Lecture Notes on Migration in LMICs PDF

Lecture 13 ~ Migration in LMICs (Forced Migration) What is forced migration? - Forced migration or Forced Displacement is “the movements of refugees and internally displaced people (IDP) including those displaced by conflicts, as well as people displaced by natural or environment...

Lecture 13 ~ Migration in LMICs (Forced Migration) What is forced migration? - Forced migration or Forced Displacement is “the movements of refugees and internally displaced people (IDP) including those displaced by conflicts, as well as people displaced by natural or environmental disasters, chemical or nuclear disasters, famine, or development projects. [Adapted from UNHCR definitions]” - Forced migration can be classified into three main types - Migrants experiencing forced migration can be classified as asylum seekers, refugees or IDPs Types of forced migration: Conflict-Induced Displacement: - People who are forced to flee their homes due to armed conflict including civil war, generalised violence and persecution on the grounds of nationality, race, region, political opinion or social group - Often displaced across international borders - Syria has the largest internally displaced population in the world → more than half displaced Disaster-induced Displacement: - People displaced as a result of natural disasters (floods, volcanoes, landslides, earthquakes), environmental change (deforestation, desertification, land degradation, global warming) and human-made disasters (industrial accidents, radioactivity) Development-induced Displacement: - People who are compelled to move as a result of policies and infrastructure projects (dams, roads) - Usually internally displaced - Often, people displaced in this way are not included in the IDP statistics as may be officially considered to be resettled elsewhere - China relocated 1.3 million people during 17 years it took to complete the Three Gorges dam - Later, more were displaced again due to dam-related environmental changes Types of forced migrants: Refugees: - Legal definition of a refugee ‘a person residing outside his or her country of nationality, who is unable or unwilling to return because of a ‘wellfounded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a political social group, or political opinion’. Asylum seekers:  - People who have moved across an international border in search of protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention but whose claim for refugee statis has not yet been determined Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): - ‘persons who have been forced to flee their homes suddenly or unexpectedly in large numbers, as a result of armed conflict, internal strife, systematic violations of human rights or natural or man-made disasters, and who are within the territory of their own country.’ Why is the forced displacement of people an important population issue in LMICs: - Roughly 1 person forcibly displaced every two seconds as a result of conflict or persecution - Number of refugees and IDPs has increased over the decades - End of 2021, 89.3 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events disturbing public order - At the end of 2022, the number was even higher – 108.4 million people - The latest UNHCR report (2023) is higher again 117.3 million people - 4.4 million people are currently stateless Global origin and location of refugees: - A large proportion of refugees come from a few countries o Syria Arab Republic, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ukraine, South Sudan o Only 16% of the worlds refugees are hosted by high-income countries o Approx. 75% in LMICs (2023) and majority (69%) are in neighbouring countries o Most refugees displaced stay as close to home as possible A constantly changing situation: - New situations emerge, conflicts move into new areas - Changing political allegiances or political efforts that stagnate or worsen - Destinations become hostile, overcrowded or borders close - Changes in the recognition of formal refugee status - Exclusion of people and entire communities from accessing citizenship → ‘statelessness’ - Context and environment → service provision, security, season temperature and weather  - Availability of information is poor → data collection is difficult and highly political - Swirling impacts of rumours, policy, knowledge, attitude amd action - Temporary arrangements lasting decades e.g. Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate operating from 1950 - Diverse experiences with some large migration flows that are difficult to characterise - Increasing use of the phrase “refugees and people in need of international protection” Where do displaced people live? - Types of accommodation range from planned/managed camps, reception/transit camps, self-settled camps, private accommodation - Even among refugees, the majority do not live in camps or centres - Of refugees, 60% private accom live out-of-camp (private rental, staying with relatives, squatting) - The range of accommodation varies depending on the circumstance - Majority of refuges (>60%) - The types of accommodation are important for the experiences and consequences of displacement on individuals, host countries and communities, and the provision of support and services - Crucial coordinating the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Immediate refugee/displacement issues: - Most people will be at risk when they first arrive in host country/place of displacement - Often ill, injured or malnourished - Immediate needs o Water o Food o Shelter o Personal safety/protection from physical or sexual violence o Healthcare Refugee children: - Children account