Research and publications

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10315/38507

Scholarship and research submitted to the Forced Migration Research Archive.

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Access status: Open Access ,
Mapping Vulnerabilities: The Narratives of Structural Violence
(Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group, 2025-12) Samanta, Gopa
This vast range of existing research on dimensions of vulnerability indicates the exclusivity of different ‘situations’ related to and generating vulnerabilities. While perusing the titles under ‘mapping vulnerabilities’ in web based search engines, it is starkly noticeable that most scholars talk about methods and indices on how to capture the nature and intensity of vulnerabilities in many different parts of the world, and a majority of these studies focus on climate-related crises, such as changes in the sea level and other catastrophic threats, exploring the incidence of threats and the impacts of those threats in terms of risk or possibility of loss. Therefore, it is important to understand how these vulnerabilities are created worldwide by corporate capital in a nexus with international power houses and organisations in this globalised world. ...The term vulnerability raises more questions than giving answers while mapping the socio-politico-economic impact of vulnerabilities. There is no dearth of literature on the procedures and strategies of mapping vulnerabilities. The contextuality of vulnerability like heat islands or water scarcity in cities to floods in the river basin areas gives useful insights into how to map the differential impacts of these threats on different community groups across class and gender through the lens of intersectionality. Thus, it is important to question the process of creating vulnerabilities, otherwise, one may get lost in the process of measuring vulnerabilities rather than looking into the structural processes vis-à-vis structural violence, which create these situations.
Access status: Open Access ,
Administrative inclusion without legal incorporation among Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India
(Springer Nature, 2026-06-11) Bhambu, Sachin
This paper examines the conditions of prolonged displacement and legal ambiguity experienced by Sri Lankan Tamil refugees residing in the Puzhal camp in Chennai, India. Drawing on mixed-method data collected through household surveys (N = 30), semi-structured interviews, and field observations, the study analyses how administrative inclusion without substantive legal incorporation reproduces long-term precarity. Despite decades of residence in India, refugees continue to face significant barriers in accessing welfare schemes, formal employment, higher education, and political rights due to their ambiguous legal status. Quantitative patterns from KoboToolbox data, combined with qualitative narratives, reveal persistent challenges in documentation renewal, livelihood insecurity, and constrained future aspirations. The findings contribute to wider debates on statelessness, postcolonial citizenship and post-war Sri Lankan Tamil displacement by highlighting how administrative exclusion shapes everyday life. The study emphasises the need for rights-based policy reforms that address structural vulnerabilities rather than temporary relief-based mechanisms.
Access status: Open Access ,
From securitisation of migration to aid securitisation? V4 donors and addressing the root causes of migration
(Taylor & Francis, 2026-07-14) Szynol-Orlińska, Monika
The 2014–2016 refugee and migrant crisis led to a hardening of stances and consolidation of resistance to migration in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. Portraying migration as an existential threat to states’ and societies’ security, they took a relentless stance: no migrants from the Middle East and Africa on their territory. At the same time, the V4 countries did not oppose the need for crisis resolution. They supported tackling the root causes of migration, primarily by providing on-the-spot assistance and increasing Official Development Assistance (ODA) transfers. This paper examines the implementation of the ‘root cause’ strategy by V4 donors in the leading countries of origin of asylum-seekers from 2014 to 2016 and in selected transit countries. The analysis tracks how narratives concerning migration have translated into ODA provision (its volume, structure, and delivery channels) and into the use of aid as an instrument serving donors’ interests. The research shows that the V4 response to the crisis was instrumental, limited and selective; despite numerous declarations, the strategy was only partially implemented. Donors were more devoted to externalising migration control and enhancing cooperation with non-EU states than supporting the socio-economic development of countries generating migration pressure.
Access status: Open Access ,
Migration Governance in Central and Eastern European Cities Post-2015
(Springer, 2026-08-19) Łukasiewicz, Karolina; Pachocka, Marta; Nowosielski, Michał
This open-access book provides a thorough overview of migration trends and governance in Central and Eastern European (CEE) cities since 2015. For decades, CEE cities were primarily shaped by emigration. However, more than a decade of unprecedented change—from the 2015 European refugee reception crisis to the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which triggered the largest forced displacement in Europe since World War II—has transformed the region into one of Europe’s most dynamic new immigrant destinations. This volume offers the first comprehensive account of how nine diverse CEE cities across Poland, Czechia, Hungary, and Romania are navigating this new reality. Moving beyond traditional Western-centric models, the book explores the ‘local turn’ in migration studies through the experiences of capital cities such as Warsaw, Prague, and Budapest. It also examines rapidly diversifying second-tier cities like Kraków and Brno, as well as border and shrinking cities including Lublin, Oradea, Płock, and Łomża. Readers are introduced to the innovative CEE Local Migrant Governance Index (CEELMiG), a novel tool designed to measure and compare local policies across CEE cities—capturing integration strategies, coordination mechanisms, migrant participation, research on diversity, and the funding schemes of inclusive measures. From ‘mainstreaming by accident’ to the rise of grassroots solidarity, the book highlights how local administrators, activists, and residents are bridging service gaps and redefining urban citizenship in contexts marked by crisis and illiberal pressures. Migration Governance in CEE Cities Post-2015 is essential reading for scholars and students across disciplines, as well as for policymakers, urban planners, migration practitioners, and anyone interested in how cities respond to—and shape—evolving migration dynamics in Europe.
