integration. We argue that the ways in which an individual refugee story gets mobilized as an exemplary story reveals canonized forms of positive migrant storytelling emerging in the UK context that end up invoking dominant power asymmetries in relation to migration and British integration.

Progression of Employment and Livelihoods Policies and Regulations for the Protracted Displacement of Refugees in Host Countries: Syrian Refugees in Jordan as a Case Study

Objectives: Three major research questions have been raised in this study to explain issues related to the employment and livelihood for Syrian refugees in Jordan and their experience to the existing employment and livelihood policies and regulations. Methods: To do so, the quantitative survey has been conducted with 390 respondents and qualitative interviews with 5 respondents to derive an outcome of the study. Results: The study concluded that the livelihood and employment of Syrian refugees in Jordan is a difficult problem that involves several different aspects. Conclusions: To address these difficulties, there will need to be a concerted and ongoing effort by the Jordanian government, as well as from international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and players from the private sector.

Forced Displacement Situation Awareness with Large Language Models: Ukrainian Refugees in Poland Case Study

We evaluated the utility of the large language model (LLM) ChatGPT to develop situation awareness related to the forced displacement of Ukrainian refugees into Poland. Utilizing text messages derived from the Help for Ukrainians in Poland Telegram message group, we used ChatGPT to translate messages in multiple languages into English and identify message topics and themes. Topics and themes from beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022 were analyzed and visualized using K-means clustering and word clouds. The language identification and translation capabilities of the LLM were evaluated by two human evaluators and measured using Kappa (0.86) and BLUE scores (0.46) with the LLM performing effectively. We conclude that the ability of LLM using carefully developed language prompts for large data volume analysis with no need for manual human analysis shows promise for humanitarian analytics focused on rapidly identifying potential key trends, needs, and locations of displaced people.

The impact of changes in the demographic structure of the national labour market on macroeconomic indicators of Ukraine

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022 led to significant changes in the Ukrainian labour market, which require a detailed analysis and understanding of their further dynamics. The purpose of this paper is to find out how the changes in the demographic structure of the national labour market have affected Ukraine’s macroeconomic indicators. Using such methods as statistical analysis, comparison, synthesis and forecasting, the study of current demographic and economic indicators was conducted. The study obtained and analysed statistics on the forced displacement of refugees both within Ukraine and abroad, taking into account age, gender, education and other demographic indicators – at least 12 million Ukrainian citizens were relocated, 75% of whom are able-bodied and more than half of whom have high professional qualifications. Separately, information on young people and students who continue or start studying abroad was studied and conclusions were drawn on their assimilation in the new society and the likelihood of their return to Ukraine. In the process of analysing the conditions for the growth of unemployment, the number of enterprises that ceased operations due to hostilities or temporary occupation was calculated – both geographically, by region, and by type of ownership. It turned out that in eastern Ukraine, the number of closed business entities reaches 80%, and almost a third of individual entrepreneurs have ceased their activities. The study also forecasts the conditions for post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, taking into account the fate of returning refugees and the country’s prospects for joining the European Union. The practical significance of this study is to assess the impact of changes in the structure of the labour market on the Ukrainian economy. The results may be useful for government agencies that are already formulating a strategy for Ukraine’s post-war recovery

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION: A SERIOUS THREAT TO GLOBAL SECURITY

Climate change and environmental degradation are significant threats to the survival of humanity. However, existing research focuses on the nexus between climate change and environmental degradation, highlighting the causes that strengthen the relationship. Despite experts expressing strong sentiments about the two phenomena being risks to global security, the assertions have drawn inadequate attention from scholars and practitioners, who prioritize illustrating the causes and impacts of climate change and environmental degradation instead. This narrative review aims to fill the gap by presenting evidence that affirms the theory about climate change and environmental degradation being primary security concerns for contemporary society. Climate change and environmental degradation cause security concerns through threats to military infrastructure and installations, depletion of resources leading to conflicts over disputed claims, and displacement of people, causing migration and refugees. Therefore, mitigating the causes of climate change is the most plausible strategy for reducing the threat to national and global security.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/lit/0758/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

A Capacity‐Based Approach for Assessing Changes in Responsibility Sharing in the EU: Comparing the Syrian and Ukrainian Refugee Crises

AbstractThis study explores whether the European Union's (EU's) response to the large‐scale refugee displacement from Ukraine in 2022 has led to a more equitable sharing of responsibilities amongst member states with regard to the Syrian refugee crisis. To do so, responsibility sharing is assessed by comparing actual and capacity‐based refugee shares for each country, drawing the definition of the latter from an improved version of the European Commission's distribution key. Our analysis reveals that whilst disparities in actual refugee shares between countries are somewhat smaller in the current emergency humanitarian situation compared with the Syrian crisis, such disparities almost double when countries' reception capacities are incorporated as a benchmark. Thus, the study reveals a kind of paradox: greater disparities in responsibility sharing in a context of high solidarity amongst countries for the reception of refugees.

