Gendered aspects of distress migration:

The article describes the magnitude, geographical extent, and causes of forced population displacements in Colombia. Forced migration in Colombia is a war strategy adopted by armed groups to strengthen territorial strongholds, weaken civilian support to the enemy, seize valuable lands, and produce and transport illegal drugs with ease. Forced displacement in Colombia today affects 3.5 million people. Equivalent to 7.8 percent of Colombia's population, and second worldwide only to Sudan, this shows the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis the country is facing. The phenomenon involves all of Colombia's territory and nearly 90 percent of the country's municipalities expel or receive population. In contrast to other countries, forced migration in Colombia is largely internal. Illegal armed groups are the main responsible parties, migration does not result in massive refugee streams but occurs on an individual basis, and the displaced population is dispersed throughout the territory and not focused in refugee camps. These characteristics pose unique challenges for crafting state policy that can effectively mitigate the impact of displacement.

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A Qualitative Study of the Interaction between Human Rights Defenders and Society in Russia: Assessing the Impact of the 'Foreign Agents' Law

Cosmopolitan Civil Societies An Interdisciplinary Journal ◽

10.5130/ccs.v11.i2.6615 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Polina Malkova

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Global Context ◽

Adverse Conditions ◽

World Regions ◽

The Impact ◽

Depth Interviews ◽

Systematic Knowledge ◽

The Way

In various world regions, human rights defenders (HRDs) often become targets for smear campaigns that seek to discredit and marginalise them. Russia’s “foreign agents” law which brands NGOs as “foreign agents” – a phrase that carries Soviet-era connotations of a spy or traitor – is just one example of states’ attempts to cultivate an unfavorable image of rights defenders in society. Yet, despite the global context of such stigmatising campaigns and their potential to put defenders at further risk, there is very little systematic knowledge about the way citizens react to such rhetoric and whether they express more hostility towards HRDs. This paper seeks to address this gap and explores the interaction of rights defenders with the domestic society in Russia. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with representatives of the domestic human rights community, it demonstrates that while the wider public lacks familiarity with actors in the human rights field, certain social segments do interact with them, both in antagonistic and supportive ways. The paper argues that in the adverse conditions created by the “foreign agents” law, there is a need for rights groups to expand and strengthen the links with their constituencies.

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Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable Refugees

Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling ◽

10.1891/jarc-d-20-00029 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (4) ◽

pp. 282-289

Author(s):

Imelda Mary Graham

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

United Nations ◽

Well Being ◽

Refugee Camps ◽

Rehabilitation Professionals ◽

High Commissioner ◽

The United Nations ◽

Justice Practice ◽

European Situation ◽

The Impact

In recent times there has been a large increase in the numbers of people who are refugees1 seeking asylum, safety, and a secure future in countries across the globe. The countries to which they seek to gain access have often placed barriers to their arrival, sometimes overwhelmed by the numbers. People who have become refugees have the same human rights and basic needs as anyone else. Rehabilitative work is limited in most instances, although if properly addressed would afford most people who are refugees the opportunity to integrate into their new countries, and enable them to contribute in a meaningful manner to that country's well-being and development. Displaced peoples have a broad profile, including people with disabilities, some being acquired on their migration journey. Social justice practice includes addressing the needs of refugees, especially the most vulnerable among them. This article will examine these issues, establishing the context of current displacement, with projected numbers for the future; it will describe and discuss the impact of the difficult journeys undertaken by refugees; and propose the key elements for focus by rehabilitation professionals, particular reference to the European situation, especially that of Greece. The article is based on the author's first-hand experiences while working in European refugee camps, including one specifically for those with disabilities. The article will draw upon information, statistics, and other evidence supporting the issues addressed, including Human Rights Watch; Pew Research Center; Aida: Asylum in Europe Database, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the United Nations.

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The Relationship between the International Criminal Court and its Host State: The Impact on Human Rights

Leiden Journal of International Law ◽

10.1017/s0922156514000016 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 479-493 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

EMMA IRVING

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

The Netherlands ◽

International Criminal Court ◽

International Criminal ◽

Criminal Court ◽

Host State ◽

Legal Relationship ◽

European Court ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

AbstractWhen an international criminal tribunal establishes its headquarters in a state, its legal relationship with that state must be carved out. This legal relationship has the potential to exclude the applicability of human rights protection by curtailing the host state's jurisdiction in parts of its territory. Despite this, there is little clarity as to when when such curtailment should arise. This problem is illustrated by the situation regarding witnesses at the International Criminal Court, which has recently been the subject of decisions of the Hague District Court and of the European Court of Human Rights. These two courts disagree on the threshold at which the human rights issues engaged by the situation are brought under the jurisdiction of the Netherlands. This article submits that the European Court in Djokaba Lambi Longa v. The Netherlands set the threshold for jurisdiction under the Convention too high. In applying easily distinguishable previous case law, and failing to take into account all relevant facts, the Court's finding of inadmissibility is unconvincing. The Dutch Court, on the other hand, took a broader approach from which the European Court of Human Rights could learn. Ultimately the two decisions give contrasting interpretations of the relationship between the ICC and its host state, which could have wider ramifications.

