United Nations High Commissioner Research Articles

Impact of cash assistance on food insecurity: a snapshot from Rohingya camps during COVID-19

ABSTRACT Collaborating with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Food Program (WFP), and NGOs, the Bangladesh Government implemented cash assistance programs for Rohingya refugee households facing exacerbated food insecurity because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the impact of a cash assistance program on alleviating the food insecurity experienced by Rohingya migrants during the pandemic. Additionally, this study explores potential variations of the impact of cash assistance with reference to vulnerability levels based on gender and income inequality. These findings indicate a significant reduction in food insecurity among Rohingya migrants who received cash assistance. However, further analysis reveals that cash assistance is not effective in ensuring the food security of comparatively more vulnerable households headed by women and households with no earning members. This policy implication underscores the need to restructure, redesign, and reconsider the features of cash assistance programs to enhance the welfare of refugee households across all levels of vulnerability.

Exploring International Legal Challenges For Unhcr In Dealing With Rohingya Refugees In Aceh, Indonesia

The difficulties the UNHCR has managing Rohingya refugees in Indonesia are the main topic of this article. This article focuses on the challenges faced by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in managing Rohingya refugees in Indonesia. As the primary international agency tasked with refugee management globally, the UNHCR plays a crucial role in preventing statelessness, determining refugee status, and providing comprehensive remedies. However, the study reveals that despite receiving approval from the Indonesian government to operate, the UNHCR encounters difficulties in fulfilling its mandate to assist Indonesia's ethnic Rohingya refugees. This limitation is attributed to the escalating number of asylum seekers in Indonesia requiring aid. The research utilizes content analysis to delve into UNHCR's struggles with Rohingya refugees, gathering and analyzing various sources such as reports, studies, news, and policies related to Rohingya refugees in Aceh. Through this method, the study uncovers patterns and challenges encountered by the UNHCR, including managing crises and navigating international and local cooperation. Ultimately, this research provides a detailed understanding of the complexities surrounding the Rohingya refugee crisis in Aceh.

The Venezuelan Humanitarian Crisis, Out-Migration, and Household Change Among Venezuelans in Venezuela and Abroad.

International migration is increasingly characterized by the need to evade threats to survival. Nevertheless, demographic understandings of how families-rather than individuals alone-decide to migrate or separate in response to threats remain limited. Focusing on the recent humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, we analyze 2012-2016 data on Venezuelans in Venezuela and 2018-2020 data on UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)-registered Venezuelans in nine receiving countries to illuminate the evolution of threats Venezuelans sought to evade, how threat evasion transformed households away from previous norms, the selection of migrants into different receiving countries and household structures, and demographic disparities in migrants' odds of reporting changes to their household because of specific migration-related processes (e.g., leaving someone in Venezuela, leaving someone in another country). Results underscore a simultaneous escalation of economic, safety, and political concerns that informed Venezuelans' increasing intentions to out-migrate. Where Venezuelans migrated and who ended up in their households abroad varied by demographic background and migration experiences. Among UNHCR-registered Venezuelans, 43% left family members in Venezuela, and more than 10% left or were left behind by members in another country. Such household separations, however, were unevenly distributed across factors such as age, gender, and country of reception.

Child feces disposal practices in humanitarian and non-humanitarian settings across 34 low- and middle-income countries

