Annual Report 2001 - 2002 Refugee Studies Centre, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford The Refugee Studies Centre (RSC) was established in 1982 as part of the University of Oxford’s International Development Centre at CONTENTS Queen Elizabeth House. It has since won an international reputation as the leading Director’s Foreword 1 multidisciplinary centre for research and teaching on the causes and consequences of Queen’s Anniversary Prize: Refugee Studies 2 forced migration. Its philosophy is to combine Centre wins Royal Recognition world class academic research with a commitment to improving the lives and 3-5 Current Research at the RSC situation for some of the world’s most disadvantaged people. Its major objectives are: Feature Article: European-Focused Research 6-7 at the RSC Research: to carry out multidisciplinary Teaching 8-9 research including policy-relevant work on the causes and consequences of forced migration Library 10 with an emphasis on understanding the experience of forced migration from the point Forced Migration Online 11 of view of affected peoples. Publications 12-13 Teaching: to provide taught and research Institutional Links 14 degrees and other courses to students, academics, policy makers and practitioners in Conferences and Seminars 15 the field of forced migration. Staff Publications 16 Dissemination: to provide documentation and information for researchers, practitioners and Staff Activities and Presentations 17 the public and to develop forums for the discussion of research and policy issues Students & Visiting Fellows 18-19 affecting refugees and other forced migrants. Accounts 20 International Cooperation and Capacity- Staff, Associates and Patrons Inside back cover Building: to work alongside academic institutions and networks focusing on issues of Funders Back cover forced migration, helping to strengthen their capacity to develop their own research agendas and teaching courses. Refugee Studies Centre Queen Elizabeth House Compiled by Paul Ryder University of Oxford Design and production by Corinne Owen Printed by Oxuniprint 21 St Giles, Oxford Cover photo: Afghan refugees in Pakistan: a refugee at OX1 3LA, UK Jalozai carries water to her tent. Tel: +44 (0)1865 270722 © UNHCR/C. Shirley Fax: +44 (0)1865 270721 E-mail: [email protected] www.rsc.ox.ac.uk he situation for refugees and forced migrants has improved little in the past Ttwelve months. Afghanistan continued to dominate the headlines with up to two million refugees returning in 2002. As the USA and the UK prepare for the next battle in the ‘war against terrorism’ in Iraq, international contributions to rebuild Afghanistan fell short of initial promises. Foreword Director’s Throughout Southern Africa the combined ravages RSC/Owen of drought, floods, war and political unrest have Professor Castles, Ruud Lubbers and students lead to widespread famine and displacement. funding. Special thanks are extended to the A W Many Western states increased their hard- Mellon Foundation which has continued to be our line stance on asylum. Australia’s policy of most generous benefactor, awarding us new grants 1 mandatory detention and the ‘Pacific Solution’ of for links partnerships in Thailand and Indonesia, for sending asylum seekers to islands like Nauru and research on refugee children and adolescents and Papua New Guinea provide examples. In the UK for two posts at the RSC. The Ford Foundation has the new Immigration, Nationality and Asylum Bill also generously supported our fellowship in refugee includes measures to streamline asylum decisions, law, and provided funding for workshops, the provide segregated education, develop accommo- summer school bursaries and the Arabic edition of dation centres for recent arrivals, limit the right to Forced Migration Review. The Robert A Johnson appeal against asylum decisions and to simplify the 1993 Discretionary Settlement and the Lee process for removal. Foundation of Singapore have made important After considerable pressure from the British contributions to the Endowment Fund for a Home Office, the French Government closed the Lectureship. A full list of donors can be found on Red Cross Centre in Sangatte. As aid organisations the back page of this report. predicted, this forced desperate individuals back The past year saw the first Southeast Asia onto the streets of Calais. As I write, asylum seekers Regional School on Forced Migration in Thailand have sought refuge in a church where they are in December 2001. Held in conjunction with the surrounded by riot police. At the Seville European Asian Research Centre for Migration, Union meeting in June, controversial plans to cut Chulalongkorn University, the school was very EU aid to countries that failed to cooperate in the successful and is to be repeated in December 2003. return of asylum seekers were eventually dropped In March we heard of the success of an Oxford in favour of slightly more humanitarian measures University bid to the Economic and Social focusing on trade agreements. Research Council for the establishment of In contrast to such developments I am COMPAS, the Centre on Migration, Policy and