Measles Outbreak in Lebanon: July 2023.

After the beginning of the Syrian crisis, increased rates of infectious diseases were reported. Lebanon, a neighboring country with a major socioeconomic crisis, witnessed a measles outbreak since July 2023, with 519 reported suspected cases. Half of the cases were under 5 y of age, most of them were unvaccinated. The mass displacement of refugees from conflict areas in Syria to Lebanon and the low vaccination coverage have made the situation more challenging. Further efforts are required in Lebanon to address identified gaps to prevent or at least better control future outbreaks.

The Politics of Displacement of Refugees in Habiburahman’s Novel First, They Erased Our Name: A Rohingya Speaks

This paper explores mainly three phases of displacement experienced by refugees in Habiburahaman’s book First, They Erased Our Name: A Rohingya Speaks and potential solutions to address the challenges they face. Deriving from Beverly Crawford’s concept that “refugees live three lives,” which has been quoted in the book written by Alan Gratz- Refugee, the paper examines the distinct experiences of refugees as they flee from their homeland, seek refuge in another place or country, and establish lives in foreign lands. Using the plight of Rohingya refugees in refugee camps as a reference point from the book, the paper argues that each phase of displacement dispenses with exclusive challenges and insecurities for refugees. The paper also discusses the role of theories in highlighting the problems and giving possible solutions to those complications of displacement. Additionally, the paper comprehends various insights from different philosophers and theorists on the topic of refugee displacement, providing a theoretical framework to address this global issue through a novel. Ultimately, the paper aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of refugees in the book “...A Rohingya Speaks” and to propose possible implications to help refugees rebuild their lives after various phases of displacement.

THE USE OF METAL-TIMBER STRUCTURES IN THE RECONSTRUCTION OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS FOR THE RENEWAL OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

The use of modern renovation and reconstruction methods to transform industrialbuildings into residential ones, especially in the context of post-war reconstruction efforts in Ukraine, is becoming particularly relevant. To reduce the financial burden of new construction and facilitate the resettlement of refugees from Russian aggression, it is expedient to reconstruct existing decommissioned industrial buildings in ruined cities and migration zones into residential premises. Considering the specific volumetric and spatial solutions of industrial buildings, a significant amount of work is required to reorganize the internal space of such premises for adaptation as residential ones. At the same time, the frames of production premises, due to significant distances between load-bearing structures,allow for more open and spacious premises with modern loft-style interiors. One of the ways to effectively achieve this goal is to install additional floors using metal-timber beams in industrial buildings. The low weight and high load-bearing capacity of such structures make it possible to create additional premises within the existing building volume, with minimal additional loads on the loadbearing frame and building foundations. This approach is not only economically efficient but alsooffers a unique modern way of organizing the interior for comfortable living.The aim of the research is to determine the efficiency and feasibility of using metal-timber I-beam profiles in the process of transforming industrial buildings into residential spaces. The study analyzes both domestic and foreign experience in the renewal and reconstruction of industrial buildings. The conclusions indicate that various functional adaptations of industrial buildings or complexes are possible depending on the project goals, as well as their further integration into the existing city infrastructure.However, the implementation of this concept faces the challenge of the limit of the structural load that can be applied to existing load-bearing frame structures.The reconstruction project must ensure the sustainability (or minimization) of additional loads, which allows reducing the required scope of work,project implementation time, and minimizing investment. Taking into account the industrial nature of the original interior of production premises, the loft style is best suited to the concept of renovating industrial buildings into residential ones. The аpplication of the loft style for the reconstruction of industrial zones is recommended as an economically advantageous option, supported by global experience. Special attention should be paid to the format of transforming production premises into residential ones using lightweight metal-timber roofs,which can become an organic part of the interior space.Scientific novelty. The reconstruction of industrial buildings for residential purposes is a complex and multifaceted process that requires thoughtful decisions and a competent approach. In this article, we will explore the advantages of using structures made of combined metal-timber systems to create technical solutions that meet the requirements of economic viability, environmental friendliness, andenergy efficiency in the reconstruction process.Practical significance. The application of metaltimber constructions allows for the rapid and efficient restoration of industrial buildings, transforming them into residential housing to address the shortage of living space due to the displacement of refugees from Russian aggression. These constructions have significantly lower weight and cost compared to traditional materials such as concrete or steel, while ensuring high strength and reliability.Additionally, they are made from environmentally friendly renewable materials and have an attractive appearance, making them an ideal choice for the reconstruction of industrial buildings into residential housing.

