Showing posts with label migrants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label migrants. Show all posts

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Afghanistan - Difference between Refugees and IDPs

Mr. M. Ashraf Haidari is the Director-General of Policy & Strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. In a recent online article he explains the difference between Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). There are now more than 1.2 million IDPs across Afghanistan living under dire conditions. He advocates that increased aid be provided for the IDPs by the various international humanitarian and aid groups. He further states that these aid groups should initiate collaboration with Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation and the National Disaster Management Authority to ease the plight of the IDPs. Read his article Need to end discrepancy between refugees and IDPs, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), November 5, 2016.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Update on Afghan Refugees and Migrants


Many of the migrants and refugees that have left Afghanistan are now returning. A significant number of these people heading back to Afghanistan are being forced to return. Some will be returned involuntarily by Europe (a result of a side agreement made at the Brussels Conference). However, most migrants and refugees will return from the countries of Iran and Pakistan. Many of these refugees and migrants have lived outside of Afghanistan for decades - some documented as refugees by international organizations but others without passports or visas. The numbers of returning migrants and refugees is compounded by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from strife-ridden parts of Afghanistan (Kunduz, Helmand, etc.). Life in Afghanistan for these returnees will be very bleak; especially for those who are being returned as winter approaches. The Afghan government and international aid groups are unprepared for a large influx of returnees.

Read more:

"Afghanistan Itself Is Now Taking In the Most Afghan Migrants", The New York Times, November 4, 2016.

A report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is posted by ReliefWeb entitled Fragility and Population Movement in Afghanistan, November 1, 2016.

Erin Cunningham, a correspondent for The Washington Post writes "A humanitarian crisis looms in Afghanistan as the number of displaced climbs", November 2, 2016.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Refugees, Migrants, and Interpreters

Afghan Migrants. Many refugees from Afghanistan are making their way (via people smugglers) across Iran into Turkey where they hope to either find work (and a place to live) or a way to get to Europe. However, Europe has begun the process of closing its doors after being overwhelmed with refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, and north Africa in 2015. Read more in "Afghans feel forgotten in Europe's migrant crisis"Reuters, March 6, 2016.

Young People Desperate to Leave Afghanistan. There is not a lot of opportunity for young Afghans. However Europe is no longer the promised land. Slovenia, Croatia, and Macedonia (long the transit nations for the migrant populations heading to Scandinavia and Germany) has been closing its borders. Economic migrants from Afghanistan are no longer welcome. Watch a video 1-minute long video entitled Determined to Leave Afghanistan, Even as Europe's Borders Close, Radio Free Europe, March 10, 2016.

Empty Promises for Migrants. Many Afghans making the treacherous journey to Europe are finding the promises made by human smugglers are not fulfilled. Read more in "European Dream Unfulfilled for Afghan Economic Migrants"Radio Free Europe, March 10, 2016.

CRS Report SIV. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) recently published a report on the Special Immigrant Visa program for Iraqi and Afghan interpreters (February 26, 2016).
www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=790970

Canada: Interpreters Wait While Refugees Accepted. I guess one has to wonder which government is treating former Afghan interpreters worse. Is it Canada or the United States. Neither government seems to give much priority to the Afghan interpreters to whom our military owes so much. Read more in "Refugees fast-tracked but interpreter forced to wait"Toronto Sun, March 8, 2016.