refugee

OSCE States explore role for the Organization regarding migration and refugee flows

VIENNA, 20 July 2016 – Possible roles for the OSCE in the context of the migration and refugee flows across the OSCE area were discussed today at a special meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna.

The meeting was a milestone in the process launched in March 2016 by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship. In a series of seven meetings and following an inclusive approach, an Informal Working Group took stock of the migration-related activities of the OSCE and developed proposals for future engagement. The Working Groups was chaired by Swiss Ambassador to the OSCE Claude Wild and open to all participating States, Partners for-Cooperation and OSCE executive structures as well as a number of international organizations and NGOs.

Presenting results of this ambitious preparatory process Wild said in today’s Permanent Council: “While the current situation is generally referred to as ‘the refugee and migration crisis’, it is in fact a crisis of international migration governance. Comprehensive governance is needed to deal responsibly with the phenomenon of migration and refugee flows. This includes addressing issues of protection, combating crime, border management, successful integration as well as solidarity and partnerships.”

Wild highlighted that the OSCE is uniquely positioned and equipped to use its political convening power and technical expertise to create formal and informal networks. “In such networks national experts and decision makers can exchange best practices in all specific issues that have to be addressed to design and implement responsible national policies on migration and refugee flows,” he said.

Chairperson of the Permanent Council and German Ambassador to the OSCE, Eberhard Pohl, thanked the Swiss OSCE Ambassador and his team for their committed work. “There was a clear common understanding among all OSCE States today that migration and refugee flows figure high on the OSCE agenda in line with its comprehensive approach to security,” Pohl said.

“Given the scale and transnational character of this issue, it is clear that no single country can cope with the challenge of current migration and refugee flows alone. It has to be addressed in a co-operative manner, in a spirit of shared responsibility. We will continue to support OSCE activities in this field and work to further develop the contribution of the OSCE.”

The OSCE Permanent Council is one of the main regular decision-making bodies of the Organization bringing together representatives of all 57 OSCE participating States and the 11 Partners for Co-operation.




refugee

OSCE States explore role for the Organization regarding migration and refugee flows

VIENNA, 20 July 2016 – Possible roles for the OSCE in the context of the migration and refugee flows across the OSCE area were discussed today at a special meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna.

The meeting was a milestone in the process launched in March 2016 by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship. In a series of seven meetings and following an inclusive approach, an Informal Working Group took stock of the migration-related activities of the OSCE and developed proposals for future engagement. The Working Groups was chaired by Swiss Ambassador to the OSCE Claude Wild and open to all participating States, Partners for-Cooperation and OSCE executive structures as well as a number of international organizations and NGOs.

Presenting results of this ambitious preparatory process Wild said in today’s Permanent Council: “While the current situation is generally referred to as ‘the refugee and migration crisis’, it is in fact a crisis of international migration governance. Comprehensive governance is needed to deal responsibly with the phenomenon of migration and refugee flows. This includes addressing issues of protection, combating crime, border management, successful integration as well as solidarity and partnerships.”

Wild highlighted that the OSCE is uniquely positioned and equipped to use its political convening power and technical expertise to create formal and informal networks. “In such networks national experts and decision makers can exchange best practices in all specific issues that have to be addressed to design and implement responsible national policies on migration and refugee flows,” he said.

Chairperson of the Permanent Council and German Ambassador to the OSCE, Eberhard Pohl, thanked the Swiss OSCE Ambassador and his team for their committed work. “There was a clear common understanding among all OSCE States today that migration and refugee flows figure high on the OSCE agenda in line with its comprehensive approach to security,” Pohl said.

“Given the scale and transnational character of this issue, it is clear that no single country can cope with the challenge of current migration and refugee flows alone. It has to be addressed in a co-operative manner, in a spirit of shared responsibility. We will continue to support OSCE activities in this field and work to further develop the contribution of the OSCE.”

The OSCE Permanent Council is one of the main regular decision-making bodies of the Organization bringing together representatives of all 57 OSCE participating States and the 11 Partners for Co-operation.

Related Stories




refugee

OSCE States explore role for the Organization regarding migration and refugee flows

VIENNA, 20 July 2016 – Possible roles for the OSCE in the context of the migration and refugee flows across the OSCE area were discussed today at a special meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna.

The meeting was a milestone in the process launched in March 2016 by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship. In a series of seven meetings and following an inclusive approach, an Informal Working Group took stock of the migration-related activities of the OSCE and developed proposals for future engagement. The Working Groups was chaired by Swiss Ambassador to the OSCE Claude Wild and open to all participating States, Partners for-Cooperation and OSCE executive structures as well as a number of international organizations and NGOs.

