New Publications on Mali; Harmonsdworth; Forced Labour; Family Migration; UKBA; Asylum Statistics; The New Londoners

Forced labour in the UK: the business angle

UNHCR Position on Returns to Mali, 7 May 2012.
Written by UNHCR.
[Download Report]
(Source: UNHCR).

Independent Monitoring Board:  Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre Annual Report 2011.
A new report by the Independent Monitoring Board.
[Download the Report]
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network – Mental health provision for immigration detainees continues to cause concern, says Watchdog)

Forced labour in the UK: the business angle
A new report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
[Download the Report]
JRS Press release – Forced labour in the UK: the business angle
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network – New report from JRF: Forced labour in the UK: the business angle)

Keeping Families Apart: The impact of a new income threshold for family migration.
A new report by Migrants’ Rights Network.
[Download the Report]
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network – ‘Keeping families apart’ – MRN briefing on family migration policy)

Independent Chief Inspector for the UKBA Inspection Plan for 2012-13
A new report by The Independent Chief Inspector for the UKBA.
[Download the Report]
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network – UKBA Chief Inspector publishes inspection plan for 2012-13)

Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries 2011.
A new statistical report produced by the UNHCR.
[Download the Report]
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network – UNHCR reports big rise in refugees claiming asylum in industrialised countries)

Getting support for dependants under Section 95 and Section 4 support
A new factsheet by the Asylum Support Appeals Project.
[Download the Factsheet]
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network – ASAP factsheet on obtaining Section 95 and Section 4 support for family dependents)

The New Londoners New Edition.
[Download the Report]
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network – Latest issue of online magazine ‘New Londoners’ now available)

 

 

New from UNHCR: 2011 Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have just circulated a press release detailing the publication of their latest statistical bulletin, namely the `Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries, 2011.’

The press release outlines the the key findings of the publication as follows:

A.  The number of asylum-seekers in the industrialized world shows that new conflicts and a rising outflow from older crisis spots such as Afghanistan together contributed to a 20 per cent rise in asylum claims in 2011.

B.  An estimated 441,300 asylum applications were recorded in the 44 countries included in this report, some 73,300 claims or 20 per cent more than in 2010 (368,000). The 2011 level is the highest since 2003 when 505,000 asylum applications were lodged in the industrialized countries.

C.  The largest relative increase in annual asylum levels occurred in the eight Southern European countries which received 66,800 asylum requests during 2011, an 87 per cent increase compared to 2010. This increase is due mainly to boat arrivals in Italy and Malta and to the registration of greater numbers of individual requests for international protection in Turkey (+74%).

D.  Among individual countries, the United States of America was the largest single recipient of new asylum claims among the 44 industrialized countries. France was second with 51,900 asylum applications, followed by Germany (45,700), Italy (34,100), and Sweden (29,600). The top five receiving countries together accounted for more than half (53%) of all asylum claims received in the countries included in this report.

E.  With 35,700 asylum claims lodged in 2011, Afghanistan was the most important source country of asylum-seekers in the 44 industrialized countries, followed by China (24,400 claims), Iraq (23,500), Serbia (and

Kosovo: Security Council resolution 1244 (1999))  (21,200), and Pakistan (18,100).

F.  For asylum-seekers from Côte d’Ivoire, Libya, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Tunisia, levels were at a record high among the industrialized countries. Asylum-seekers originating from these four countries submitted in total 16,700 claims more than in 2010.

[Download Full Report]

(Source: UNHCR Statistics – Asylum claims in industrialized countries up sharply in 2011).

New Publications on Statistics in Europe; Refugee Convention; Trafficking; Bangladesh

Migrants in Europe

Migrants in Europe: A statistical portrait of the first and second generation
2011 edition.
A new statistics report produced by Europa, the European Union’s statisical division.

Migration has become an increasingly important phenomenon for European societies. Patterns of migration flows can change greatly over time, with the size and composition of migrant populations reflecting both current and historical patterns of migration flows. Combined with the complexity and long-term nature of the migrant integration process, this can present challenges to policy-makers who need good quality information on which to base decisions. It is important that the statistics should go beyond the basic demographic characteristics of migrants and present a wider range of socio-economic information on migrants and their descendants.

This publication looks at a broad range of characteristics of migrants living in the European Union and EFTA countries. It looks separately at the foreign-born, the foreign citizens, and the second generation. It addresses a variety of aspects of the socio-economic situation of migrants including labour market situation, income distribution, and poverty. The effects of different migration-related factors (i.e. reason of migration, length of residence) are examined. The situation of migrants is compared to that of the non-migrant reference population.

