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MPI Resources on Refugees, Internally Displaced People, and Humanitarian Protection	Home > Publications > Resources on Refugeess

European Migration | Immigrant Integration | Migration and Development | Refugee Protection | United States Immigration

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RESOURCES BY TOPIC	RESOURCES BY PLACE
Asylum Seekers	Africa
Data on Refugees and Asylum Seekers	Asia
General Resources on Refugees, Internal Displacement, and Forced Migration	Europe
Internally Displaced People (IDPs)	Latin America and the Caribbean
Interception at Sea	Middle East
International Aid Organizations	United States
Natural Disasters & Displacement
Refugees and Security
Refugee Resettlement Programs

Asylum Seekers
Germany to Regularize "Tolerated" Asylum Seekers By Eric Leise, MPI Migration Information Source, April 2007 Approximately 50,000 of Germany's 170,000 tolerated asylum seekers are expected to will qualify for a residency permit under a law passed in March 2007.	Drop in Asylum Numbers Shows Changes in Demand and Supply By Kathleen Newland, MPI Migration Information Source, April 2005 This article provides an overview of the latest asylum numbers and insights into why they are declining.
US Detention of Asylum Seekers and Human Rights By Bill Frelick, Amnesty International USA Migration Information Source, March 2005 Bill Frelick reports on why the United States' detention of asylum seekers concerns the human rights community.	Burden-sharing in the New Age of Immigration By Christina Boswell, Hamburg Institute of International Economics Migration Information Source, November 2003 This article provides an in-depth look at burden-sharing and refugee protection.
Detention Center Fires Spark Renewed Debate on Australian Refugee Program By Christine Inglis Migration Information Source, February 2003 In the wake of a string of arson fires at five Australian detention centers with large populations of asylum seekers, the government has begun new discussions about its much-debated refugee and humanitarian program.	Government Directive on Asylum Sparks Row in Austria By Veysel Oezcan, Humboldt University, Berlin Migration Information Source, December 2002 A government measure barring some asylum seekers from access to federal benefits has provoked sparring among Austria's political parties.
Options Dwindle for Asylum Seekers in France By Patrick Simon, INED (Institut national d'études démographiques) Migration Information Source, September 2002 Fewer opportunities may await asylum seekers in France, where stricter policies are overlapping with strained resources.	[Return to Top]
Data on Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Data on Asylum Seekers Worldwide Between 1980 and 2004, 9.9 million applications for asylum were lodged in 39 countries in Europe, North America, Oceania, and Asia. This Data Tool allows you to analyze the numbers and origins of asylum seekers over 24 years.	Spotlight on Refugees and Asylees in the United States By Jeanne Batalova, MPI Migration Information Source, August 2006 In 2005, the United States admitted almost 54,000 refugees for resettlement and granted asylum to more than 25,000 people. MPI’s Jeanne Batalova takes a detailed look at refugee and asylum statistics in the United States.
Drop in Asylum Numbers Shows Changes in Demand and Supply By Kathleen Newland, MPI Migration Information Source, April 2005	Statistics on Forced Migration By Bela Hovy, Head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)'s Population Data Unit Migration Information Source, September 2002
General Resources on Refugees, Internal Displacement, and Forced Migration
Trafficking, Smuggling, and Human Rights By Jacqueline Bhabha, Harvard University Migration Information Source, March 2005	Confronting the Realities of Forced Migration By Stephen Castles, University of Oxford Migration Information Source, May 2004 Stephen Castles outlines the categories of forced migrants and the factors driving their movement.
Minimizing Development-Induced Displacement By W. Courtland Robinson Migration Information Source, January 2004	Refugee Protection in Regions of Origin: Potential and Challenges By Jeff Crisp Migration Information Source, December 2003
Burden-sharing in the New Age of Immigration By Christina Boswell Migration Information Source, November 2003	Local Integration: The Forgotten Solution By Karen Jacobsen Migration Information Source, October 2003
Refugees: Risks and Challenges Worldwide By Sharon Stanton Russell Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Migration Information Source, November 2002	Refugee Resettlement in Transition By Kathleen Newland, MPI Migration Information Source, September 2002 Change is sweeping the systems that govern refugee resettlement. MPI Co-Director Kathleen Newland examines the most important trends and their implications.