Globally, safe sanitation has improved significantly in the last two decades, but unsafe child feces disposal remains a growing challenge in many regions, exposing household members and communities to infectious pathogens. The drivers associated with child feces disposal in several contexts including humanitarian settings are not well understood. This study investigated child feces disposal (CFD) practices and associated factors in low- and middle-income countries, including in humanitarian settings. Data from 352,173 women in 34 countries, collected between 2012 and 2021 through Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), were used. We utilized multivariate logistic regression to assess CFD practices among children under two years old and the factors linked to these practices. We incorporated data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) regarding refugee camps' locations in the analysis. Time series and local spatial autocorrelation analyses were run to examine changes in safe CFD practices over time and space, respectively. Results showed minimal improvement in safe child feces disposal over the past decade, with 55.6 % of respondents in non-humanitarian settings and 38.1 % in humanitarian settings improperly disposing of feces. Improper CFD significantly correlated with increased odds of diarrhea in non-humanitarian settings (OR 1.09 95 % CI: 1.05–1.13) but not in humanitarian settings (OR 1.14 95 % CI: 0.53–2.49). The most significant factors (p < 0.05) associated with safe CFD included being in the richest wealth quintile (OR 3.27 95 % CI: 3.06–3.49), having basic education (OR 1.28 95 % CI: 1.22–1.33), children eating solid food (OR 1.53 95 % CI: 1.48–1.57), improved sanitation access (OR 1.88 95 % CI: 1.81–1.96), and listening to radio at least weekly (OR 1.40 95 % CI: 135–1.46). Policymakers and development partners must include safe CFD guidelines in national policies and programs, as well as prioritize investments in household-level sanitation and educate caregivers about safe CFD practices.

Расширение прав и свобод человека или его расчеловечивание?

The article delves into the analysis of the “8 March Principles” presented by the International Commission of Jurists together with UNAIDS and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as a set of legal principles that decriminalize behavior in the field of sex, drug use, HIV, sexual and reproductive health, homelessness and poverty. Utilizing ostensibly civilized forms, these principles serve the Malthusian idea of population reduction (“corruption clothed in legal forms”, Malthus’s term), with law being no exception. However, while in traditional contexts, “dissolute living” (Malthus’s term) like marriage, contributes to population growth, emphasizing the need for chastity among the lower classes, neo-Malthusianism normalizes debauchery, indeed leading to population reduction. The aim of this article is to identify the dehumanizing content, reducing humans from social subjects to biological objects. The study’s subject encompasses dehumanizing conditions reflected in the “March 8 Principles” including the destruction of family, cultural, familial-role, gender, and sexual identities; legalization of drugs and pedophilia, prostitution, and begging as forms of commercial activity; as well as the destruction of culture. The methodological basis of this research is dialectical materialism. In scrutinizing the “March 8 Principles”, this study highlights the dichotomy between the purported expansion of human rights and the underlying trend towards dehumanization. By elucidating how these principles relegate individuals from social subjects to biological one, the research underscores the erosion of fundamental societal structures and cultural values. As such, it prompts critical reflection on the broader implications of legal frameworks ostensibly designed to promote human rights. Through the lens of dialectical materialism, this analysis provides valuable insights into the complexities of modern legal and socio-cultural dynamics, inviting further scholarly inquiry into the intersection of law, morality, and human dignity.

Beyond Access: Building the Resilience of South Sudanese Refugee Higher Education Students from the Bidi Bidi Settlement, Uganda

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), set a global target of 15 percent enrolment of refugees, in higher education, by 2030. Relatedly, UNHCR stated that beyond access, higher education should build individual and collective resilience of refugee students. This paper looks at the support mechanisms various stakeholders use, to build the resilience of South Sudanese refugee higher education students, from Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda. This is within the context of Uganda’s Education Response (ERP) for refugees and host communities. The study adopted a qualitative approach, an exploratory case study design, and an advocacy/ participatory philosophical lens, using the intersectional theory. Twenty-seven (27) purposively sampled participants took part in the study. They included 12 undergraduates from two private Ugandan universities, a total of 13 government and non-governmental organization (NGO) officials, and two officials from public and private universities, all involved in refugee higher education. Data was collected through a literature review, in-depth interviews with key informants and students, and a students’ focus group discussion. The study established that, within the context of Uganda’s ERP, South Sudanese refugee higher education students have their resilience built through support, mainly from HEIs and NGOs. The support uses multiple approaches and takes place mainly within the HEIs, with a bit in the settlement. However, it is offered within each stakeholder’s context and thus takes on a silo rather than integrated approach. Support also does not always consider the individual and complex student needs. Nevertheless, the support, which is relatively student-centred does register good social and academic resilience. The study therefore recommends that through a situational analysis and needs assessment, Uganda develops clear objectives, activities and outcomes in the ERP, to guide stakeholders, towards strengthening refugee higher education students’ resilience. The study also designed a model towards enhancing student resilience

