RSC newsletter spring 2010 header right

FEATURE ‘No right to dream’: Being young and undocumented in Britain

News Meeting humanitarian challenges in urban areas Funding news RSC courses

Activities Jan Egeland’s visit to the RSC Revisiting feminist strategies of inclusion relating to violence against women

Publications and seminars Wednesday Seminar Series: dialogues between academia and practice Forced Migration Policy Briefing: Iraq’s refugees – beyond tolerance New Working Papers

Conferences New perspectives on Romani migration and mobility – conference report Deportation and citizenship – conference report Faith-based humanitarianism conference

Alumni Naoko Hashimoto Dr. Solomon Kebede Goshu News

Meeting Funding news humanitarian In the last quarter of 2009 we were delighted to receive an RSC courses challenges in increased commitment from urban areas the Swiss government to launch A second edition of last year’s a pilot research project on short course on statelessness is Cities in the fast-urbanising environmental displacement, scheduled to take place from global south are increasingly bringing their contribution to 16–18 April 2010. The course susceptible to humanitarian €50,000. At the same time we will focus on statelessness and crises. Over one billion people were able to raise partnership international law. The issue of live in urban slums, exposed to funding for this project from the statelessness is rising steadily urban hazards and associated Norwegian Ministry of Foreign on the agenda of the UN, vulnerabilities. Refugees and Affairs, who committed NOK governments and civil society IDPs share these environments, 410,000, along with $24,000 from in many parts of the world. accentuating their exposure UNHCR. The project is due to There is also an increasing to complex emergencies and run for six months and will, we body of both theoretical and humanitarian crises. hope, form the foundation for empirical research looking at Refugee Studies Centre From July to November 2009, a major academic study on this citizenship – and its absence – Department of RSC Director Professor Roger important subject. from various perspectives. International Development Zetter was consultant to a Task We are grateful to the Lee This course, intended for Force convened by the UN Inter- Foundation for a contribution experienced practitioners and Agency Standing Committee of £12,000 to our core costs. The graduate researchers, draws on 3 Mansfield Road to prepare an Initial Strategy Lee Foundation supported the the expertise of RSC staff and Oxford OX1 3TB, UK Paper on Meeting humanitarian Refugee Studies Centre in its associates, as well as members challenges in urban areas. UN- earlier days. of external institutions, Tel: +44 (0)1865 281720 HABITAT led this dialogue The ERSTE Stiftung including UNHCR. Fax: +44 (0)1865 281730 involving 26 UN agencies, committed €15,000 funding for Email: [email protected] NGOs and the Red Cross and the conference Romani Mobilities Please contact Dr Alice Edwards www.rsc.ox.ac.uk Red Crescent Movement. in Europe. We hope this will at [email protected] Many humanitarian actors form the first steps of a fruitful for further details. have experience in responding partnership with this foundation. Design by www.advocate.uk.com to urban disasters but levels We are grateful for the Registration for the 21st Printed on 50% recycled paper of expertise are varied. individual gifts we receive from International Summer School To date there has been no friends, alumni and donors who in Forced Migration is now systematic assessment of – value and support our work. open. The course takes place nor mechanisms to share – from 5–23 July 2010. You can operational capabilities, For more information, apply online or by fax/post. The assessment methodologies, contact Amelia Richards, closing date for applications guidelines and programme Head of Development, at is 1 March 2010 for applicants design and delivery. [email protected] requesting sponsorship through The Task Force provided the RSC and 1 May 2010 for all a first-stage review of a other applicants. range of challenges and has established a platform for For further details, contact RSC’s more detailed mapping and Outreach Programme Manager then mainstreaming of policy at [email protected] and practice. An article on its findings appears in 34.

2 RSC SPRING 2010 Activities

Revisiting feminist strategies of inclusion relating to violence against women

RSC Lecturer in International Refugee and Human Rights Law Dr Alice Edwards was invited by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to be the keynote entre speaker at an event to mark the United Nations’ 16 Days of tudies C Activism on Violence against Women, held in Geneva on 26