[Download Full Report]
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network and Europa).

Europa have also released an online document entitled, Asylum in the EU27:
The number of asylum applicants registered in the EU27 rose to 301 000 in 2011
[Access]
(Source:  Europa).

Analysis: Has the Refugee Convention outlived its usefulness?
Published via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
[Access]
(Source:  IRIN).

At the margins of Europe : externalisation of migration controls.  Migeurope Annual report 2010-2011.
[Download Full Report]
(Source:  Migrants’ Rights Network).

MORE ‘TRAFFICKING’, LESS ‘TRAFFICKED’: Trafficking for Exploitation outside the sex sector in Europe.

GAATW has always proactively lobbied for a broad definition of human trafficking and has consequently critiqued a ‘traditional’ near exclusive focus on the sex industry as the primary, if not the only, site of trafficking. The last years have seen, especially in Europe, a growing attention to what is termed as ‘trafficking for labour exploitation’ as something somehow separate or different.  Whilst we welcome the broadening of focus we wonder if creating two separate and distinct categories such as ‘trafficking for labour exploitation’ and ‘trafficking for sexual exploitation’ is helpful.

[Download Full Report]
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network).

Saga of the killing fields

Saga of the killing fields (e-book in Bengali)

We have realised after just three weeks of field-level investigation that many of those mass graves have not even been recorded properly. We discovered that there were many more mass graves over and beyond what the Liberation War Museum had collected in its substantial database. Many of these mass graves have not been documented by the government either.

[Access]
(Souce:  bdnews24)

 

New Migration Statistics Quarterly Report (UK) Published

The (UK) Office for National Statistics has just published their latest document on migration statistics entitled, “Migration Statistics Quarterly Report, February 2012.”

Official figures show that the number of people coming to live in Britain for more than a year, minus those who moved abroad, stood at 250,000 in the year to June 2011. This represents a rise on the figure of 235,000 for the year to June 2010, just after the Coalition came to power.
(Source: Daily Telegraph article: Net migration rose in Coalition’s first year despite pledge to cut it).

The figures show:

(Source: Daily Telegraph article: Net migration rose in Coalition's first year despite pledge to cut it).

The report can be accessed via the Office of National Statistics website:-
[Download Report Here]

Further links and news stories:

• Source: Daily Telegraph article: Net migration rose in Coalition’s first year despite pledge to cut it)
• The Guardian: Net migration to Britain remains at record levels
• Refugee Council: New asylum statistics show increase in Libyan and Syrian nationals seeking safety here

New Pubs. on Race and Religion, Statistics, Child Poverty, NGOs. Humanitarian Assistance

Race, religion and equalities: a report on the 2009–10 citizenship survey
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/pdf/2056245.pdf

“Using 2009-10 Citizenship Survey data, this report provides an in-depth examination of Race, Religion and Equalities. It charts key measures such as religious affiliation and practice, views on religious and racial prejudice, harassment due to race or religion, levels of discrimination by public services, and levels of workplace discrimination.”

(Source: The Network e-bulletin).

The Immigration Statistics User Guide published by the UK Home Office.  This user guide has been produce dby the Home Office to assist with interpreting the regularly produce Home Office quarterly asylum figures.
[Download User Guide]
See Also – Home Office Migrations and asylum – research and statistics publications.
(Source: The Network e-bulletin).

International Migration Review

Data Sets on International Migration.
Article written by Sabine Henning and Bela Hovy.
International Migration Review, Volume 45, Issue 4,  pages 980–985, Winter 2011.

International migration figures prominently on the agenda of the United Nations. Solid migration data are crucial for supporting this global debate. This article describes the international migration data sets produced by the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations. The Population Division’s Migration Section produces migrant stock estimates for the world’s countries by sex and, more recently, by age. The Section also produces a database containing annual data on inflows, outflows, and net flows of international migrants by country of origin for major destination countries. The Section maintains the Global Migration Database, containing the world’s most complete set of empirical statistics on the international migrant stock by country of birth, citizenship, sex, and age for more than 200 countries and territories for recent decades. The data and associated publications are available from the Migration Section’s Web site at http://www.unmigration.org.

[Access]
(Source: International Migration Review).

Child Poverty Map of the UK.
Produced by End Child Poverty (UK).
[Download Report]
(Source: Docubase).