Social Inclusion and Justice for the Internally Displaced by the Herdsmen-Farmers Conflict in Benue State, Nigeria

Executive Summary Herdsmen-farmers conflict has displaced 1.5 million residents of Benue State, Nigeria, according to government officials. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) have lost livelihoods, farms, personal property and community infrastructure. The paper highlights the social challenges they have experienced and the response by government and international humanitarian agencies (IHAs) to their situations. Based on interviews with 12 IDPs belonging to the displaced population from Guma Local Government Area of Benue State and interviews with seven humanitarian workers, the paper finds that the IDPs: • Have lost family members, neighbors, farms, churches, health centers, and means of mobility. • Cannot safely return home or access their ancestral lands. • Cannot support themselves. • Cannot attend public school or progress to a university. • Lack access to quality health care. • Live with multiple families in insecure shelters. • Cannot reliably obtain birth registration and replace other destroyed documents. • Can register their names, family relations, and former villages, but not their losses, which might lead to compensation and help them to rebuild their lives. The paper makes the following recommendations. • Registration, Effective Remedies and Access to Justice: The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs (FMHA) and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) should document personal and community socio-economic losses to ascertain the extent of damage to IDPs in order to facilitate effective remedies. The Ministries of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission, and UNHCR should support the IDPs by providing them with information and procedures that allow them to secure full compensation for their losses, and with safe, permanent solutions to their situations, including full integration into their host communities, safe and voluntary return home, or resettlement in a third community. • Engage IDPs as Stakeholders: The Benue State Government should ensure that BSEMA communicates to IDPs the possibilities for voluntary and dignified safe return. If return is not immediately foreseeable, BSEMA should offer IDPs the means to relocate and resettle elsewhere. • Provision of Sustainable Social Amenities: BSEMA, the FMHA, and international humanitarian agencies (IHAs) should provide sustainable healthcare, shelter, education in IDP camps, financial assistance and the means to access services outside of IDP camps. • Peace through Establishment of Ranches: Benue State Government’s Peace Commission should resolve the herdsmen-farmer conflict and restore peace by promoting peaceful co-existence between the conflicting parties. Herdsmen should be educated on the procedures for legal land acquisition for ranching, and farmers should be able to seek legal redress when their farms are damaged by grazing cattle. BSEMA and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs should also facilitate voluntary, safe and dignified return of IDPs or their resettlement in another community. • Safeguard IDP Camps: BSEMA and the Nigeria security agencies should safeguard official and unofficial IDP camps. • Inclusive Policy Implementation: The FMHA in collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) should develop humanitarian response plans that are beneficial to all IDPs in Nigeria irrespective of the cause of their displacement.

Sprawozdanie z konkursu na najlepszą pracę dyplomową (licencjacką/inżynierską/magisterską) i doktorską w dziedzinie wysiedleń przymusowych oraz uchodźstwa zorganizowanym przez Biuro Terenowe Wysokiego Komisarza Narodów Zjednoczonych ds. Uchodźców w Lublinie, Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II oraz Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej

Sprawozdanie z konkursu na najlepszą pracę dyplomową (licencjacką/inżynierską/magisterską) i doktorską w dziedzinie wysiedleń przymusowych oraz uchodźstwa zorganizowanym przez Biuro Terenowe Wysokiego Komisarza Narodów Zjednoczonych ds. Uchodźców w Lublinie, Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II oraz Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej

Examining Barriers to Rehabilitation and Addressing Rehabilitation Needs among Persons with Forced Migration Experiences: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Globally, human displacement is at a record high. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 110 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide due to persecution, mass conflict, or human rights violations. Conflicts continue to rage in different part of the world such as Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan, and Tigray. Large-scale political upheaval is also on the rise in many countries including Haiti, Venezuela, and Iran among others. Natural disasters fueled by climate change will further contribute to large-scale forced migration. Persons with forced migration experiences (PFME) tend to have significant rehabilitation needs due to high risk of physical injuries, mental trauma, and exacerbation of pre-existing health problems during displacement. Rehabilitation practitioners in host countries must be well equipped to address the complex needs of this population. However, there is currently limited literature to guide best practice. In this paper, a group of interdisciplinary professionals examine rehabilitation needs among PFME, provide examples of established and emerging rehabilitation interventions with PFME in the context of asylum and resettlement, identify barriers to accessing rehabilitation services in host countries, and propose avenues for professional advocacy in this area.

Fleeing a Well-Founded Fear of Persecution to Be Persecuted Again? The Case of LGBTIQ+ Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Uganda

Abstract This work focuses on the legal promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTIQ+ asylum seekers and refugees in Uganda. Uganda’s treatment of LGBTIQ+ communities is one of the harshest in Africa, with the adoption of legal instruments criminalizing LGBTIQ+ people, as well as same-sex relations. These instruments apply to all LGBTIQ+ people present in Uganda, including asylum seekers and refugees. Refugees have never been granted refugee status on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Asylum claims based solely on sexual orientation and/or gender identity are systematically rejected by the Ugandan Commissioner for Refugees. This article shows that, despite efforts by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and non-governmental organizations, Uganda remains a country hostile to LGBTIQ+ asylum seekers and refugees specifically, and to LGBTIQ+ communities generally. LGBTIQ+ refugees must conduct a discreet life to avoid being penalized because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The ambiguous positions of African institutions, such as the African Union, do not help in securing such people’s rights and protection. Serious changes are needed if Uganda is to adhere to human rights principles that safeguard the rights of LGBTIQ+ communities.

Aligning United States Law with International Norms Would Remove Major Barriers to Protection in Gender Claims

Abstract The protection of women and girls fleeing gender-based harms has been controversial in the United States (US), with advances followed by setbacks. The US interpretation of particular social group and its nexus analysis, both of which diverge from guidance by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is the most significant barrier to protection. It has become almost impossible for women and girls to rely upon the particular social group ground because of current requirements that social groups not only be defined by immutable or fundamental characteristics, but also be socially distinct and have particularity. Establishing nexus is also a significant obstacle, with the US requirement of proof of the persecutor’s intent. In the first month of his administration, President Biden issued an executive order on migration, which raised hopes that these obstacles to protection would be removed. The order committed to protecting survivors of domestic violence and to issuing regulations that would make the US interpretation of particular social group consistent with international standards. The target date for the regulations was November 2021, but they have yet to issue. This article examines how the evolution of the US interpretation of particular social group and nexus has diverged from UNHCR recommendations. It shows how protection has been denied in gender cases involving the most egregious of harms. The article concludes by providing recommendations for realignment with international standards, which set a benchmark for evaluating the promised Biden administration regulations on the issue.

Cultural assimilation of adult Syrian refugees in Lebanon: Effect modification by religiosity and sex on the relation between cultural adversities and common mental health disorders.

