Data Innovation Fund: Western Indian Ocean Route Study

Drawing on a wealth of case studies, this broad focus on the power of migrant and refugee entrepreneurship offers an intriguing blueprint for how to empower refugees using their agency and with profitability. My paper on start-up driven initiatives will contribute to this broader theme by reconceiving the way receiving and resettlement states deliver services and products to migrants and refugees. Migrants and refugees aren't just a rhetorical flourish but the real engine of business and services for the marginalised😊🙏

🚨 Big news for S permit immigration in Switzerland: Switzerland has extended Protection Status S for Ukrainian citizens until at least 4 March 2027, recognizing that a return is not yet viable under current conditions. The announcement also introduces regional eligibility distinctions (from Nov 1, 2025), which may affect new applicants from certain areas. Find out more by reading our news alert : https://lnkd.in/eZJDhxt8 #ImmigrationUpdate #GlobalMobility #Switzerland #ProtectionStatusS #RelocationSupport

Rights in South Asia: Policy Gaps and Humanitarian Challenges South Asia is home to millions displaced by conflict, persecution, and climate crises, including nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and over 1.5 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan. India hosts diverse communities such as Tibetan's and Sri Lankan Tamils, yet none of these South Asian countries are signatories to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. This creates a fragmented and inconsistent protection environment, where refugees often lack legal recognition, education, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities. To transition from fragmented crisis management to unified, rights-based protection, South Asian nations must adopt a region-specific refugee framework that prioritizes human dignity and regional solidarity. Building on past efforts like the South Asian Declaration on Refugee and Migratory Movements, a new legal instrument, perhaps a South Asian Regional Framework Convention on Refugees, should be negotiated. This framework would harmonize policies, establish an institutional review mechanism, create a regional refugee database, facilitate burden-sharing, and integrate climate-induced displacement protections. At the national level, reforming domestic refugee laws in line with human rights principles will guarantee refugees legal security and access to essential services. Ensuring refugees’ inclusion through education, vocational training, healthcare, and work rights will foster resilience and dignity. Civil society and NGOs should be actively engaged in shaping and implementing these policies. Lastly, innovative local practices, such as community-led integration programs and regional cooperation on resettlement, can support pragmatic solutions amid political complexities. The refugee crisis in South Asia demands collaborative, humane policies backed by strong regional cooperation. How can governments, civil society, and international partners work together to turn this vision into reality? Inviting everyone interested in refugee rights and humanitarian solutions to share their perspectives and ideas. Your insights can help build a more just and inclusive future for displaced communities across South Asia. #RefugeeRights #SouthAsia #RohingyaCrisis #AfghanRefugees #PolicyGaps #HumanitarianChallenges #LegalProtection #RegionalCooperation #Inclusion #Statelessness #HumanRights #MigrationMatters #ClimateDisplacement #DignityForAll #SocialJustice

Honoured to have represented Goodwill Caravan ,as a participant, at the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency 'Regional Consultations with NGO's in Europe' in Geneva . A fruitful exchange, discussing a breadth of urgent topics re: the combined struggles and challenges faced by the global NGO community re continuing to support forcibly displaced populations during the current volatile unpredictable global and economical climate. Discussions on #sustainability of humanitarian services included #LegalAid, #MentalHealthSupport, Screening and Identification of Persons with Vulnerabilities and on #Statelessness: UNHCR’s key messages on Statelessness and the #EUPact on Asylum and Migration. We discussed the EU Pact which is forecasted to be implemented from June 2026, and what the changes in that pact mean within this field for the NGO's, and the beneficiaries we are honoured to serve. #humanitarianaid #UnitedWeStand #UNHCR #goodwillcaravan #PartnershipsThatMatter #Impact

With nearly 2 million refugees in Uganda (about 50-80,000 at Palabek Refugee Settlement), ACLENet feels an urgent need to advise on providing some measure of safety from lightning injuries. Ideally, this should be something refugees and local officials can do, retrofitting current structures in the camps, preferably with local materials and simple, clear instructions. Our design experts tell us the most effective step the local population can do to reduce the threat of lightning is to earth the metal roof so when lightning hits a building, the current can be carried as safely as possible around the people inside instead of passing directly from the roof to earth through anyone inside. Read more of this on https://lnkd.in/dNP2pR3z

❗ New publication New briefing paper "Migration under the lens: the portrayal of migrants and refugees in the greek media" is now published, as part of a collaborative research project between the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung and the Greek Council for Refugees . It examines how migrants and refugees are portrayed in Greek media, and how these portrayals shape public discourse on immigration. Using framing theory, we analyzed 160 articles from four agenda-setting outlets (two conservative, two liberal) across four key migration-related events: - The 2016 EU–Turkey statement - The 2020 Greek–Turkey border crisis - The 2022 case of 38 migrants stranded on the Evros River - The 2023 Pylos shipwreck 🔑 Key findings: · A growing tension between nationalistic and humanitarian narratives · Increasing securitization of migration discourse since 2020 · Clear differences: conservative outlets often depict migrants as security threats, while liberal outlets emphasize humanitarian concerns