Internally Displaced People (IDPs)
No Refuge: The Challenge of Internal Displacement By Kathleen Newland, Erin Patrick, and Monette Zard, MPI (United Nations Publications, October 2003) Today, more than 25 million people have fled their homes to escape violence and persecution, but remain within the borders of their own countries. Internal displacement is both a policy challenge and a human tragedy of immense proportions. For the first time ever, the United Nations has published a book addressing the unique concerns of internally displaced people as well as efforts to strengthen the international response to their needs.	The Internally Displaced in Perspective By Monette Zard, MPI Migration Information Source, May 2002
Gender-Related Persecution and International Protection By Erin Patrick, MPI Migration Information Source, April 2004	[Return to Top]
Interception at Sea
The New "Boat People": Ensuring Safety and Determining Status By Joanne van Selm and Betsy Cooper Report, January 2006 This report aims to foster dialogue among international stakeholders and policymakers about current policy responses to migration by sea. A forum of renowned experts and government representatives from across the globe convened at MPI to discuss the implications of historical and current trends in interdiction and rescue, from Haiti to Australia to Europe, as well as what approaches might be effective for the future. Download PDF \| Order from Bookstore	Troubled Waters: Rescue of Asylum Seekers and Refugees at Sea By Kathleen Newland Migration Information Source, January 2003 Danger often awaits people who set out by boat, seeking safety from upheaval or persecution. MPI's Kathleen Newland examines how governments, the shipping industry, and international bodies have succeeded — or too frequently, failed — to cast a line to those in need. [Return to Top]
International Aid Organizations
Interview with António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees By Kathleen Newland and Kirin Kalia Migration Information Source, August 2005	UNHCR and NGOs: Competitors or Companions in Refugee Protection? By Ed Schenkenberg van Mierop Migration Information Source, February 2004
Natural Disasters and Displacement
Assessing the Tsunami's Effects on Migration By Frank Laczko and Elizabeth Collett, International Organization for Migration Migration Information Source, April 2005	Record Numbers Displaced by Natural Disasters Migration Information Source Top 10 Migration Issues of 2005: Issue #10, December 2005 For many people, 2005 will be remembered for its sheer number of catastrophes and the millions of people the disasters displaced in Asia and the Americas.
The Central American Foreign Born in the United States By Megan Davy Migration Information Source, April 2006 Over half of all Central American foreign born in the United States are from El Salvador and Guatemala. MPI's Megan Davy examines the numbers as well as natural disasters, events, and policies that have shaped Central American migration.	[Return to Top]
Refugees and Security
Refugees and Forced Displacement: International Security, Human Vulnerability and the State Edited by Edward Newman and Joanne van Selm (United Nations University, Summer 2003) This book demonstrates that human displacement can be both a cause and a consequence of conflict within and among societies. As such, the management of refugee movements and the protection of displaced people should be an integral part of security policy and conflict management. Refugees and forcibly displaced people can also represent the starkest example of a tension between human security where the primary focus is the individual and communities and more conventional models of national security tied to the sovereign state and military defence of territory. The book explores this tension as it relates to refugees and forced displacement and demonstrates how many of these challenges have been exacerbated by the war on terror since September 11, 2001. Book Description \| To Order \| Book Event	Biometrics, Migrants, and Human Rights By Rebekah Thomas, Global Commission on International Migration Migration Information Source, March 2005
Security Resurfaces on Australian Agenda By Christine Inglis Migration Information Source, December 2003 Revelations that a French national associated with Al Qaeda lived in Australia from May until late October 2003, coupled with the surprise arrival of a boat with 14 asylum-seeking Turkish Kurds to an island near Australian shores, have led the government to reassert its commitment to effective border controls and internal security.	Reconciling Refugees Protection and Security Concerns in Wartime: The Case of Iraq By Monette Zard and Erin Patrick MPI Policy Brief No. 3, April 2003 PDF Version \| Purchase from Bookstore