In this study, we aimed to explore the prevalence and determinants of common mental health disorders (CMHDs, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, and anxiety) in Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Specifically, we examined how the associations between cultural adversities (discrimination, unemployment, and separation from family) and CMHDs are modified by levels of religiosity and sex. Between March and June 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted targeting adult Arab Syrian refugees residing in Beirut and Southern Lebanon. Eligibility criteria comprised being a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees-registered Syrian refugee residing in Lebanon, 18 years and older, and having no history of mental disorder or physical disability. A total of 191 refugees agreed to participate and complete a battery of six questionnaires. Exposures were measured using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Postmigration Living Difficulties Checklist, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, and the Belief into Action Scale, while outcomes were measured using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 and the Depression and Anxiety Scale-21 Items. Half (50.3%) of our sample had high PTSD risk, 73.8% had high depression risk, and 73.8% had high anxiety risk. Stratified analysis revealed religiosity and sex to be effect modifiers of the associations between cultural adversities and CMHDs. Specifically, cultural adversities were only significantly associated with CMHDs in the low religiosity stratum and males. Only unemployment was a significant risk factor for PTSD in both males (OR = 4.53, 95% CI [1.44, 14.27]) and females (OR = 2.77, 95% CI [1.14, 6.74]). Religiosity and sex are effect modifiers of the associations between cultural adversities and CMHDs. Religious and spiritual interventions in mental health care should be adopted in refugee settings. Moreover, there is an urgent need for capacity-building initiatives addressing social determinants of mental health among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Perlakuan Diskriminatif Terhadap Pengungsi Kulit Hitam Di Ukrainperlakuan Diskriminatif Terhadap Pengungsi Kulit Hitam Di Ukraina

Introduction: When the Russian invasion of Ukraine caused thousands of refugees to seek refuge in neighboring countries, not a few of the black refugees were discriminated against and made it difficult for Ukrainian border officials to find protection. This fact illustrates the violation of Human Rights, especially for black refugees, because it is not in accordance with the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol. This makes the author examine the Discriminatory Treatment of Black Refugees in Ukraine.Purposes of the Research: This study aims to examine how discriminatory treatment of black refugees can be qualified as a violation of human rights, how is the responsibility of UNHCR in dealing with the issue of refugees being discriminated againstMethods of the Research: This research is a normative juridical research by means of research conducted by collecting primary, secondary, tertiary data, obtained by using library research. The data that has been collected is analyzed systematically based on legal disciplines to achieve clarity on the issues to be discussedResults of the Research: The results obtained from this study are, discriminatory treatment of black refugees can be qualified as a violation of Human Rights because it violates the principles of Human Rights which are jus cogens, and is not in accordance with the rights of refugees as regulated in the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol. Then the responsibility of UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) in dealing with the issue of discrimination against black refugees is coordinating with the Government of Ukraine and third countries or countries that provide asylum, in providing protection by providing facilities and ensuring that refugees are treated equally in fulfilling their rights, to find safe and appropriate shelter.

Legal obstacles in registering the birth of a child who has reached the age of one or more according to the civil law of Ukraine

The article is devoted to the study of the issue of legal obstacles in the registration of the birth of a child who has reached the age of one or more, in civil registry offices. It was analyzed a number of legal acts of domestic legislation in the field of civil and family legislation of Ukraine, scientific research on birth registration was done. An analysis of the legal acts regarding the registration of the birth of children in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, for which the general rules for the registration of newborns apply: it is carried out in the nearest departments of civil registry offices in the safe territory of Ukraine.&#x0D; The article analyzes the international document - the Convention on the Rights of the Child, according to which the participating states undertake to provide the child with such protection and care as is necessary for his well-being, taking into account the rights and obligations of his parents, guardians or other persons who meet for her by law, and for this purpose all appropriate legislative and administrative measures are taken.&#x0D; Thanks to the analysis of data from the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was investigated the issue of the lack of birth registration for a significant number of newborns in the areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions not under the control of the government of Ukraine, due to which they may be at risk of statelessness, since at the age of 14 they will not be able to apply for a passport of a citizen of Ukraine. It was emphasized that there is a need to protect the rights and interests of children regarding their birth registration.&#x0D; Since parents, when applying to the civil registry offices with an application for state registration of the birth of a child who has reached 1 year or older, may face an obstacle in registering the birth of their children, due to the lack of a complete package of documents, namely: certificates of the child’s stay under the supervision of the institution health care, certificates from the child’s place of residence. Proposals regarding the simplified procedure for the state registration of the birth of children have been provided.&#x0D; It was emphasized that there is a need to protect the rights and interests of children regarding their birth registration, and proposals were made for a simplified procedure for registering their birth. In particular, it is proposed to amend Article 13 of the aforementioned Law of Ukraine «On State Registration of Civil Status Acts» regarding state registration of the birth of a child, namely: regarding the possibility of carrying out state registration of birth at the place of residence of the child and at the place of residence of the parents or one of them, excluding the requirements for presenting a certificate from the place of residence of the child during the state registration of the birth of a child who has reached one year or more, a certificate about the child’s stay under supervision healthcare facility.