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Attributing Wrongful Conduct of Implementing Partners to unhcr

Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies ◽

10.1163/18781527-00501013 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 (1-2) ◽

pp. 42-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Maja Janmyr

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

International Law ◽

International Organizations ◽

Refugee Camps ◽

International Protection ◽

Host State ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

High Commissioner ◽

International Responsibility

Refugee camps are often managed by a wide set of actors other than the Host State. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (unhcr), tasked under international law to provide “international protection” to refugees and to seek “permanent solutions for the problem of refugees”, often sub-contracts the daily management of camps to non-governmental organizations (ngo). In 2013, unhcr collaborated with 733 ngos worldwide. Together with unhcr, these “implementing partners” often perform public powers normally exercised by the Host State. But when human rights violations occur following the conduct of a unhcr implementing partner, which actor(s) are responsible under international law? This article focuses on unhcr’s international responsibility for the conduct of ngo implementing partners. By exploring unhcr’s standard sub-contracting agreements through the lens of the International Law Commission’s (ilc) Articles on the Responsibility of International Organizations (ario), it answers questions such as: Which human rights requirements does unhcr place on implementing partners? Under what circumstances may unhcr be held responsible under the ario for the acts of its implementing partners? It finds that an application of the ario would make unhcr internationally responsible for the wrongful conduct of implementing partners, even when sub-contracting agreements include clauses absolving unhcr from any liability.

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Systematic Human Rights Violations, Traumatic Events, Daily Stressors and Mental Health of Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh

10.21203/rs.3.rs-18589/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Riley ◽

Yasmin Akther ◽

Mohammed Noor ◽

Rahmat Ali ◽

Courtney Welton-Mitchell

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Human Rights ◽

Traumatic Events ◽

Future Research ◽

Human Rights Violations ◽

Refugee Camps ◽

Daily Stressors ◽

Health Distress ◽

Mental Health Distress ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Almost 900,000 Rohingya refugees currently reside in refugee camps in Southeastern Bangladesh. Prior to fleeing Myanmar, Rohingya experienced years of systematic human rights violations, in addition to recent and historical traumatic events such as the burning of their villages and murder of family members, friends and neighbors. Currently, many Rohingya struggle to meet basic needs in refugee camps in Bangladesh. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between historical systematic human rights violations, additional traumatic events, daily stressors, mental health distress and related functioning. Methods: Cross-sectional data was collected from a representative sample of 495 Rohingya refugee adults residing in camps in Bangladesh in August of 2018. Results: Systematic human rights violations, traumatic events, daily stressors, and mental health distress were common among Rohingya refugees. Historic systematic human rights violations, additional trauma events, and daily stressors were predictive of symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression and anxiety among Rohingya refugees. Conclusions: Findings underscore the impact of systematic human rights violations, targeted violence, and daily stressors associated with life in the refugee camps, on the mental health of Rohingya in Bangladesh. Future research should include examination of human rights violations, in addition to other variables, in predicting mental health outcomes.

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Systematic Human Rights Violations, Traumatic Events, Daily Stressors and Mental Health of Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh

10.21203/rs.3.rs-18589/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Riley ◽

Yasmin Akther ◽

Mohammed Noor ◽

Rahmat Ali ◽

Courtney Welton-Mitchell

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Human Rights ◽

Traumatic Events ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Future Research ◽

Human Rights Violations ◽

Refugee Camps ◽

Daily Stressors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Almost 900,000 Rohingya refugees currently reside in refugee camps in Southeastern Bangladesh. Prior to fleeing Myanmar, Rohingya experienced years of systematic human rights violations, in addition to other historical and more recent traumatic events such as the burning of their villages and murder of family members, friends and neighbors. Currently, many Rohingya struggle to meet basic needs in refugee camps in Bangladesh and face mental health-related concerns that appear linked to such challenges. The purpose of this study is to describe systematic human rights violations, traumatic events, daily stressors, and mental health symptoms and to examine relationships between these factors. Methods: Cross-sectional data was collected from a representative sample of 495 Rohingya refugee adults residing in camps in Bangladesh in July and August of 2018. Results: Respondents reported high levels of systematic human rights violations in Myanmar, including restrictions related to expressing thoughts, meeting in groups, travel, religious practices, education, marriage, childbirth, healthcare, and more. Events experienced in Myanmar included exposure to gunfire (99%), destruction of their homes (93%), witnessing dead bodies (92%), torture (56%), forced labor (49%), sexual assault (33%), and other events. More than half (61%) of participants endorsed mental health symptom levels typically indicative of PTSD, and more than two thirds (84%) endorsed levels indicative of emotional distress (symptoms of anxiety and depression). Historic systematic human rights violations, traumatic events, and daily stressors were associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress, as well as depression and anxiety. Respondents reported numerous stressors associated with current life in the camps in Bangladesh as well as previous stressors, such as harassment, encountered in Myanmar. Conclusions: Findings underscore the impact of systematic human rights violations, targeted violence, and daily stressors on the mental health of Rohingya in Bangladesh. Those working with Rohingya should consider the role of such factors in contributing to poor mental health. This research has the potential to inform interventions targeting such elements. Future research should examine the relationships between mental health and human rights violations over time.

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