The Second Displacement of Refugees: Urban Regeneration Against Commoning Practices in Belgrade's Waterfront

AbstractWe develop the concept of “second displacement” to symbolise the renewed forms of uprooting that refugees undergo in arrival cities in the name of urban regeneration. Focusing on the eviction of 2,000 refugees from a self‐organised settlement in Belgrade's old train station in order to redevelop the site as a luxurious “Waterfront” project, we show how the refugees’ commoning practices and claims for living space in city centres often come into direct conflict with public and private interests over urban regeneration and with imaginaries over who has the right to the city. Whilst most displacement literature focuses on state policies, we call attention to how the uprooting of refugees is often entangled with urban renewal plans and private investors’ interests. In Belgrade, the depiction of the refugees’ living spaces as “badlands” by the state, catalysed the formation of the rent gap that facilitated re‐allocation of rights to the city.

Double displacement of refugees in the context of the 2023 Turkey‐Syria earthquake

AbstractThis commentary is based on our observations during our fieldwork in the earthquake region in Turkey that took place in February 6, 2023 in 11 provinces where 49% of the entire Syrian population in Turkey live. In this commentary, we focus on the case of Syrians, who have been subject to what we call double displacement. Syrian refugees who were already displaced due to the war and faced with many problems in establishing a new life in Turkey once again lost their homes and livelihoods due to the earthquake, exposing them to increased risks and vulnerability.

Food demand displaced by global refugee migration influences water use in already water stressed countries

Millions of people displaced by conflicts have found refuge in water-scarce countries, where their perceived effect on water availability has shaped local water security discourses. Using an annual global data set, we explain the effects of refugee migrations on the host countries’ water stress through the food demand displaced by refugees and the water necessary to produce that food. The water footprint of refugee displacement increased by nearly 75% globally between 2005 and 2016. Although minimal in most countries, implications can be severe in countries already facing severe water stress. For example, refugees may have contributed up to 75 percentage points to water stress in Jordan. While water considerations should not, alone, determine trade and migration policy, we find that small changes to current international food supply flows and refugee resettlement procedures can potentially ease the effect of refugee displacement on water stress in water-vulnerable countries.

Ukraine: Meeting the mental health needs of service veterans.

The current conflict in Ukraine is a tragedy of epic proportions that without doubt is causing serious psychological damage with inevitable long term consequences affecting combatants, civilians, not to mention displaced refugees. This paper focuses on the mental health needs of service veterans returning home to a country, devastated by the current conflict.

Review: Refugee Lifeworlds: The Afterlife of the Cold War in Cambodia, by Y-Dang Troeung

Book Review| May 01 2023 Review: Refugee Lifeworlds: The Afterlife of the Cold War in Cambodia, by Y-Dang Troeung Refugee Lifeworlds: The Afterlife of the Cold War in Cambodia. By Y-Dang Troeung. (Philadelphia, Temple University Press, 2022. 262 pp.) Geoffrey Gunn Geoffrey Gunn Emeritus, Nagasaki University Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Pacific Historical Review (2023) 92 (2): 323–324. https://doi.org/10.1525/phr.2023.92.2.323 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Geoffrey Gunn; Review: Refugee Lifeworlds: The Afterlife of the Cold War in Cambodia, by Y-Dang Troeung. Pacific Historical Review 1 May 2023; 92 (2): 323–324. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/phr.2023.92.2.323 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentPacific Historical Review Search A short book divided into four chapters, each suggests a psychological condition stemming from war (the Cambodian war), refugee displacement, and memory (or amnesia). In a substantive standalone preface, author Y-Dang Troeung positions her work between transnational literatures, critical refugee studies, global south studies, and “critical disability studies.” Neither does she ignore trauma-based paradigms as with post-memory, haunting, and intergenerational trauma (p. 11). Matching the subtitle of the work, as stated, the text “aims to construct and animate a genealogy of the afterlife of the Cold War in Cambodia in the service of decolonist, antiwar, and abolitionist futures” (p. xi). In doing so, Troeung reframes questions of international complicity and responsibility in the Cambodia genocide in ways that implicate us all. Such is the power of this book including a final “coda,” that no one reading it could doubt her general sentiments for a moment. Born in a refugee camp... You do not currently have access to this content.