delighted to report on more positive news. The Society. I will be heading the Migration-Asylum Refugee Studies Centre has been awarded a Nexus programme within COMPAS, the other Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further programmes will also feed into the work of the Education. Awarded every two years, these Prizes RSC. Plans are already underway for cooperation recognise centres of excellence in education and between the centres’ libraries. community outreach. Further details of the award The much anticipated digital library went appear overleaf. This achievement is a tribute to the live in June. This, together with Forced Migration hard work, commitment and belief of all those Online, launched on 21 November 2002, will involved with the RSC: staff, friends and funders, make available a huge variety of resources partners and collaborators - and to the refugees concerning the situation of forced migrants themselves who have helped inform the Centre’s worldwide. Among a number of distinguished research and teaching. There are too many people guests the RSC was especially pleased to welcome to mention individually but it would be remiss of the High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud me if I failed to mention the contributions of our Lubbers, in July. first Director, Barbara Harrell-Bond, and her In the year to come, the RSC will continue successor, David Turton. The Director and Acting work in existing key areas of research and teaching. Director of Queen Elizabeth House, Frances The Mellon Foundation grant will allow an Stewart and Rosemary Thorp, also gave a great deal expansion of our work on children and forced The University of of support. The fact that Oxford University put migration. A new area of work will be the logistics Oxford Distinctions forward the RSC as its entry for the Queen’s Prize of emergency relief (with generous support from Committee has shows that the Centre is now fully appreciated as the Fritz Institute). The Dana Declaration will be conferred on Dr an integral part of the University. This is reinforced the focus of continuing efforts in the area of Stephen Castles the by the decision of the Social Science Division to conservation-induced displacement. Work on the title of Professor of create, for the first time, a University Lectureship in political economy of forced migration and its role Migration and Forced Migration at the RSC. in global governance will be expanded. Finally, we Refugee Studies We thank individuals, trusts, agencies and plan to improve our dissemination activities from 1 October foundations for their ongoing financial support, through enhanced Working Papers and Policy 2002. without which the RSC could not exist. This year Papers series. the RSC attracted more than £2.5 million in new Foreword by Prof Stephen Castles, Director Refugee Studies Centre wins Royal Recognition “A world-class centre for the study of forced migration and refugees has been created at the University of Oxford. With its pioneering research and innovative Queen’s Anniversary PrizeQueen’s education and training programmes the Refugee Studies Centre has had a major constructive influence throughout the developed and developing world and has stimulated effective international networks. 2 The Centre has played a leading role in defining a new field of research and study. … It works closely with UN agencies such as the UNHCR and UNICEF and with international organisations such as the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children Fund, Oxfam and Médecins sans Frontières. Its seminal publications have helped to transform both perceptions and policies regarding refugees. Supporting statements: The Centre was the first academic “I have followed the work of the Refugee institution to offer a graduate degree in Studies Centre (RSC) closely for the past forced migration. It has also benefited two decades. During that time I have seen the RSC develop into the world’s leading thousands through its summer schools, centre for the study and teaching of forced fellowship programmes and short courses migration issues.” Jeff Crisp - Head of the held in the UK and overseas. It has built up Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit, United the world’s leading library on forced Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. migration and refugee issues and developed a wide range of publications and “The RSC has been a resource and a model distance learning packages. The Centre’s for all who hope to relieve the suffering of Forced Migration Review is the leading the displaced through the generation and practitioner journal on refugee studies. application of knowledge.” Carolyn Forced Migration Online, launched in 2002, Makinson - Programme Officer for Population and Forced Migration, The Andrew W Mellon is a comprehensive online information Foundation. system which enables all those working with the displaced to gain immediate “The distinctive contribution made by the access to an invaluable body of knowledge Centre lies in the combination of high and expertise.” The Royal Anniversary Trust quality research, the promotion of that citation.