Foreign Policy Considerations in Dealing with Afghanistan's Refugees: When Security and Protection Collide (PDF) By Joanne van Selm Forced Migration Review, June 2002	Exclusion, Terrorism, and the Refugee Convention By Monette Zard Forced Migration Review, June 2002
September 11: Has Anything Changed? Co-edited by the Migration Policy Institute Forced Migration Review, June 2002 Introductory Article to "September 11: Has Anything Changed?" By Kathleen Newland, Erin Patrick, Joanne van Selm, and Monette Zard Forced Migration Review, June 2002	The Protection of Refugees in the Light of the New Security Agenda (PDF) Speech by Joanne van Selm University of Montreal, March 20, 2002 [Return to Top]
Resettlement Programs
Bridging Divides: The Role of Ethnic Community-Based Organizations in Refugee Integration By Kathleen Newland, Hiroyuki Tanaka, and Laura Barker Migration Policy Institute and the International Rescue Committee, June 2007 Almost 2.4 million refugees and asylees from at least 115 countries entered the United States between 1980 and 2006. Despite declines in refugee admissions, the United States continues to resettle more refugees than any other country. This study examines how organizations founded by refugees are helping others who have escaped violence and persecution abroad adjust to life in the United States.	Refugee Resettlement in Metropolitan America Audrey Singer and Jill Wilson, Brookings Institution Migration Information Source, March 2007 Since 1983, the United States has resettled more than 1.6 million refugees. Audrey Singer and Jill H. Wilson of The Brookings Institution present the first report on US metropolitan destinations, where the vast majority of refugees were placed between 1983 and 2004.
Rediscovering Resettlement A Transatlantic Comparison of Refugee Protection By Gregor Noll and Joanne van Selm MPI Insight No. 3, December 2003 Could increasing the numbers of refugees who have access to resettlement help resolve some of the refugee protection challenges faced by the European Union and the United States?	The Strategic Use of Resettlement By Joanne van Selm Paper presented at the International Seminar “Toward more orderly and managed entry in the EU of persons in need of international protection," Rome, October 13-14, 2003
Resettlement in the Nordic Countries By Mette Honore, Senior Legal Advisor to the Danish Refugee Council Migration Information Source, September 2003	Resettlement Schemes in the European Union: New Feasibility Study By Joanne van Selm, Tamara Woroby, Erin Patrick and Monica Matts (European Commission, 2003) This study addresses the question of under what conditions EU Member States may be prepared to actively engage in resettlement, and presents Member States with six models for possible involvement. The report suggests the creation of a Common European International Protection System, of which a potential European Resettlement Program, Common Asylum System and Procedure, and a program for assistance in regions of origin would be distinct elements. This study also puts forward the idea of a European Refugee Resettlement Fund, which would support the efforts of Member States engaged in resettlement and reinforce the collective and cooperative notion underlying an EU program.
Refugee Resettlement in Transition By Kathleen Newland Migration Information Source, September 2002 Change is sweeping the systems that govern refugee resettlement. MPI's Kathleen Newland examines the most important trends and their implications.	[Return to Top]
Africa
Beyond Regional Circularity: The Emergence of an Ethiopian Diaspora By Aaron Matteo Terrazas, MPI Migration Information Source, June 2007 While Ethiopians have long followed seasonal migration patterns within the Horn of Africa, it was only after the political upheavals of the 1970s that they began to settle in the West.	Darfur Situation Worsens, Violence Spreads to Chad Issue #4 in the Migration Information Source Top 10 Migration Issues of 2006
Trans-Saharan Migration to North Africa and the EU: Historical Roots and Current Trends By Hein de Haas, University of Oxford Migration Information Source, November 2006 Version française	Surrounded: Women and Girls in Northern Uganda By Erin Patrick Migration Information Source, June 2005 The ongoing conflict between the government and a rebel army has displaced the majority of Northern Ugandans. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable, as MPI's Erin Patrick reports.