© Refugee S © Refugee November 2009. The event was chaired by Dr Volker Türk, Director of UNHCR’s Department of International Protection Jan Egeland’s visit to the RSC Services, and coincided with the launch of the French, Spanish and Arabic versions of UNHCR’s Handbook on the Protection The RSC was delighted to host Jan Egeland on 18 November of Women and Girls. The event was well attended, with the 2009. Mr Egeland acquired 25 years of experience in participation of around 60 officials of various international and humanitarian, human rights and peace work before his non-governmental organisations. appointment as UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Dr Edwards’ paper reviewed the various ‘inclusion strategies’ Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator in June 2003 (until of feminist activists, as well as international and non- December 2006). Mr Egeland is currently the director of the governmental organisations, to incorporate the issue of violence Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. against women into existing human rights norms, noting that During his day in Oxford, Mr Egeland held a question and there is still no explicit prohibition on violence against women answer session for students reading for the MSc in Forced at the level of international law. These strategies have included Migration. 30 students peppered Mr Egeland with questions defining norms such as torture, slavery, persecution and sex regarding northern Uganda, North Korea, Colombia, lack of discrimination as covering acts of rape, sexual violence, female control of distribution in humanitarian emergencies, inter- genital mutilation, forced marriage, sex-selective abortion, agency coordination at the UN, neutrality and the timeline of infanticide and other threats to women’s bodies, lives and moving from humanitarian concerns to political engagement. dignity. Acknowledging that there has been significant progress In the evening Mr Egeland gave the tenth annual Harrell- made since the UN Charter of 1945, she challenged others Bond lecture, entitled ‘Beyond blankets: in search of political working in this area to continually re-evaluate these strategies, deals and durable solutions for the displaced’. Mr Egeland began pointing out the concern that short-term strategies of inclusion the lecture with an account of world trends and asked: Is the can play into and reinforce entrenched inequalities within the world becoming a better or worse place? As an optimist, Mr framework of international law. Her presentation was followed Egeland thinks we have made progress but he cautioned that by a lively question and answer session. the world today is more socially unjust – whether in reality or The presentation was based on work towards her forthcoming by perception – than ever before. He attributed this as a cause of book on the same subject: Alice Edwards, Violence against some migration and described it as an increasingly tense issue Women and International Human Rights Law (Cambridge that must be resolved. He also discussed the need to engage in University Press, 2010). seeking political and security solutions in protracted refugee situations and cited examples from Darfur, the Ivory Coast, For further information, please contact Dr Alice Edwards at Zimbabwe, Uganda, Liberia and Iraq. [email protected] The podcast of the lecture is available on Forced Migration Online and the slides that Mr Egeland used to illustrate his lecture are available in PDF format.

Amanda Craig, MSc Candidate in Forced Migration

RSC SPRING 2010 3 feature

‘NO RIGHT TO DREAM’ BEING YOUNG AND UNDOCUMENTED IN BRITAIN

What does it mean to be young and undocumented in networks and friendships, housing and access to medical help contemporary Britain? How do young migrants cope with and justice. Being undocumented often creates a transitory life in Britain at a time of economic downturn and the and insecure identity. Lack of status is an all-encompassing government’s ‘tough touch’ on undocumented migrants? Built experience, producing distinctive forms of social marginality around the voices of 75 migrants from five countries (Brazil, with significant impacts such as ‘enforced’ mobility in the China, Turkey, Ukraine and Zimbabwe), this research into the search for accommodation, for work or to avoid detection. social and economic lives of young undocumented migrants However, motivations for migration differ between country of in Britain captures a complex reality, moving between the origin groups depending on their social, economic and political uniqueness of the individual experience and the search for circumstances prior to migration, as illustrated in the following patterns and commonalities across migrants’ accounts of their accounts: everyday lives and experiences. Being undocumented has significant practical, social and I came to this country because I had political problems. I thought economic impacts and permeates the everyday lives and England is more honest on this issue… We thought England decisions of young people, including jobs and job search, social would not give us to Turkey. (Amed, 29, Turkish Kurd)