Access status: Open Access ,
Does unauthorized immigration drive community crime rates? Evidence from 11,500 U.S. neighborhoods
(Taylor & Francis, 2026-08-10) Kubrin, Charis E.; Christopher, Derek; Hodgen, Cheyenne; Luo, Xiaoshuang Iris; Hipp, John R.
Research on the immigration-crime nexus has grown substantially, yet few studies differentiate among immigrants of different legal statuses, including undocumented immigrants. Of those that do, analyses are conducted at state and metropolitan area levels, leaving unanswered the question of how the presence of undocumented immigrants is associated with neighborhood crime rates—our focus. To construct neighborhood-level estimates of the undocumented population, we access restricted-use individual-level Census data, where tract of residence can be identified, and apply an imputation procedure. We combine these estimates with a dataset containing crime information for roughly 11,500 neighborhoods across U.S. cities over a decade. Controlling for change in foreign-born citizens and lawful permanent residents as well as other correlates of community crime rates, we estimate neighborhood-level fixed effects models to determine how change in undocumented residents is associated with change in violent and property crime levels between 2010 and 2018. We find that neighborhoods that experienced greater increases in the share of undocumented residents saw greater reductions in property crime and no detectable change in violent crime. We also document distinct patterns in which increasing undocumented residents is associated with decreasing aggravated assaults but increasing robberies, consistent with a possible victimization explanation.
Access status: Open Access ,
Reconceiving Forced Marriage into Armed Groups as Forced Recruitment in International Refugee Law
(Oxford Academic, 2026-05-24) Querton, Christel
Forced marriage is widespread, occurring in armed conflicts around the world, with armed groups increasingly relying on the practice. Women at risk of, or who have experienced, forced marriage into armed groups may cross international borders and seek asylum in host countries where international refugee law applies. This article provides a unique in-depth analysis of the practice of forced marriage into armed groups under international refugee law. The article demonstrates how inter-disciplinarity enables us to conceive of forced marriage into armed groups as a form of forced recruitment and thereby interpret it as arising for reasons of imputed political opinion in international refugee law. The conceptualization is important, as the main cause of forcible displacement today is violence in armed conflicts. Moreover, it redresses the traditional view of forced marriage as a private and cultural practice imposed by women’s family members and their ethnic or religious communities by revealing its instrumental nature and its strategic and political practice in the context of armed conflicts. The article calls for revised guidance to address the current knowledge and policy gap in international refugee law.
Access status: Open Access ,
Navigating Borders and Drones: A Case of Zimbabwean Migrant Women Entrepreneurs in Botswana
(Sage Journals, 2026-06-29) Sibanda, Kwazinkosi
Border regimes in Southern Africa are increasingly characterised by the deployment of physical and digital surveillance infrastructure. The exclusionary logic echoes colonial-era exclusionary practices where Africans faced strict border controls, while individuals of European and North American descent received preferential visa entry as investors, experts and tourists. The Southern African borders replicate Europe in design and similarly restrict poor African immigrants while facilitating the movement of citizens from the Global North. This article focuses on Zimbabwean migrant women, who are overlooked in migration studies, despite being victims of a long history of mobility restrictions. Using a thematic analysis of social media discussions and in-depth interviews, the study explores how these women navigate bordering in the era of drones and biometric surveillance systems. Drawing on Sharchar’s concept of the shifting border and Martina Tazzioli’s concept of ‘choking without killing’, the analysis examines the explicit and covert strategies of the state that undermine the mobility and entrepreneurial activities of migrant women. Paradoxically, the digital tools in the form of social media communication enable the migrant women entrepreneurs to evade state surveillance. While the digital technology is deployed to exclude, it is simultaneously appropriated by the migrant to evade the surveillance systems.
