[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the topic of refugees, migrants, and IDPs and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Refugees and Migrants Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. It is updated monthly. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each month's roundup to info@jadaliyya.com.]
Latest Developments
Several Migrants Drown or Remain Missing During Shipwreck off Libyan Coast
After a boat capsized off the Libyan coast while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, at least four migrants were reported dead and three missing. It is reported that 12 of the rescued migrants were Syrian nationals and one was Egyptian.
Al Monitor: Climate Change Makes Life Harder for Displaced Syrians
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps in northwest Syria are hard-hit by extreme weather caused by climate change. Emerging from a harsh winter, Syrians now face extreme heat. Conditions are made worse due the reality that tents in the camp are ill-equipped to withstand extreme temperatures, highlighting the need for climate adaptation measures in camps for the displaced.
Kurdish Asylum Seekers’ Hunger Strike in Poland Enters Third Week
Kurdish asylum seekers in Poland participated in a hunger strike beginning on 4 May 2022 in protest of what they describe as prison-like conditions and the country’s slow asylum process.
Articles
Arab Refugees See Double Standards in Europe’s Embrace of Ukrainians
As European nations open their arms to Ukrainian refugees, many Syrian refugees wonder why they have not been met with a similar warm welcome. The European Union (EU) recently said that approximately 400,000 refugees had entered from Ukraine, with millions more expected to cross EU borders. Meanwhile, by early 2021,10 years after the start of the conflict in Syria, EU countries agreed to take in one million Syrian refugees and asylum seekers, leaving many wondering why swift action as seen with regards to Ukrainian refugees was not taken with Syrian refugees and asylum seekers.
Lebanon: More Support Needed as Syrian Refugees Reach Breaking Point
The burden of Lebanon’s spiraling economic crisis is especially felt by Syrian refugees in the country. The economic crisis compounded by the aftershocks of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have forced a record number of refugees, as well as the communities hosting them, into poverty, with many increasingly reliant on negative coping mechanisms like skipping meals and keeping children home from school to work.
Syrian Refugees in Turkey turn into a Political Pawn
President Erdogan’s proposal to relocate one million Syrian refugees to “safe areas” inside Syria leaves refugees on edge. Analysts argue that Erdogan seeks to lean into anti-refugee sentiment to gain support in the polls.
Multimedia
Fixing Aid--The Dangers of Border Technology for Refugees
The increased use of border surveillance technologies has grave consequences for refugees from the MENA region and beyond who are increasingly being intercepted on the Mediterranean Sea using drones and satellites. Alae Ismail explores the consequences of border technology on the plight of refugees on The New Humanitarian’s “Fixing Aid” podcast.
Interactive: The European Approach to Stopping Libya Migration
This year, the EU-supported Libyan coast guard has already intercepted 8,2000 people attempting to cross the central Mediterranean from North Africa while approximately 700 have died or gone missing at sea. The EU’s goal in partnering with Libya’s coast guard is rooted in a desire to keep people in need of protection outside their borders, instead of saving lives and protecting the rights of asylum seekers. An interactive article by The New Humanitarian explores how the EU-backed migration control system leads to more interceptions by the Libyan Coast Guard at the expense of search and rescue operations.
In Pictures: Migrants in Tunis Stage Protest Outside UNHCR
Dozens of migrants camped outside the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Tunis demanding that the UN process their requests to be evacuated from the country due to dire living conditions.
Reports
Refugees in Europe Need Mental Health Support
Despite the reality that rates of post-traumatic stress and depression are higher among refugees and asylum seekers, once in France people seeking refuge face barriers to receiving mental health support. A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report indicates that refugees and asylum seekers lack access to full health coverage during their first three months in France, presenting serious mental health challenges for people fleeing conflict like those in Syria and Libya.
Human Rights Violations Against Migrants in Yemen Increase Amid Soaring Arrivals: IOM Warns
In 2022 alone, 27,800 people are reported to have crossed from the Horn of Africa to Yemen from which migrants often continue their journey to Gulf states in search of work. Migrants, however, face grave human rights violations including detention in inhumane conditions, exploitation, and forced transfers across lines of control, with women and girls particularly vulnerable.
Syrian Refugees in Iraq, Risk Losing Access to Basic Food Supplies
Syrian refugees in Iraq struggle to access basic food supplies. According to the UN, 86 percent of refugees living in camps are either food insecure or vulnerable to food insecurity. Food insecurity has intensified due to the impacts of COVID-19 on employment, the devaluation of the Iraqi dinar, and the global rise in food prices following the invasion of Ukraine. Lacking substantial work opportunities, many refugees are forced to resort to negative coping mechanisms like buying food on credit, selling assets, and having children drop out of school so they can work.
Denmark: Young Woman at Risk of Deportation to Syria (27 May 2022)
Following Denmark’s decision that the capital of Damascus and its surrounding areas are “safe” for return, young women have been at the greatest risk of deportation. Boys and young men are often protected from being sent back to Syria due to the country’s mandatory military conscription policy and older people are similarly excused. Young women on the other hand, like, Aya Abo Daher who was sent a deportation notice before graduating high school, are less protected.
Iraq: Conflict, Destruction Stopping Displaced Families from Returning to Sinjar
Clashes and the destruction of civilian houses has prevented two thirds of displaced families from returning to their homes in Sinjar, leaving over 193,000 civilians displaced five years after the operation to drive ISIS out of Iraq. Meanwhile, earlier in May 2022, clashes forced 10,260 people from their homes, in many cases displacing people for the second or third time.