Presenting results of this ambitious preparatory process Wild said in today’s Permanent Council: “While the current situation is generally referred to as ‘the refugee and migration crisis’, it is in fact a crisis of international migration governance. Comprehensive governance is needed to deal responsibly with the phenomenon of migration and refugee flows. This includes addressing issues of protection, combating crime, border management, successful integration as well as solidarity and partnerships.”

Wild highlighted that the OSCE is uniquely positioned and equipped to use its political convening power and technical expertise to create formal and informal networks. “In such networks national experts and decision makers can exchange best practices in all specific issues that have to be addressed to design and implement responsible national policies on migration and refugee flows,” he said.

Chairperson of the Permanent Council and German Ambassador to the OSCE, Eberhard Pohl, thanked the Swiss OSCE Ambassador and his team for their committed work. “There was a clear common understanding among all OSCE States today that migration and refugee flows figure high on the OSCE agenda in line with its comprehensive approach to security,” Pohl said.

“Given the scale and transnational character of this issue, it is clear that no single country can cope with the challenge of current migration and refugee flows alone. It has to be addressed in a co-operative manner, in a spirit of shared responsibility. We will continue to support OSCE activities in this field and work to further develop the contribution of the OSCE.”

The OSCE Permanent Council is one of the main regular decision-making bodies of the Organization bringing together representatives of all 57 OSCE participating States and the 11 Partners for Co-operation.

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A Furry Convention Became a Welcoming Party When Syrian Refugees Ended up at the Same Hotel

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refugee

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refugee

God at work in refugees

OM worker witnesses a new openness towards God and the Gospel amongst the thousands of refugees on their way to Europe.




refugee

New opportunities to share Christ with refugees in Greece

Relationships form and opportunities to share Christ follow as OM workers minister to those seeking refuge in Athens and beyond.




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Running at full capacity: Evangelicals serve refugees in Lebanon

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Syrian Kurdish refugees find Jesus

Syrian Kurdish refugee families profess faith in Jesus Christ.




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Transform 2016: A refugee’s prayer - An insight into short-term refugee ministry

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Transform 2016: Refugee

Participants witnessed God at work through the Transform conference in Spain followed by outreach teams to the Mediterranean region and beyond.




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Refugee Relief - making it all happen!

Jude, project coordinator of OM's Refugee Relief Serbia describes her busy role, and how OM’s service can be a powerful practical witness of the love of Jesus to hundreds of refugees.




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At first glance, Ami-dong seems like an ordinary village within the South Korean city of Busan, with colorful houses and narrow alleys set against looming mountains.




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Egypt's Sudanese refugees using rich cuisine to build new lives

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Iraqi Refugees Speak Out

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IOCC Director of Programs Mark Ohanian updates us on the work of IOCC in Syria where the refugee population is rapidly growing as the result of the civil war.




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Ukrainian Refugee Relief

Bobby Maddex interviews Metropolitan Tikhon and Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak about His Beatitude's special appeal for donations from the individual parishioners of the Orthodox Church in America to provide relief for Ukrainian refugees. To donate, please visit oca.org/relief.




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The Impact of e-Skills on the Settlement of Iranian Refugees in Australia

Aim/Purpose: The research investigates the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Iranian refugees’ settlement in Australia. Background: The study identifies the issues of settlement, such as language, cultural and social differences. Methodology: The Multi-Sited Ethnography (MSE), which is a qualitative methodology, has been used with a thematic analysis drawing on a series of semi-structured interviews with two groups of participants (51 Iranian refugees and 55 people with a role in assisting refugees). Contribution: The research findings may enable the creation of a model for use by the Aus-tralian Government with Iranian refugees. Findings: The findings show the vital role ICT play in refugees’ ongoing day-to-day life towards settlement. Recommendations for Practitioners: The results from this paper could be generalised to other groups of refugees in Australia and also could be used for Iranian refugees in other countries. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers may use a similar study for refugees of different backgrounds in Australia and around the world. Impact on Society: ICT may assist refugees to become less isolated, less marginalized and part of mainstream society. Future Research: Future research could look into the digital divide between refugees in Australia and main stream Australians.




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The Factors that Influence Adoption of ICTs by Recent Refugee Immigrants to New Zealand




refugee

Refugee story

When Wajed al-Khalifa and her family arrived in the US as refugees in 2015, everything about the United States seemed foreign. They were now far away from their home in Syria and it was time to acclimate to a new life. It wasn’t long though before they started hitting milestones: Khalifa and her husband got driving licences, their four children excelled in school, quickly overcoming barriers such as English-language instruction and a new education system. Over the past 4 years reporter Monica Campbell has been checking in with the family and their story is still unfolding.