Some issues of the status and functioning of the United Nations human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine

Today, the United Nations plays a leading role in the development of international law and cooperation among the world's states. Member states have pledged to realize their rights and fulfill their obligations under the UN Charter. The main objectives of the UN are envisaged in Article 1 of the Charter, where the key provision relating to human rights is reflected in paragraph 3 of Article 1. According to it, the UN aims to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural and humanitarian character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction of race, sex, language or religion [1]. As it can be seen, the Charter only calls on states parties to promote the protection of human rights, without establishing clear obligations to protect and guarantee them.&#x0D; Since 2014, i.e. since Russia launched its war against Ukraine, the aggressor has not stopped committing crimes against our country and our people. Russia's actions encroach not only on the sovereignty of our state, but also on human rights and freedoms. Under such circumstances, the international community cannot stand aside from these events. Many international human rights organizations have offices in Ukraine. Among them is the UN. On 31.07.2014, the Government of Ukraine and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights signed an agreement on the deployment of a short-term UN human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine.&#x0D; The legal status of UN monitoring missions in legal science has not been the subject of a separate study. Certain aspects of the activities and competence of such missions have been considered in the works of such scholars as I.A. Shumilo [14], F. Megre [13], K. Boyle [12] and others, which are devoted to the coverage of international mechanisms for the protection of human rights and freedoms, the status of the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council. Therefore, the task set out in this article is to analyze and establish the specifics of the legal status of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (hereinafter - the Mission), in particular, the one established for Ukraine, and the limits of the Mission's powers under the UN Charter, UN General Assembly resolutions, and international agreements between UN agencies and Ukraine. Therefore, the relevance of this article is beyond doubt. It has been established that the purpose of the Mission is to facilitate cooperation between the Government of Ukraine and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (hereinafter - OHCHR)[2] and it plays the role of a subsidiary mechanism for the protection of human rights and freedoms within the UN. The conclusions of the mission will undoubtedly serve as a convincing additional evidence base for Ukraine in international judicial and other bodies in protecting its interests and establishing the guilt of the Russian Federation for actions committed against our country.

Teaching spanish to migrants in the Soconusco region, Chiapas, Mexico

This research was conducted in the state of Chiapas, throughout the Soconusco region. Students from BA in English Language Teaching at UNACH (Universidad Autonoma de Chiapas) participated as teachers in basic Spanish courses for the migrant population, from January 2020 to April 2021. This paper aims to give an account of the partial results of a study; its main objective is to analyze the nature of teaching Spanish to migrants and people in mobility from different countries. Migratory movements are a phenomenon of special incidence in contemporary societies according to the Manifest of Santander (2009), one of the first works carried out in Spain in terms of language teaching to migrants and refugees. Given the need to incorporate the teaching of the target language into the global policies of care for immigrants, since their learning of the target language depends a lot on the active insertion in the host community (Manifest of Santander cited in Garcia et al. 2014). The Language school at the UNACH is a public educational institution with social responsibility that has collaborated with COMAR (Comisión Mexicana de Ayuda a Refugiados) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) seeking to protect the rights and welfare of refugees, migrants and people in mobility during their stay in Mexico. Thus, the Language School has carried out the implementation of teaching basic Spanish courses as a foreign language to refugees and migrants from countries such as Haiti, Surinam, the United States, Jamaica, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, and Canada. However, due to the COVID-19 contingency, these courses were changed from face-to-face sessions to virtual mode during that period and after the contingency, the courses had been taught in face-to-face sessions again. In this sense, this research yields interesting contributions that can be taken into account for a significant teaching-learning process of Spanish as a foreign language or as a second language in the region of Soconusco answering the following research questions: What is the training of teachers who teach Spanish as a second language in the Soconusco region? What difficulties did they have while teaching Spanish as a second language? How effective were Spanish classes for migrants and refugees?