Why we’ve decided to focus on refugee support in the times of most anti-immigrant headlines? Because that’s where acute economic need meets purpose. Every year, tens of thousands of refugees in the UK hit the so-called “move-on cliff” — forced to leave Home Office accommodation within 28 days. Councils are overwhelmed, and last year over 15,000 asylum seekers ended up homeless or at risk as a result. Each failed placement can cost local authorities up to £40,000 per household annually in temporary housing and support. Multiply that across thousands of families, and you’re looking at hundreds of millions in taxpayer money lost — not to mention the human toll of stalled integration. Having studied various immigrant integration case studies through our previous work with Imii, and having spoken directly to people in the system, we believe this is where technology can truly change the equation. By adapting our product — retaining a similar user journey, but focusing it on the refugee integration path — we can help signpost people towards financial independence and economic contribution. In doing so, we could save government and taxpayers millions, while helping people rebuild their lives with dignity. We may be at a rare, almost non-existent intersection where populists’ promises and humanitarian interests can be met with one solution. That’s why we’re pivoting. Not away from healthcare or skilled migrants, but towards the most urgent integration gap, where economic logic and human purpose align. P. S. “But what about people coming here on those boats to abuse the system?” If you’re asking this question out of genuine interest to learn more about the refugee cause, stay tuned for further posts – happy to help you enrich your knowledge. 

🖊️ Not one, not two, but three UN Special Rapporteurs warn that new EU migrant smuggling rules risk criminalising migration and solidarity with migrants. Three UN Special Rapporteurs - on trafficking in persons, human rights defenders, and the human rights of migrants - have penned a joint letter to EU lawmakers negotiating EU migrant smuggling rules (draft Facilitation Directive). They warn that the current draft “raises serious doubts as to its compatibility with international human rights obligations” and risks criminalising people migrating, and those supporting them for familial or humanitarian reasons. In their letter to the European Parliament and Council, the experts call on lawmakers to: 📌 Narrowly define the offence of “facilitation” in line with the UN Protocol against Smuggling of Migrants, 📌 Remove vague and open-ended terms from the Commission’s proposal, such as ‘public instigation’, ‘serious harm’ and ‘instrumentalisation’, 📌 Introduce a binding humanitarian exemption to ensure that “family members and humanitarian actors are not criminalised for providing support to migrants.” These calls echo warnings from over 100 civil society organisations in March, who have urged EU legislators to ensure the Directive does not punish migration itself nor solidarity. EU lawmakers must heed these calls and protect people's right to move and help others in need.

🌍 In the past few weeks, we released a first-of-its-kind policy paper on institutionalizing meaningful refugee participation within Kenya's Shirika Plan. The Shirika Plan is a government-led transformative initiative aimed at transitioning refugee camps into settlements that foster the social and economic inclusion of both refugees and host communities. Our policy paper highlights key recommendations of the proposed conceptual framework for refugee participation, along with an outcome report from a national workshop held in March this year, complemented by several consultative conversations over the past months. As we move forward with further consultations, briefings, and upcoming meetings toward operationalizing the framework—while revising it and incorporating stakeholder feedback—we want to share some of the practical steps it seeks to advance. These steps aim to strengthen refugee participation, moving from ad hoc approaches and the lack of clear mechanisms for engagement to sustainable, meaningful, and structured participation. The focus is on embedding refugee participation across governance, implementation, and monitoring, grounded in Kenya’s policy context and aligned with global best practices. Swipe through to explore each step and see how meaningful refugee participation can become a core part of policy and practice. For those interested in upcoming updates and events on this process, follow us and reach out with any queries or suggestions. 👉 Read the full paper for more insights: https://lnkd.in/dZdEAnEu AMADPOC Oxfam International Oxfam Kenya Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat (ReDSS)

💐The Urgent Need for a common legal system for Refugee in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia faces a silent crisis. It is home to thousands of refugees, yet the region remains one of the world's largest gaps in formal refugee protection. Most Southeast Asian Countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, have not signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. Without this framework, there is no common legal system to protect those fleeing persecution. This legal vacuum has real consequences. Refugees and asylum-seekers are often treated as "illegal migrants." They live in the shadows, facing the constant threat of detention and deportation. Access to basic rights like healthcare, education, and lawful work is limited or denied. This ad-hoc approach leaves vulnerable people in peril and creates instability for host countries. The situation demands a coordinated solution. We must move from a system of unpredictable responses to one built on law and humanity. Domestic Laws :Individual countries should develop their own domestic refugee laws. This would provide clarity, ensure fair treatment, and uphold human dignity while addressing security concerns. · Regional Cooperation: ASEAN nations must work together to create a shared framework. This promotes burden-sharing and provides a stable, predictable response to displacement crises. As a major democratic power in the region, India is uniquely positioned to lead this change. By championing this cause, India can help build a more secure and humane future for all. #RefugeeRights #SoutheastAsia #HumanitarianLaw #ASEAN #SocialImpact #PublicPolicy💐💐💐💐💐