Access status: Open Access ,
Temporary protection in Turkey and Colombia: state interests, entangled migration realities, policy diffusion and the global erosion of refugee protection standards
(Springer, 2026-05-21) Tolay, Juliette; Gonzalez Siverio, Marcos
Over the last decade, Turkey and Colombia have emerged as major hosts of displaced populations, responding to the Syrian and Venezuelan displacement crises through the adoption of Temporary Protection (TP) regimes. This article offers an exploratory comparative analysis of the political and policy rationales underpinning their adoption. Analysing both cases in parallel reveals three key insights. First, TP serves state interests by supporting internal and external legitimacy, enabling governments to balance border control, public opinion, and policymaking while managing pressures from the Global North and projecting a positive international image. Second, the study highlights the role of policy diffusion: Colombia’s adoption of TP was indirectly shaped by Turkey’s model, reflecting a broader trend in which the circulation of displacement policies has normalized less protective approaches and has eroded refugee protection standards. Third, both states framed their engagement with displaced populations as rooted in “special” relationships, illustrating how borders intersect with social, cultural, and economic ties. Collectively, these findings challenge conventional understandings of migration policy by foregrounding the political centrality of interconnectedness and by showing how TP functions primarily as tool of state interest for entangled migration states, rather than as a mechanism designed around the needs of displaced communities.
Access status: Open Access ,
Social Media as a Tool for Future-Making: The Cases of Two Entrepreneurs in Kakuma Refugee Camp
(Berghahn Journals, 2026-03-01) Böhme, Claudia
In this article I will look at the relationship between offline suffering and online happiness through the example of two young entrepreneurs living in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya who strongly leverage social media for their business. From a basic communication device, the smartphone has become the door to a world of seemingly glamorous self-representation and a tool for future-making. I trace the young professionals’ motivations and inspirations for their work, and how they make a ‘brand’ in efforts to find a way of being self-reliant. In showcasing what they want and aim to be, these entrepreneurs actively engage in creating a self-image that is ‘beyond suffering’, one that can widen the gap and exemplify the ambiguous relationship between their real-world uncertainties and online images of success.
Access status: Open Access ,
Código de ética : Reflexiones críticas sobre la ética en investigación en situaciones de migración forzada
(International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM), 2018-11-05) Clark-Kazak, Christina
La Asociación Internacional para el Estudio de la Migración Forzada propone un Código de Ética dedicado a la investigación con personas en situaciones de migración forzada. Al igual que las metodologías de investigación indígena incorporan una noción de ética amplia, comprometida y crítica en la cual se reconoce las diferenciaciones de poder y la voluntad de los participantes dado las historias de explotación en contexto de investigación, este documento establece cinco principios que son puntos de partida para una investigación respetuosa. La intención es reflejar la amplia diversidad de nuestros miembros, a la vez quienes están involucrados en la recopilación de información (ya sea en un entorno académico o comunitario) y aquellos a quienes se les solicita participar en la investigación. Dicho esto, reconocemos que este no es un documento completo ni exhaustivo, sino más bien un punto de partida para involucrarse de forma activa y crítica con cuestiones éticas.
Access status: Open Access ,
Code d’éthique : Réflexions critiques sur l’éthique de la recherche dans les situations de migration forcée
(International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM), 2018-11-05) Clark-Kazak, Christina
L'Association internationale pour l’étude des migrations forcées (AIEMF) propose le présent code d’éthique pour la recherche impliquant des personnes en situation de migration forcée. De la même façon que les méthodologies de recherche avec les Autochtones intègrent une notion d’éthique large, engagée et critique qui reconnaît les différences de pouvoir et l’autonomie décisionnelle des participants dans le cadre des recherches sur l’exploitation, ce document énonce des principes pouvant servir de points de départ pour une recherche qui se veut respectueuse. Il vise à refléter la grande diversité de nos membres, y compris ceux qui participent à la collecte d’informations — que ce soit dans un cadre universitaire ou communautaire — ainsi que ceux qui sont invités à prendre part à des recherches. Cela étant dit, nous sommes conscients qu’il ne s’agit pas d’un document complet ni exhaustif, mais plutôt d’un point de départ pour un engagement actif et critique sur les questions éthiques.
Access status: Open Access ,
Code of ethics: Critical reflections on research ethics in situations of forced migration
(International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM), 2018-11-05) Clark-Kazak, Christina
The International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) hereby proposes this code of ethics for research with people in situations of forced migration. Similarly to how Indigenous research methodologies incorporate a broad, engaged and critical notion of ethics that recognizes power differentiations and the agency of the participants within exploitive research histories, this document sets forth principles that are starting points for respectful research. It is intended to reflect the broad diversity of our membership, including those involved in gathering information – whether in an academic or community setting – as well as those who are asked to take part in research. That being said, we acknowledge that this is not a comprehensive nor exhaustive document, but rather a starting point for active, critical engagement with ethical issues.