Girls on the Move

As we write these words to introduce this Special Issue, scores of girls and young women around the world are facing a myriad of challenges as they are forced to flee their homes, leaving behind friends, family, communities, and being propelled into uncertain and very often precarious migratory journeys. Without a doubt, we live in deeply troubling times. While numbers provide a mere glimpse into the devastating humanitarian crisis of forced displacement, they are shocking. Forced displacement, migration, and (re)settlement following conflict, violence, human rights violations, persecution, disasters, and the impacts of climate change, both in nations and across borders, is an ever-escalating crisis affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. Acknowledging that these numbers are unprecedented, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2023a) reported that by the end of June 2023, over 110 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide and projected that this number would increase to 130 million by the end of 2024. This projected increase takes into account the mass displacement caused by the war between Israel and Hamas as well as ongoing and escalating conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine, and Afghanistan. While current headlines focus principally on the continuing crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, we cannot lose sight of the millions of forcibly displaced persons elsewhere in the world, including those in Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Syria, Türkiye, Myanmar, India, Venezuela, and Haiti. Recognizing regional diversity in the staggering numbers serves to underscore forced displacement as a transnational issue that requires urgent global attention.

Examining the Impact of Living in an Asylum on the Mental Health of Middle Eastern Refugees

Refugee aid is seldom a topic of American political conversations despite rising global refugee populations (American Immigration Council, 2020). Refugees who have fled or been forced out of their native country seek asylum, or protection from persecution, in a host country (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2015). Thus, an asylum country is one in which refugees can live without fear of persecution or deportation to their native country, while they apply for permanent residence or resettlement (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2015). Many Middle Eastern nations including Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Palestine are currently experiencing war and subsequently, hundreds of thousands of individuals from these nations have been forced to seek asylum elsewhere (International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2022). Adjusting to asylum countries may affect mental health, which is an individual’s state of psychological wellness (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2022). Thus, this paper will examine how relocation to an asylum country impacts the mental health of Middle Eastern refugees.

Predictors of Acculturation and Adaptation in a Sample of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

While the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has a record of approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, no studies have focused on understanding the processes of acculturation and sociocultural/psychological adaptation among them in Lebanon. The aim of this study was to evaluate Syrian refugees’ patterns of acculturation and adaptation; to evaluate their association with social and psychological factors such as perceived discrimination, cultural distance, and attachment; and to look for predictors of acculturation and adaptation. The sample consisted of 241 Syrian refugees between 18 and 64 years of age. Correlations were found between acculturation and adaptation, both of which were impacted by reasons for displacement. Moreover, results showed that low cultural distance, perceived discrimination, and insecure attachment predicted both psychological and sociocultural adaptation, whereas lower perceived discrimination, attachment avoidance, and high attachment anxiety predicted high host acculturation. Findings are discussed in light of potential interventions facilitating refugees’ adaptation to the Lebanese culture.

Should we stop talking about empathy?: Virtual reality, refugee children and the ethics of technology-mediated moral education

ABSTRACT Given much-discussed innovations in Virtual Reality as the ‘ultimate empathy machine’, we offer three provocations regarding the use of Virtual Reality to cultivate empathy: is empathy possible? Is empathy enough? Who controls how empathy is produced, and who is left out? As a case study, we examine the VR films that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has produced about the refugee crisis. Using this as an entry point to discuss the implications for technology-mediated moral education, our analysis aims to provide insights for educators and scholars interested in the use of VR to teach about marginalised communities facing structural injustice. In conclusion, we offer a set of practical considerations to foster reflection on the ethical and effective use of technology in moral education. We advocate for a nuanced approach that emphasises empathy as a catalyst for meaningful change, transforming passive empathy into active solidarity.