278 research outputs found
Danish Refugee Council 2010 Annual Report
In the international area, we help displaced people with identification papers and papers documenting their right of ownership, etc. In this way, DRC advocates the cause of displaced people applying a rights-based approach.
Advocacy can be complicated and may affect our programme activities. We live in a globalised world, and therefore, what we say in Denmark will be heard far and wide. A couple of years ago, DRC was critical of the forced return of Tamil asylum seekers at a time when the war was at its highest, which was why we were concerned about the fate of the Tamil asylum seekers who were forced to return. Our criticism was communicated to a national Danish newspaper which the authorities in Sri Lanka read, and they did not like our critical comments. Our local country director was summoned for meetings, and the matter was explained. This demonstrates that our communication and advocacy are subject to new requirements in a world where news, statements and information circulate freely and fast.
Humanitarian report
Today, we can say that we help more than one million displaced people all over the world; however, it is more complicated to give a brief and clear account of our accomplishments for the individual displaced person and his or her community. What is the effect of our work â measured on a number of indicators that specifically show how we made a difference â e.g. how many children have been given the opportunity to go to school, or how many families have been able to return home and resume the cultivation of cleared land.
We are working on preparing a humanitarian report that better shows the effect of our humanitarian aid. In the future, DRCâs humanitarian report will be presented separately from the annual report.
Improved efficiency
In a period of strong growth, we must be particularly careful about improving efficiency in the organisation. It is important for two reasons: Firstly, we must always be conscious of how we spend our resources that are first and foremost for the benefit of displaced people. Secondly, it is our obligation to private donors as well as to donors providing tax-funded donations.
We therefore continuously aim at improving efficiency, and we expect that we will be able to maintain a high degree of cost awareness in the entire organisation.
In the following, the reader will get an understanding of DRCâs multi-faceted activities during 2010. We are proud of the work carried out by our many employees
Asylum Seekers and the Refugee Determination Procedure
Extracts from a Position Paper by the Refugee Council of Australia
Building Assets for Humanitarian Settings
This document is the Womenâs Refugee Commission and the Population Councilâs adaptation of the Building Assets Toolkit and its core activity, the Asset Exercise, for use in humanitarian contexts. An asset-building exercise is a thoughtful way to build intentional program content for girls to determine what assets they need in order to survive and thrive. This is particularly important for programs intended to reach the poorest girls in the poorest communities based on sound evidence on the reality of their lives. The Councilâs Building Assets Toolkit is rooted in this exercise, helping practitioners, policymakers, and advocates build tailored, meaningful, and positive content to support specific subpopulations of girls. Building a girlâs asset proďŹle is a process of envisioning what success looks like at different ages and in different places. Framed by local conditions and data, it is a strength-based approach that builds upon girlsâ existing capabilities. The Building Assets Toolkit is constantly being added to as it is translated into many languages and adapted into various cultural contexts
Evaluating the impact of befriending for pregnant asylum seeking and refugee women
NoPregnant asylum-seeking and refugee women are a particularly vulnerable group in society, who may be possibly living alone in poverty in inappropriate accommodation (Dunne, 2007) and experiencing hostile attitudes (Hynes and sale, 2010). They may have poor physical and mental health, placing them at an increased risk of poor pregnancy outcomes (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 2010). Despite this, they are less likely to attend for timely maternity care. This article discusses the evaluation to date of an ongoing befriending project located in Northern england, targeting pregnant asylum-seeking and refugee women and helping to address difficulties that they may face. Volunteer befrienders, who themselves are asylum-seeking and refugee mothers, receive training to provide support and guidance to clients. Preliminary data suggest that befriending has advantages for both client and volunteer: clients appear to develop a trusting relationship with their befriender which facilitates self-confidence and helps overcome social isolation; and the volunteers feel that they are undertaking a worthwhile role and often move onto paid employment. Befriending may be a useful resource for midwives and ultimately improve pregnancy outcomes for asylum-seeking and refugee women
Governance, forced migration and welfare
This paper explores the welfare of forced migrants (i.e. refugees, asylum-seekers, those with humanitarian leave to remain, and âfailed asylum-seekers/overstayersâ) at three linked levels. First, it considers the governance of forced migrants at a supranational (in this case European Union) level. Second, particularly, but not exclusively in the context of the UK, it considers the extent to which the welfare rights of forced migrants in EU member states have been subject to a process of âhollowing outâ or âdispersalâ. Third, utilizing data from a recently completed qualitative research project, the paper outlines the complex local systems of governance that exist in relation to the housing and social security rights of forced migrants in the UK. The consequences of these networks are highlighted