Darfur: Beyond the Brink of Disaster By Erin Patrick Migration Information Source, September 2004	"How Many People Have to Die Before We Care?" The Role of the International Community in Darfur By Erin Patrick Policy Brief No. 5, July 2004 This brief provides a background to the conflict and humanitarian situation in Darfur, Sudan, and addresses the question of whether or not the situation in Darfur amounts to a genocide. It also examines the response (and lack of response) of the United Nations and the international community in general and gives detailed policy recommendations.
Little Protection in “Protected Villages”: IDPs in Northern Uganda By Erin Patrick "Hot Spots" Column, May 2005	Mass Influx in South Africa? By Erin Patrick "Hot Spots" Column, April 27, 2005
Peace in the Midst of War? How the Naivasha Protocols Affect Darfur By Erin Patrick "Hot Spots" Column, February 22, 2005	"Unlike Any Other, It Is A War on Children": Victims of the Conflict in Northern Uganda By Erin Patrick "Hot Spots" Column, August 17, 2004
The World's Worst Humanitarian Crisis Continues: Ethnic Cleansing and Forced Displacement in Darfur By Erin Patrick "Hot Spots" Column, July 8, 2004	"The World's Worst Humanitarian Crisis": Ethnic Cleansing and Forced Displacement in Darfur By Erin Patrick "Hot Spots" Column, May 5, 2004
Ethiopians Who Survived the Famine: A Repatriation Success Story By Laura C. Hammond, Clark University Migration Information Source, July 2005 In the early 1990s, Ethiopians who had been living in refugee camps in Sudan began to return home. As Laura C. Hammond explains, they created a new community in an unfamiliar part of Ethiopia that is thriving 12 years later.	[Return to Top]
Asia
Tajikistan: From Refugee Sender to Labor Exporter By Aaron Erlich Migration Information Source, July 2006	Forced Return to Chechnya By Erin Patrick "Hot Spots" Column, June 1, 2004
Europe
Reining in Child Trafficking in the New EU By Lisa Kurbiel, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations Migration Information Source, July 2004	The EU as a Global Player in the Refugee Protection Regime By Joanne Van Selm AMID Working Paper Series 35/2004
Resettlement in the Nordic Countries By Mette Honore, Senior Legal Advisor to the Danish Refugee Council Migration Information Source, September 2003	[Return to Top]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Ecuador: Diversity in Migration By Brad Jokisch, Ohio University Migration Information Source, February 2007	Canada: A Northern Refuge for Central Americans By María Cristina García, Cornell University Migration Information Source, April 2006
The Central American Foreign Born in the United States By Megan Davy Migration Information Source, April 2006 Over half of all Central American foreign born in the United States are from El Salvador and Guatemala. MPI's Megan Davy examines the numbers as well as events and policies that have shaped Central American migration.	Guatemala: Economic Migrants Replace Political Refugees By James Smith, Inforpress Centroamericana Migration Information Source, April 2006 Guatemala's long civil war, which spurred large flows of refugees, has given way to high levels of economic migration to the United States and an economy more dependent on remittances. Also, Guatemala’s geography has made it a prime transit country for migrants headed north.
Colombia: In the Crossfire By Myriam Bérubé Migration Information Source, November 2005 Colombia's ongoing armed conflict has caused millions to leave the country, both as economic migrants and as refugees; millions more have been internally displaced. While the government struggles with these issues, it is also courting Colombians abroad.	Central America: Crossroads of the Americas By Sarah J. Mahler and Dusan Ugrina, Florida International University Migration Information Source, April 2006 Many migratory streams from Central America — including refugees, economic migrants, and transit flows headed north from South America and elsewhere — have converged in North America since the 1980s.