4 RSC SPRING 2010 feature

This study was commissioned by the Paul Hamlyn main ways of finding jobs, although a minority also had to Foundation, under its Social Justice Programme, and explores pay a fee to ‘professional’ mediators to get a job. However, this the social and economic lives, motivations and aspirations of varies according to the size and settlement patterns among the undocumented young migrants in England. It is based on in- five groups and is affected by the extent to which community depth interviews and testimonies collected between August and faith-based groups exist. Moreover, even when they and December 2008 from 75 young people (35 women and were present, not all young people elected to use these more 40 men) living in London, the North West and the West formalised support organisations and groups, preferring instead Midlands. Interviews were carried out in first languages by to remain hidden and separate. As a Ukrainian migrant explains: field researchers with the requisite language skills. All those whom I socialise with are all Ukrainians, all undocumented. (Dmytro, 22, Ukrainian) At that time, although lots of people were going abroad, most went to other countries. Those leaving for the UK were not so The social world of young undocumented migrants is the result many. It was thought that since not too many were going to the of a continuous interplay between their needs and aspirations UK, finding work should be easier. (Jessy Chang, 21, Chinese) and the constraints due to their lack of status. These constraints affect young undocumented migrants differently and the principal These differences affect the aspirations and hopes of young factors that produce differences are country of origin, ethnic group, people, their plans for the future and their fears of return. The gender, pre-migration experiences, as well as their experiences reasons why people choose Britain as a destination are based in the UK. Inevitably, the issue of trust is central in the creation on economic considerations, social and kinship networks, of social networks among young undocumented migrants. historical, political and cultural ties and/or perceptions about Being undocumented limits aspirations and many talked human rights in Britain. In reality, though, little was known about being trapped, unfulfilled and unable to make plans. about Britain before arrival and there was little systematic effort For some, life is simply existing, for others it is a temporary to collect reliable information. phase, and some are considering return. The lack of states, Many young undocumented migrants come to Britain undocumentedness, invades personal and emotional space, to work. The interviews reveal low pay, clustering in a few, often leading to a shadow existence, a lack of self worth, a generally low-skilled employment sectors, lack of progression, lack of trust in others and often the internalisation of fear for and exploitation in the labour market. A Chinese migrant offers themselves and families. The demands of life courses produce a glimpse of his everyday life: adaptation and adjustment strategies yet there is an ever present sense of feeling trapped in a situation where marginality cannot I work till midnight, well after midnight, until the boss goes… Life be resolved and a future cannot be constructed. Thus, making is just like this every day. I spend my time like this every single plans for the future – a crucial part of the optimism of youth – day (Huadi Zhang, 29, Chinese). is constantly appraised against the possibility of being arrested and deported. Increasingly restrictive immigration controls and the impact The research was carried out by Professor Alice Bloch, of the economic crisis are acutely felt. These conditions are Department of Sociology, City University London, and Dr reinforced by perceptions of anti-immigrant political rhetoric. Nando Sigona and Professor Roger Zetter, Refugee Studies Not surprisingly, trying to get some kind of status is a dominant Centre, University of Oxford. The final report is available in aspiration. The effect of punitive immigration measures, PDF format on the RSC website. including raids on businesses thought to be employing migrants without permission to work, has lowered wages and increased For more information, please contact Dr Nando Sigona at vulnerability, as illustrated in the following accounts: [email protected]

I think for this kind of job in a takeaway shop, normally I should be paid £280, £290 or even up to £300 [a week]. Instead I got £210. He paid less because he said I had no residential status. (Gao Zeng, 24, Chinese)

There’s always a fear, I’m always watching over my shoulder as I could get caught working here? (Ray, 21, Zimbabwean)

Social, community and faith group networks are crucial to the social and economic lives of young undocumented migrants but there was little contact with people from outside of the immediate country of origin and linguistic groups. Social networks from the same country of origin group were the