Access status: Open Access ,
Can Immigration Detention Ever Be in the Best Interests of the Child? The Detention of Unaccompanied Minors in Europe Under International and European Law
(Universidad de Jaén, 2026-07-06) Milano, Valentina
This article analyses how law and judicial practice on the detention of unaccompanied migrant children in Europe reflect a fundamental tension between migration policies and children’s rights. At the universal level, interpretation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child has evolved toward a substantive prohibition of migration-related child detention. Yet this development remains only partially internalised in Europe. EU law still permits detention as an exceptional measure, while the EU Pact risks expanding de facto detention. Meanwhile, the Committee on the Rights on the Child addresses this issue inconsistently in its case law and the ECtHR condemns harmful conditions but avoids declaring a general ban. These inconsistencies contribute to the normalisation of a practice increasingly rejected under international human rights law.
Access status: Open Access ,
‘Through teaching I found myself again’: the role of self-efficacy in Rohingya refugee teachers’ motivation to teach in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
(Taylor & Francis, 2026-07-27) Henderson, Christopher
Teacher shortages and working conditions are linked to a global ‘teacher motivation crisis’, while teachers’ pedagogical capacity often explains a ‘global learning crisis’. These tensions are acute in conflict-affected contexts, where teachers’ work conditions are associated with burnout and high attrition. Yet little evidence exists on refugee teachers who often teach without pre-service training, all the while navigating profound liminality in their lives. To examine how this reality shapes refugee teachers’ commitment to the teaching profession, this study of Rohingya refugee teachers (n = 301) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, investigates the relationship between teachers’ experiences of self-efficacy and their motivation to teach. Findings show that self-efficacy (B = 0.51, p < 0.001) is positively and significantly associated with teacher motivation. However, Rohingya narratives reveal how a more complex repatriation agenda underpins their commitment. Moreover, gendered differences in how self-efficacy is experienced highlight the inherently political and humanistic foundations of teaching.
Access status: Open Access ,
Ethics in Forced Migration Research: Taking Stock and Potential Ways Forward
(Sage Journals, 2021-11-11) Clark-Kazak, Christina
Migration research poses particular ethical challenges because of legal precarity, the criminalization and politicization of migration, and power asymmetries. This paper analyzes these challenges in relation to the ethical principles of voluntary, informed consent; protection of personal information; and minimizing harm. It shows how migration researchers — including those outside of academia — have attempted to address these ethical issues in their work, including through the recent adoption of a Code of Ethics by the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM). However, gaps remain, particularly in relation to the intersection of procedural and relational ethics; specific ethical considerations of big data and macrocomparative analyses; localized meanings of ethics; and oversight of researchers collecting information outside of institutional ethics boards. The paper concludes with the following recommendations: - Institutional Research Ethics Boards should familiarize themselves with the particular ethical challenges in migration research, as well as available resources, such as the IASFM Code of Ethics. Ethics boards should include researchers and community representatives who are familiar with migration in reviews of related projects. - Academic and training programs in migration studies should include sessions and resources on migration-specific research ethics. - Nonacademic organizations, including migrant-led organizations, should provide information resources and training to their staff and clients to ensure that they understand procedural ethics requirements, relational ethical principles, as well as the rights of those asked to participate in research. Organizations conducting their own research should establish ethics review processes and relational ethics norms. - A leading migration studies center or institution should map existing ethical guidelines and processes in different countries and contexts to be better aware of overlap and gaps. This mapping should take the form of an open access, interactive database, so that information can be accessible and updated in real time. - Researchers should engage in more dissemination of lessons learned on ethics in migration. While there is some emerging consensus on key ethical principles for migration research, it is in their application that researchers face dilemmas. Honest reflection and sharing of these experiences will help researchers to anticipate and manage similar dilemmas they encounter while undertaking research. - Researchers at all stages of their careers should not undertake migration research without having first reviewed some of the literature on ethics and migration, which is partially cited in this paper. - Research centers should facilitate dialogue on ethical issues in languages other than English, particularly languages most spoken by people in migration, and by people who are underrepresented in formal ethics processes and debates, especially those with direct experience of migration.