for 30% of the worlds population but 42% of all forcibly displaced people  - Refugee children under aged 18 years constitute around a half of all refugees, higher proportion of children in some refugee groups - An estimated 1 million children were born as refugees (2018-2020) - Children are vulnerable o To disease, particularly in the early stages of life o Loss or disrupted education o Trauma, stress, anxiety → short- and long-term health impacts ‘ - Unaccompanied minors are extremely vulnerable and require special care o Risk of forced military recruitment, cheap labour, trafficking o Separated families/child protection issues o Unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors face challenges entering and living in Western countries Issues around refugees in refugee camps: - Unintended long-term presence → average length of a time a refugee stays in camp is 17 years - Very basic conditions – difficult to winterise, risk of epidemics due to gathering of large numbers, insecure - Refugees completely dependent on aid, no independence, livelihood strategies constrained, few opportunities of work - Basic services usually provided and basic needs met – may be better health services and health indicators than host population or country of origin, creates new challenges Issues around forcibly displaced people living in urban areas, private accommodation: - May share important bonds (kinship, ethnicity, language, religion) with host communities - Cities can represent safety and independence not found in camps – may offer opportunities for paid employment and a new life - Refugees can contribute positively to the local economy however… - Difficult to identify/register and provide services and protection to refugees - Can be restrictions in ability in legality of work - Language barriers, lack of familiarity with local norms and customs, social isolation - Can overwhelm the local services especially if no additional resources are made available – size and composition of additional population, complex needs (i.e. health, education, etc.) - Potential for tension and conflict between refugees and local population Gender issues in displaced populations: - Armed conflict exacerbates existing inequalities o Women and girls tend to be poorer, less educated, lacking employment opportunities and therefore, vulnerable in conflict situations - Women and girls may have to assume the role of the breadwinner/head of house but education, training, and income-generation opportunities are limited - In many cultures, women are vulnerable without male protection and aid systems reflect male head of house as the norm – greater vulnerability and exploitation Gender-based violence in displaced populations: - GBV can increase during armed conflict - Used systematically as a weapon of war - Opportunistic GBV as a result of breakdown of law and order/community norms - Environment e.g. refugee camps, temporary shelters may increase risk of GBV, lack of lighting, need to collect firewood from surrounding areas - Risk of coerced/transactional sex in exchange for necessities - Exploitation and abuse by host communities, aid workers, other refugees - In some contexts, increased child marriage e.g. Syria Sexual and reproductive health among refugee and internally displaced people: - There is increasing recognition that SRH has been a neglected issue in refugee and migration research and responses. Also that efforts typically focused on populations in formal camps and centres - Very challenging issues abour SRH provision, access and need for forcibly displaced people (especially women and girls living independently in host communities) Longer-term issues for refugees and IDPs: - UNHCR promotes three durable, LT strategies for refugees and IDPs o Voluntary repatriation, local integration, settlement and resettlement - Repatriation issues change → what has happened at ‘home’? which countries/regions are willing to resettle refugees? - Slow shift from a state of emergency to unresolved to impermanent permanency. Also multiple moves and fragmenting of flows - Loss of intensity of support, aid, energy and interest as the situation continues - Changing needs and responses for long-term displaced people, including rights, settled status, citizenship, access to education, health and housing. Rising numbers of stateless people - Creating new livelihood strategies requires access to services from banking, loans, work, permits and pensions - Specific long-term support may not be immediately recognised – impact on displaced children, adults, host communities Lecture 14 ~ Abortion (measures and importance): Pregnancies not ending in live births: - Many studies on fertility, less on induced abortions, miscarriages and stillbirths - Miscarriages and abortions are common o 25-30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage o Share of abortions (depends on context) but in US is 18% of pregnancies o ¼ of women experience a miscarriage and 3-4 in 10 an abortion (depends on context) Definitions: - Live births: when a baby is born and shows signs of life, such as breathing, a heartbeat or movement - Still births: when a baby is born dead after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy. Around 1 in every 200 births in England - Miscarriages: loss of an embryo or foetus weighing 1%) to be sufficient for sexual networking to drive the epidemic o Key populations will also still be at risk o No sexually active adult is considered ‘low risk’ - Concentrated epidemics o Prevalence is high enough in one or more key or sub-populations (>5%) to maintain the epidemic in that sub-population, but the virus is not circulating the general population (