RSC SPRING 2010 5 publications and seminars

Dialogues New Working Papers between The RSC Working Paper Series is intended to aid the rapid academia and Iraq’s refugees distribution of work in progress, research findings, essays, practice Policy Briefing special lectures and conference papers by RSC researchers, associates and students. The Papers aim to stimulate discussion During Hilary term 2010, The RSC fourth policy among the worldwide community of scholars, policymakers the RSC Public Seminars briefing, Iraq’s refugees – and practitioners. will focus on the dialogue beyond tolerance, considers In 2008–09, a record-breaking number of students – ten in between academia and practice, the situation of displaced all – were awarded a distinction for their dissertation. The MSc addressing the contentious populations within Iraq and of examination committee recommended making their theses nature of the linkage between communities of Iraqis living available as part of this series. academic research on the role of under difficult circumstances The RSC recently added seven new titles to its Working academia vis-à-vis practice. in a number of other [or Papers Series. Six are based on MSc dissertations and one paper The programme includes ‘neighbouring’] Middle Eastern is a collection of papers based on presentations given at the presentations on prima facie states. The paper suggests September 2009 international conference Protecting People in refugee status determination; that despite military and Conflict and Crisis and a roundtable discussion on Post War communicating the refugee policy discourses of renewed Future in Sri Lanka. experience outside of academia; stability in Iraq, the crisis is uneasy dialogues between far from over and mass return WP 53: Protection and livelihoods of displaced female refugee research and policy; is unlikely as long as security adolescents: Could casuistry be a methodology for the UK Border Agency and the remains a key concern. It humanitarians?, Veronika Talviste use of evidence-based policy; presents some key principles for WP 54: How long is too long? Questioning the legality of long- protecting Palestinian children; consideration by policymakers term encampment through a human rights lens, Sarah Deardorff human security and non-citizens; in government, migration WP 55: Prima facie determination of refugee legal status: An the dynamics of displacement agencies and humanitarian overview of its legal foundation, Matthew Albert in East and Central Africa; and networks and recommends that WP 56: Did 9/11 matter? Securitisation of asylum and migration the use and abuse of research in further research be conducted in the European Union from 1992 to 2009, Dace Schlentz forced migration. on the scale, circumstances and WP 57: The securitisation of asylum: Protecting UK residents, The seminar on 24 February patterns of movement of Iraqis Joshua Seidman-Zager will also feature the launch of within and beyond the Middle WP 58: Civilian protection in Sri Lanka under threat, Edward Human security and non-citizens: East. Benson, Bhavani Fonseka and Ambika Satkunanathan law, policy and international This policy brief is written WP 59: From ethnic insiders to refugee outsiders: A community affairs, an edited collection by Dr by Dr Philip Marfleet, Centre level ethnography of Greek Cypriot identity formation and Alice Edwards (RSC) and Carla for Research on Refugees, transference since displacement, Rebecca Brubaker Ferstman, Director of REDRESS. Migration and Belonging at The full seminar list can be the University of East London, The RSC anticipates adding three more papers by MSc students found on the RSC website. and Dr Dawn Chatty, Deputy focusing on, a comparative perspective of Xinjiang and Tibet; The seminars take place Director of the RSC. the causes of violence in refugee camps; and, young male on Wednesday at 5pm, at 3 asylum seekers and refugees in Britain. Other forthcoming Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 The briefing is available in PDF Papers will address the right to protect and internally 3TB. Refreshments will be format. displaced persons; protection of civilians in Darfur; and the provided after each seminar. reconstruction process of Nahr El-Barid Palestinian refugee The editor of the series, Héloïse camp in Lebanon. Contact: [email protected] Ruaudel, would welcome feedback on the briefing at The Working Papers are distributed free of charge via the RSC [email protected] website. Hard copies may also be purchased. Contact Paul Ryder: [email protected]

6 RSC SPRING 2010 CONFERENCEs

Deportation and citizenship – conference Faith-based report humanitarianism On 11–12 December 2009 entre conference the RSC and the Centre tudies C on Migration, Policy and The RSC and the Las Casas

© Refugee S © Refugee Society (COMPAS) hosted Institute on Ethics, Governance an international conference and Social Justice (Blackfriars New perspectives on Romani on deportation and the Hall, Oxford University) are development of citizenship, organising an international migration and mobility – part of a project on deportation conference on ‘Faith-based conference report and citizenship funded by the humanitarianism: the response John Fell Oxford University of faith communities and faith- Policy and media attention on the phenomenon of Romani Press Fund. It attracted based organisations to people migration and mobility is mainly the result of the raising academics and practitioners affected by conflict, crisis and widespread intolerance toward Roma throughout Europe, and to from 12 countries. The presence forced migration’. date it has been narrowly confined within a discourse on security of international experts on The conference is scheduled and control. This attention has produced a number of ‘calls for deportation, such as Professor to take place in Oxford on tenders’ and policy workshops on the subject matter but not much Daniel Kanstroom, Professor 21–23 September 2010. It empirical, academically sound research and informed debate. Antje Ellermann and Professor will convene academics, On 14–15 January 2010, the RSC held an international Guy Goodwin-Gill, plus humanitarian practitioners, conference on ‘Romani mobilities in Europe’, which brought representatives from the UK policymakers, theologians and together Romani and non-Romani scholars and students from Home Office, the International inter-faith representatives. It a variety of disciplines. The main aim of the conference was to Organisation for Migration and aims to consider the motives, offer different perspectives on the issue of Roma migration and advocacy groups enabled a rich role and impact of faith- mobility and to open up the debate to alternative framings. and lively discussion. based organisations in their The conference was convened by Dr Nando Sigona and The issues addressed included responses to people affected Professor Roger Zetter and generously supported by the John aspects of immigration law, by conflict, crisis and forced Fell Fund and the ERSTE Stiftung. deportability, resistance to migration and how faith- The conference programme included three plenary sessions deportation and what happens based approaches differ from (on the Europeanisation of the Roma issue; migration, mobility after deportation. It emerged the responses of secular and identity; and activism, advocacy and the politics of that the discussions centred humanitarian organisations. research), fifteen panels with over fifty speakers from eighteen on the many ways in which The conference will discuss the different countries, a book launch, a Romani jazz band and a deportation reveals changing role faith plays in the lives of keynote speech by Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne. notions and practices of forced migrants. It will touch The podcasts of the plenary sessions are available to listen to on membership across different on the occasional culpability Forced Migration Online. societies. Most of the of faith-based institutions in In her speech, Baroness Nicholson, member of the House of presentations will be made generating conflicts leading Lords, offered an assessment of the ‘Decade of Roma Inclusion’, available as online working to forced displacement while the World Bank- and Soros Foundation-sponsored initiative papers. Some will also be also considering the role of which, by bringing together governments, intergovernmental considered for publication as faith communities and faith- and nongovernmental organisations, as well as Romani civil part of a special issue of a peer- based organisations in conflict society, aims to accelerate progress toward improving the reviewed academic journal. mediation and resolution. welfare of Roma. Contact Dr Emanuela Paoletti For more information, please The conference proceedings are available for download. for more information: contact the Policy Programme [email protected] Officer Héloïse Ruaudel at Please contact Dr Nando Sigona for more information: [email protected] [email protected]