Access status: Open Access ,
Considérations en matière d’éthique de la recherche auprès de personnes en situation de migration forcée
(Centre for Refugee Studies, York University, 2017-08-15) Clark-Kazak, Christina
La recherche peut contribuer à une meilleure compréhension de l'expérience des personnes en situation de migration forcée et ainsi soutenir l'élaboration de politiques et de programmes pertinents ; cependant, cette recherche peut également contraindre et causer des préjugés pour les personnes interrogées. Dans les situations de migration forcée, les enjeux sont importants en raison du statut juridique précaire des personnes interrogées, des relations de pouvoir inégales, de la portée étendue des lois antiterroristes et de la criminalisation de la migration. En réponse à cette situation, le Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés, le Centre d'études sur les réfugiés de l'Université York et l'Association canadienne pour les études sur les réfugiés et les migrations forcées (ACERMF) ont collaboré à l'élaboration de considérations éthiques spécifiques pour la recherche auprès de personnes en situation de migration forcée. Ces considérations complètent les principes éthiques existants. Elles intéressent tous ceux qui participent à la collecte d'informations - dans un cadre universitaire ou communautaire - et ceux qui participent à la recherche. Le présent document présente nos principes directeurs ainsi que les concepts éthiques du consentement libre et éclairé, de la confidentialité et de l'analyse coûts-avantages.
Access status: Open Access ,
Ethical Considerations: Research with People in Situations of Forced Migration
(Centre for Refugee Studies, York University, 2017-08-15) Clark-Kazak, Christina
Research can contribute to better understanding of the forced migration experience to inform policy and programming, but it can also cause inconvenience and harm to research respondents. In situations of forced migration, the stakes are particularly high because of precarious legal status, unequal power relations, far-reaching anti-terrorism legislation, and the criminalization of migration. In response, the Canadian Council for Refugees, York University’s Centre for Refugee Studies, and the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies collaborated to complement established ethical principles with specific ethical considerations for research with people in situations of forced migration. This document highlights our guiding principles and applies the ethical concepts of voluntary, informed consent; respect for privacy; and cost-benefit analysis. It is of relevance to anyone involved in gathering information—whether in an academic or community setting—and those who are asked to take part in research.
Access status: Open Access ,
Developing ethical guidelines for research
(Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford, 2019-06) Clark-Kazak, Christina
The International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) has agreed an international code of ethics to guide research with displaced people. Challenges that arose during its development merit continued discussion.
Access status: Open Access ,
Bureaucratic Blindspot: The Deportation of Stateless Bhutanese
(Sage Journals, 2026-07-31) Neikirk, Alice
In 2017, one of the largest global refugee resettlement programs concluded with approximately 85,000 stateless Bhutanese resettled legally in the United States. By 2025, newspapers began reporting that some of these resettled refugees were being deported. This article analyses the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) data from September 2023 to mid-October 2025 to map the patterns of arrests and deportation of stateless Bhutanese refugees. Because “stateless” is not a category of nationality in the DHS dataset, the article develops a methodology to determine if a stateless Bhutanese is moving through the deportation process. The stateless Bhutanese provide a significant case study regarding the deportation of stateless people who are in the country legally. The paper recommends that the United States should improve the identification of stateless refugees in order to ensure it can make more informed decisions regarding their potential deportation. The study finds that refugees from Bhutan are not clearly identified as “stateless” in the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) dataset covering the period of September 2023-October 2025. In addition: - The monthly average of arrests between 2024 and 2025 suggests a 500 percent increase in arrests of the Bhutanese. - The location where ICE takes custody of Bhutanese has shifted from primarily state prisons to local jails and non-custodial arrests. These apprehensions are frequently through ICE’s Fugitive Operations Program. - The removal of Bhutanese refugees occurred for a variety of offenses, ranging from serious offenses against persons to minor property offenses. The paper recommends that the category of “stateless” be added to DHS intake forms. Previously, guidance to determine and respond if someone was stateless was provided to decision makers in the DHS under Section K of their policy manual. That section of the manual has been removed or is no longer publicly available as of June 2025. This article recommends that it be restored. Training of officers evaluating cases, including how to weigh different types of evidence and the use of detailed country information on potential stateless populations, will be necessary to support accurate categorization. These steps will help reduce the risk that the United States breaches its obligations under international law, including under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment by deporting stateless refugees to countries where they will be at risk of serious harm.
Access status: Open Access ,
Collective Self-Determination and Externalized Border Control
(Global Justice Network, 2025-05-09) Sharp, Daniel
According to a common argument in defense of border control, legitimate states have a right to exclude on grounds of collective self-determination. I argue that the value of self-determination can also serve as a basis for criticizing states’ immigration policies. Specifically, I contend that the externalization policies of states in the Global North often undermine the self-determination of peoples in the Global South. I identify five pathways by which externalization policies undermine self-determination. I conclude by tentatively suggesting some potential implications of this argument for broader debates about the governance of migration.

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