A Partnership at Risk? The UN-NGO Relationship in Light of UN Integration (Norwegian Refugee Council, Dec. 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog)

Reference Guide: Normative Developments on the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance in the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council since the Adoption of General Assembly Resolution 46/182 (2nd Edition) (OCHA, Nov. 2011) [text via ReliefWeb]
(Source: Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog)

New Edition of UNHCR Statistical Yearbook

UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2010

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has recently published the latest edition of their annual statistucal publications, the Statistical Yearbook.  This represents the 10th edition of this publication, whose full title is the: ` Statistical Yearbook: Trends in Displacement, Protection and Solutions.’

The full report along with a large quantity of additional statistical information can be found on the UNHCR Statistics and Operational Data webpage.  the scope of the actual report can be detailed as follows:

The scope of the 2010 Yearbook remains unchanged from previous years. Since the introduction in 2006 of special features on specific topics within regions, the Yearbook has aimed to provide more analytical information designed to facilitate decision- making. In addition to reviewing global statistical trends and shifts in the populations of concern to UNHCR between January and December 2010, the Yearbook provides a number of case studies that examine issues such as health or IDP profiling.

[Download Options]
[UNHCR Statistics and Operational Data webpage.]

New Pubs. on Trafficking, Migration Stats., Migration Reform, Displacement, UKBA

What's the Cost of a Rumour?

What’s the Cost of a Rumour? A guide to sorting out the myths and the facts about sporting events and trafficking.
A new report published by the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, (GAATW).
From the GAATW website,

In this guide, we review the literature from past sporting events, and find that they do not cause increases in trafficking for prostitution. The guide takes a closer look at why this unsubstantiated idea still captures the imagination of politicians and some media, and offers stakeholders a more constructive approach to address trafficking beyond short-term events. We hope this guide will help stakeholders quickly correct misinformation about trafficking, develop evidence-based anti-trafficking responses, and learn what worked and what didn’t in past host cities.

[Download Report]
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network).

Migration Statistics Quarterly Report November 2011 – Statistical Bulletin
[Download Statistical Bulletin]
(Source: Migrants’ Rights Network).

Migration Reform:  Caps Don’t Fit.
A new report by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
[Download Report]
London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Press Release – Impact of immigration is far wider than many realise).
(Souce: Migrants’ Rights Network).

Beyond ‘Supply and Demand’ Catchphrases

Beyond ‘Supply and Demand’ Catchphrases: Assessing the Uses and Limitations of Demand-Based Approaches in Anti-Trafficking
Produced by the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, (GAATW).
[Download Report]
(Source:  Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women).

Pastoralist displacement in northern Kenya: Findings of a Scoping Study.
By the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, (IDMC).
A new scoping study from the IDMC which details:

 

A range of factors has led to the displacement of thousands of pastoralists in northern Kenya. Notwithstanding the humanitarian consequences, the situation remains under-reported and under-studied, and internally displaced people (IDPs) in northern Kenya have received little assistance.  Against this backdrop, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and IDMC conducted a scoping study on pastoralist displacement in northern Kenya to draw attention to the plight of IDPs and the consequences of their displacement. They presented these findings in Nairobi on 15 November to representatives of the Kenyan government, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Internal Displacement, and the diplomatic, academic and civil society communities.

View Meeting Summary with Key Findings of the Study
(Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre)

Mexico: Displacement due to criminal and communal violence
By the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, (IDMC).
Read the Overview (html / pdf)
Full Internal Displacement Profile
(Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre)

Three new reports published by the Independent Chief Inspector of UKBA, Mr John Vine.  The three reports are as follows:

• Annual report for 2010-11 ,
• A global review of entry clearance December 2010 – June 2011 , and
• An inspection report of the UKBA New York visa section January – March 2011.

(Source: Migrant’s Rights Network).

Publication: UNHCR: Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries,First Half 2011

The latest UNHCR statistics publication has just been published.  Further details and a link can be found in the press release below which was circulated to me by email today:

UNHCR: Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries,First Half 2011

This is to inform you that the following report has been published
today and is available from the UNHCR statistics website at
www.unhcr.org/statistics .

- Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries, First Half
2011

Key findings
A.  An estimated 198,300 asylum applications were recorded during the
first six months of 2011 in the 44 industrialized countries included in
the report. This is 17 per cent more than during the  same period 2010
(169,300), and is nearly identical to the number of applications
recorded  during the second half of 2010 (197,600).

B. As application rates normally peak during the second half of the
year, UNHCR projects that 2011 may see 420,000 applications by year’s
end – the highest total in eight years.