RSC SPRING 2010 7 ALUMNI

Alumni

Dr. Solomon Kebede Goshu, Summer School 2009

Amidst a protracted humanitarian crisis in Darfur which has devastated the health system, particularly in rural areas, International Medical Corps is making emergency obstetric care services possible through training and support. International Medical Corps was founded in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses and has been operating in Darfur since August 2004 in response to the current crisis. I have had tephen) the honour of serving as the country director in Darfur since 2005. We are responding to the health, nutrition and water and hygiene needs of more than half a million conflict-affected TH0331 (Photo: Pindie S TH0331 (Photo: people in West and South Darfur. International Medical Corps works closely with the

2008 – M © IOM Ministry of Health, local communities, health volunteers IOM transports Karen refugees to Mae Sot for medical screening and medical staff to help address the immediate health gaps, while also rehabilitating local health-care infrastructure to Naoko Hashimoto, MSc 1999–2000 restore sustainable health services. We incorporate training and capacity building into all of our programmes, so that Since 2007, I have been working for the Tokyo office of the the community and the Ministry of Health can continue International Organisation for Migration (IOM) as programme services over the long term. In just the last six months, we have manager. One of my responsibilities is the creation and facilitated the training of 715 staff from International Medical overall coordination of a scheme for the first ever refugee Corps – supported health facilities and 1,028 community resettlement to Japan. The government of Japan announced in workers received training on priority health topics. December 2008 that Japan would accept a total of 90 refugees As the crisis in Darfur continues – now in its sixth year – the from Myanmar – currently living in Thailand – on a pilot border areas of Chad and the north-east of the Central African basis. Under this pilot scheme, which will run from 2010 to Republic (CAR) have become plagued by ethnic violence, 2012, IOM will provide support to the Japanese government government and armed group standoffs, and wide-spread when they interview refugees in Thailand, conducting banditry. The triangle of violence in this region has resulted comprehensive health assessment and treatment of individual in mass displacement, each nation with people fleeing as well refugees, carrying out pre-departure cultural orientation and as receiving refugees. International Medical Corps is the only language training, and taking responsibility for the exit and international non-governmental organisation with cross-border entry procedure and transportation from the refugee camp in operations in Eastern Chad, West Darfur and north-eastern Thailand to Tokyo. CAR that is providing care to refugees as well as to conflict- My current position is a direct result of career moves taken affected internally displaced persons and host communities. over the last decade, including the excellent education I By strategically investing in the existing health-care obtained through the MSc in Forced Migration at the Refugee infrastructure and by increasing the human resource capacity Studies Centre. I gained practical experience as advisor on from within the refugee, internally displaced and host human rights and humanitarian affairs for Japan’s Permanent communities, International Medical Corps is helping to put in Mission to the United Nations in New York, as project officer at place mechanisms and capacity that will help avert major public the counter-trafficking unit at the headquarters of IOM, and as health emergencies, which would have tragic and devastating associate protection officer for UNHCR in northern Sri Lanka. consequences on human life in this fragile region.

I am very happy to keep the RSC and other interested parties To find out more about International Medical Corps, visit our informed of how the Myanmarese refugees integrate into Japan. website.

Contact Naoko: [email protected] Contact Solomon: [email protected]

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