Middle East
The Lebanese Crisis and Its Impact on Immigrants and Refugees By Kara Murphy, MPI Migration Information Source, September 2006 The recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah displaced Lebanese but also affected Lebanon's hundreds of thousands migrant workers and refugees. MPI's Kara Murphy reports on these groups and highlights the Lebanese diaspora's efforts to help.	Perceptions of Afghan Refugees By Joanne van Selm Global Responses to Terrorism: 9/11, Afghanistan and Beyond (Routledge, 2003) In this chapter, Senior Policy Analyst Joanne van Selm examines perceptions of Afghan refugees based on a scarcity of compelling images, and how these perceptions have influenced policy-making of countries balancing refugee rights with security concerns in the "war on terror."
Reconciling Refugees Protection and Security Concerns in Wartime: The Case of Iraq By Monette Zard and Erin Patrick, MPI MPI Policy Brief No. 3, April 2003 PDF Version \| Purchase from Bookstore	Notes from the Field: MPI Expert Returns from Iraqi Border By Monette Zard, MPI Background Paper, 2003
Reconstructing Afghanistan: Lessons for Post-War Iraq? By Erin Patrick Migration Information Source, April 2003 The obstacles to humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan could foreshadow those in post-war Iraq. MPI's Erin Patrick maps out some of the possible lessons for policymakers and aid workers.	Refugees from War in Iraq: What Happened in 1991 and What May Happen in 2003 By Peter Galbraith MPI Policy Brief No. 2, February 2003 Peter W. Galbraith, Professor of National Security Studies at the National War College and a former US Ambassador to Croatia, reviews what happened in the 1991 Gulf War and presents possible scenarios and factors affecting the movements of refugee and internally displaced people in Iraq. PDF Version \| Purchase from Bookstore
Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born By Shirin Hakimzadeh and David Dixon, MPI Migration Information Source, June 2006 The size of the Iranian born population in the United States has more than doubled since Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1978-1979.	[Return to Top]
United States
Refugee Resettlement in Metropolitan America Audrey Singer and Jill Wilson, Brookings Institution Migration Information Source, March 2007 Since 1983, the United States has resettled more than 1.6 million refugees. Audrey Singer and Jill H. Wilson of The Brookings Institution present the first report on US metropolitan destinations, where the vast majority of refugees were placed between 1983 and 2004.	Spotlight on Refugees and Asylees in the United States By Jeanne Batalova Migration Information Source, August 2006 In 2005, the United States admitted almost 54,000 refugees for resettlement and granted asylum to more than 25,000 people. MPI’s Jeanne Batalova takes a detailed look at refugee and asylum statistics in the United States.
The United States Refugee Admissions Program: Reforms for a New Era of Refugee Resettlement By David A. Martin, MPI Nonresident Fellow and the Warner-Booker Distinguished Professor of International Law at the University of Virginia Summer 2005 Commissioned by the US State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, this study presents a comprehensive picture of the selection and admissions processes for resettling refugees in the United States. The book is a valuable resource for resettlement agencies, advocacy groups, state refugee coordinators, and others who need a thorough understanding of the way resettlement works. The report also examines the flaws in resettlement practices and offers a detailed set of recommendations to improve the program. Executive Summary \| Purchase from Bookstore	The US Refugee Program in Transition By David Martin MPI Nonresident Scholar and Professor, University of Virginia School of Law Migration Information Source, May 2005
US Detention of Asylum Seekers and Human Rights By Bill Frelick, Amnesty International USA Migration Information Source, March 2005 Bill Frelick reports on why the United States' detention of asylum seekers concerns the human rights community.	The US Refugee Resettlement Program By Erin Patrick Migration Information Source, June 2004 According to the latest figures, the US refugee resettlement program is still operating well below traditional levels long after being thrown into crisis by the September 11 attacks.
Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born in the United States By Shirin Hakimzadeh and David Dixon, MPI Migration Information Source, June 2006 From 1980 to 2004, more than one out of every four Iranian immigrants to the United States was a refugee or asylee. This overview provides background and statistics.	[Return to Top]