âOh you donât want asylum seekers, oh youâre just racistâ: A discursive analysis of discussions about whether itâs racist to oppose asylum seeking
ABSTRACT In this article, we explore how speakers discuss whether or not it is racist to oppose asylum seekers. A discourse analysis is conducted on the parts of a corpus of data collected from focus groups with undergraduate students talking about asylum seeking in which they were asked if it is racist to oppose asylum. It is shown that speakers use the word âjustâ as part of a contrast structure which is used to present a topic as self-evidently unreasonable. While some participants orient to the taboo against prejudice, it is shown that there is also an orientation to the idea that accusations of racism are unreasonable and that opposition to asylum is usually based on practical and economic reasons rather than racism. These findings are discussed in light of the growing literature surrounding the changing nature of race talk and new taboos on accusations of racism
Joint Parliamentary Briefing: The Illegal Migration Bill and its impact on children
The Secretary of State for the Home Department ("Home Secretary") introduced theIllegal Migration Bill on 7th March 2023. The Bill moved to the House of Lords, and itsSecond Reading took place on Wednesday, 10th May 2023. The Bill will move to theCommittee stage within the House of Lords on 24th May 2023.1The British Medical Association, British Association of Social Workers, Medical Justice,Refugee Council, and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health are deeplyconcerned by the proposed changes and their impact on children's health, well-being andsafety
The role of non-governmental organisations in the management of separated and unaccompanied children, following disasters in Iran
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Following disasters, separated and unaccompanied children are among the most vulnerable, therefore international organisations have formed guidelines regarding the management of these children. Guidelines include recommendations for identifying and registering children, tracing family members, reunification and arrangements for interim and durable care. There is a lack of experiential evidence on how these principles are put into practice at operational levels, and whether existing policies were useful. There is a particular lack of empirical evidence from the disaster prone country of Iran. The aim of this study was to describe the role of Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the management of separated and unaccompanied children, following disasters in Iran in order to plan for and provision of future disasters.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The Iranian Red Crescent Organisation, Committee Emdad Imam Khomeini (a national organisation unique to Iran that is protected by the government and supported by public contributions) and Behzisti (the government welfare organisation in Iran) are the main figures involved in the management of separated and unaccompanied children, following disasters in Iran. NGOs are rarely responsible for caring for unaccompanied children, however they provide valuable support including financial assistance, arrangement of educational and extra-curricular activities and psychosocial support. Following the initial chaos after the Bam earthquake, international guidelines on separated and unaccompanied children were largely followed.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Systems for managing separated and unaccompanied children following disasters in Iran, involving NGOs, are emerging. However, most are yet to be formalised.</p
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Fatal flaws in the UK asylum decision-making system: an analysis of Home Office refusal letters
The process of deciding who is in need of international protection is well established most western liberal democracies, and has been subject to critical scrutiny for decades. And yet asylum seekers remain vulnerable to serious and ongoing flaws in that system. In this paper, based on research conducted in Afghanistan 2012â2018, Schuster explores a number of shortcomings in the asylum decision-making process, specifically with regard to the rejection of claims from Afghans. The analysis of Reasons for Refusal Letters, allows Schuster to examine the use of key tools in that process (previous cases and country of origin reports). Schuster argues that the current adversarial approach, which seeks to prove an applicant is not credible or does not need protection, undermines the legitimacy of the asylum and risks refusing protection to those in need and or condemning others to years of damaging appeals before they are granted asylum. She concludes by arguing for a shift to a more investigative approach, one that seeks to identify those in need of protection, rather than to keep numbers low
Seed system security assessment: Southern Sudan
A Seed System Security Assessment (SSSA) was carried out across Southern Sudan in NovemberâDecember 2010. It reviewed the functioning of the seed systems farmers use, both formal and informal, and assessed whether farmers could access seed of adequate quantity and quality in the short and medium term. The work covered 8 states and 16 counties, chosen to anticipate the range of possible seed security constraints. Field research encompassed 885 farmer interviews, seed/grain market analysis, interviews with 70 traders, over 25 focus group discussions (including discussions with womenâs groups), and key-informant sessions. Background papers were also commissioned on: a) the formal breeding sectorâs structures and processes; b) the formal seed sectorâs structures and processes; and c) current decentralized seed multiplication and distribution initiatives. This is among the more comprehensive agricultural and seed security assessments carried out nationwide, across Southern Sudan, in many decades
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