C. 2011 has so far seen major forced displacement crises in West,
North, and East Africa. The report finds related increases in asylum
claims among Tunisians, Ivorians, and Libyans (4,600, 3,300 and 2,000
claims respectively) but overall, the impact of these events on
application rates in industrialized countries has been limited.

D. Taking the 44 countries surveyed in the report as a whole, the main
countries of origin of asylum-seekers remained largely unchanged from
previous reports: Afghanistan (15,300 claims), China (11,700 claims),
Serbia [and Kosovo: SC Res. 1244] (10,300 claims), Iraq (10,100 claims),
and the Islamic Republic of Iran (7,600 claims).

E.  By country, the United States of America had more claims (36,400)
than any other industrialized nation, followed by France (26,100),
Germany (20,100), Sweden (12,600), and the United Kingdom (12,200).

F. The Nordic region was the only part of Europe to see a fall in
asylum applications. The largest relative increase was registered in
southern Europe which received 25,100 asylum requests during the first
semester of 2011: a 57 per cent increase compared to the first six
months of 2010 (16,000 claims).

The report itself in PDF format can be downloaded here : Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries,First Half 2011

New OECD Migration Report and Further Publications

International Migration Outlook 2011

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, (OECD), have just released the latest edition of their annual publication entitled, `The International Migration Outlook 2011.‘  According to the OECD,

This publication provides an analysis of recent developments in migration movements and policies in OECD countries and two analytical chapters, covering migrant entrepreneurship and international migration to Israel.

Further information on this publication and a Free preview  can be found on the OECD website here :  [access page]
A Guardian newspaper article is also available, entitled : International migration: where do people go and where from?

A new report published by Human Rights Watch and entitled, `Dead Men Walking : Convict Porters on the Front Lines in Eastern Burma.’  Details from the Human Rights Watch website state that :

This 70-page report details abuses against convict

Dead Men Walking by Human Rights Watch

porters including summary executions, torture, and the use of the convicts as “human shields.” The military should stop forcibly recruiting prisoners as porters and mistreating them, and those responsible for ordering or participating in suchtreatment should be prosecuted, Human Rights Watch and the Karen Human Rights Group said.

The link to this document is here : http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2011/07/12/dead-men-walking-0

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, (UNPO), has published a report entitled, `Special report on violence against indigenous Jumma in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.’   The press release states that,

`JusticeMakers Bangladesh Trust (JMBangladesh), along with Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), The Hague, The Netherlands have [provided a report of their recent] fact finding investigation into the arson attacks against minority Jumma communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region of Bangladesh, which occurred in February and April of 2011.’

The full report, in PDF format, is available to download – [here] ;
The press release is also available online – [here].

New IDMC report entitled, `Occupied Palestinian Terrortory : No end to the internal displacement.’  Read the report in [HTML] or [PDF] format.  The relevant IDMC country page is also available – [here].

New IDMC briefing paper entitled, `Iraq : IDPs and their prospects for durable solutions.’  This briefing paper is available for download in PDF format – [here].  The IDMC Iraq country page is also available.

New report from the UK Home Office science website.  A new report entitled, `Family Migration:  evidence and analysis.’  This can be downloaded in PDF format – [here].

UNHCR 2010 Global Trends Report

The latest 2010 edition of UNHCR’s annual publication entitled `Global Trends Report’ is now available to view online from the statistics section of the UNHCR website.  In their publicity circulated to launch the new report, UNHCR state :

The 48-page report reflects many of the major humanitarian developments between January and December 2010. It analyses the statistical trends
and changes in the global populations of concern to UNHCR, i.e. refugees, returnees, stateless persons and certain groups of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

A selection of the statistical data, which is also made available on the statistics section (http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c4d6.html) of the UNHCR website, indicates that:

- There were 43.7 million forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2010, the highest number in 15 years. Of these, 15.4 million were refugees; 10.55 million under UNHCR’s mandate and 4.82 million
Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA. The figure also includes
837,000 asylum-seekers and 27.5 million internally displaced persons.

- More than 25.2 million people – 10.55 million refugees and 14.7 million IDPs – were receiving protection or assistance from UNHCR at the
end of 2010.

- By the end of 2010, UNHCR had identified some 3.5 million stateless persons in 65 countries. However, the Office estimated that the overall number of stateless persons worldwide could be far higher – about 12
million people.

The full report can be downloaded from the UNHCR statistics website – full report download ; and an interactive version is also available to view from the following link : http://www.unhcr.org/gr10/index.html#/home