Intolerance of uncertainty, posttraumatic stress, depression, and fears for the future among displaced refugees

IntroductionThe vast majority of the 100 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide live in a state of prolonged uncertainty with limited resettlement prospects and access to resources. Little is known, however, regarding how refugees and asylum-seekers cope with this uncertainty. MethodsIn this study, we investigated the longitudinal association between a measure of how people cope with uncertainty (intolerance of uncertainty (IU)), fears for the future, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and depression symptoms. A sample of 1,237 refugees displaced in Indonesia completed an online survey in Arabic, Farsi, Dari, Somali or English at two time-points six-months apart. ResultsResults indicated that greater IU-inhibitory anxiety (IU-IA or impairment related to uncertainty) was associated with subsequent increases in PTSD and depression symptoms and fears for the future. Greater PTSD symptoms and fears for the future were associated with increases in IU-prospective anxiety (IU-PA or distress related to uncertainty), and greater depression symptoms were associated with increases in IU-IA. DiscussionThese findings provide evidence for the mechanistic role of IU in psychological symptoms amongst displaced refugees. Results underscore the importance of policies to reduce uncertainty in displacement environments, and highlight IU as a potential intervention target to help refugees cope with protracted displacement.

A short review of acculturation and addiction among immigrant and refugee communities in the United States and abroad.

To summarize recent evidence of the relationship between acculturation and substance use addiction among foreign-born persons living in the United States (U.S.) and abroad. Foreign-born populations are increasing in many countries as a result of immigration and global refugee displacement. Acculturation and discrimination toward both populations have been related to the initiation of illicit substance use. The "immigrant paradox" may serve as a protective factor against the initiation and worsening prognosis of substance use disorders. Improving multilingual accessibility and frequency of use of clinical screeners may enhance addiction risk factor identification and potential interventions for foreign-born populations living in countries of emigration, such as the U.S. Foreign-born persons compose a significant proportion of nurse-patient interactions in the U.S. and abroad. The unique sociological phenomenon of the immigrant paradox may serve as a protective factor for foreign-born persons despite the increased risk for adverse childhood events, acculturation, and discrimination. Due to conflicting evidence, future studies should examine longitudinal outcomes of substance use exclusively among foreign-born persons as well as protective and risk factors associated with immigrants and refugees, respectively. Foreign-born persons may experience unique risk factors associated with addiction. Future studies should focus on foreign-born populations to explore if social constructs surrounding addiction can be extrapolated into other populations, including their second-generation offspring. Differences surrounding migration contexts between immigrants and refugees may be important for clinical researchers to understand when designing research studies centered on these experiences. Nurses can play a significant role in identifying patients at risk for substance use by advocating for inclusive and comprehensive multilingual screeners.

Monkeypox Disease with a Focus on the 2022 Outbreak; a Narrative Review.

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the genus Orthopoxvirus. Despite being endemic in Central and West Africa, the disease has received relatively little research attention until recent times. As the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect the world, the rising number of monkeypox cases in non-endemic countries has further stoked global public health concerns about another pandemic. Unlike previous outbreaks outside Africa, most patients in the present outbreak had no history of travel to the endemic regions. The overwhelming majority of patients were initially identified amongst homosexual men, who had attended large gatherings. Mutations in the coding regions of the viral genome may have resulted in fitness adaptation, enhancement of immune evasion mechanisms, and more efficient transmissibility of the 2022 monkeypox virus. Multiple factors such as diminished cross-protective herd immunity (cessation of smallpox vaccination), deforestation, civil war, refugee displacement, farming, enhanced global interconnectedness, and even climate change may facilitate the unexpected emergence of the disease. In light of the increasing number of cases reported in the present outbreak, healthcare professionals should update their knowledge about monkeypox disease, including its diagnosis, prevention, and clinical management. Herein, we provide an overview of monkeypox, with a focus on the 2022 outbreak, to serve as a primer for clinical practitioners who may encounter the disease in their practice.