Also, US congresswoman Ilhan Omar tells us about her experience as a refugee from Somalia, and how this informs what she thinks about the US migration crisis.

(Gasem Al Hamad and his children in their new home in Turlock, California. He and his wife fled Syria with their kids after several family members were tortured or killed as the civil war rages on. Al Hamad is now a halal butcher at a nearby slaughterhouse. Credit: Monica Campbell/The World)




refugee

Refugee island

Nine years have passed since Syrians took to the streets to demand the ouster of the government of Bashar al-Assad. During those nine years, thousands of lives have been lost, many have been displaced and much of the country is in ruins. For many Syrians, displacement has led them to look for a new life in Europe, which has meant spending time on the Greek island of Lesbos. Tens of thousands of Syrians and migrants from other countries have passed through Lesbos. We’ll hear from Syrians reflecting on the crisis in Syria and from migrants who are now seeking asylum, while waiting in limbo in makeshift camps on Lesbos.

Photo: A drone image shows a displaced camp in the town of Kafr Uruq southwest of the town of Sarmada in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. Credit: Omar Haj Kadour/Getty Images





refugee

Refugee and asylum-seeker children's experiences: results of a meta ethnography.

Children's Geographies; 04/01/2024
(AN 178088141); ISSN: 14733285
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Spatialities of <italic>shabaab</italic>: exploring the intersections of lifestage, space and mobility amongst refugee young people in urban Jordan.

Children's Geographies; 06/08/2024
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Refugees dismiss head of Sudzha for inaction

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refugee

World Refugee Day

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refugee

10-Year-Old Paisley Elliot of Paisley's Pals to Hold Rock Painting Fundraiser & Auction for Preschool for Ugandan Refugees at Chef Point Bar & Restaurant on Sat. August 19, 2023 from 12 pm to 2 pm

At Back-to-School Brunch on the Chef Point patio, participants will be able to buy and decorate kindness rocks for $5 that will be gifted to local classroom teachers.




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Young women refugees call for compassion and connection to drive positive social change

NEW REFUGEE REPORT RELEASE




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AN APPEAL TO THE UNITED NATIONS TO SECURE ARMENIAN REFUGEES FROM KARABAKH, THEIR CHURCHES, TURN THE REGION INTO AN INTERNATIONAL INTER-FAITH PEACE PARK

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Empowering Refugees & Immigrants

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Footage Foundation co-founder travels to Mexico City to deliver a strong message of compassion on behalf of refugees and migrants

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An application for refugee status may prevent you from starting work

Karolina Schiffter discusses whether Ukrainian citizens who claim refugee status can work in Poland.

Gazeta Prawna

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Jenny Schwendemann and Dan Kim share their experience with Lavanga Wijekoon about their collaborative efforts with assisting immigrants from Afghanistan.

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U of T panel discussion on the Syrian refugee crisis & policy options for Canada

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Canada Should Remove Mexico from Refugee ‘Safe’ List - New report highlights how Mexico remains unsafe, particularly for people affected by HIV

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Ontario Should Revise Discriminatory Policy Against Refugee Drivers - Allow experienced drivers from war-torn countries to skip driving-test waiting period similar to other newcomers in Ontario

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refugee

OSCE States explore role for the Organization regarding migration and refugee flows

VIENNA, 20 July 2016 – Possible roles for the OSCE in the context of the migration and refugee flows across the OSCE area were discussed today at a special meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna.

The meeting was a milestone in the process launched in March 2016 by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship. In a series of seven meetings and following an inclusive approach, an Informal Working Group took stock of the migration-related activities of the OSCE and developed proposals for future engagement. The Working Groups was chaired by Swiss Ambassador to the OSCE Claude Wild and open to all participating States, Partners for-Cooperation and OSCE executive structures as well as a number of international organizations and NGOs.

Presenting results of this ambitious preparatory process Wild said in today’s Permanent Council: “While the current situation is generally referred to as ‘the refugee and migration crisis’, it is in fact a crisis of international migration governance. Comprehensive governance is needed to deal responsibly with the phenomenon of migration and refugee flows. This includes addressing issues of protection, combating crime, border management, successful integration as well as solidarity and partnerships.”

Wild highlighted that the OSCE is uniquely positioned and equipped to use its political convening power and technical expertise to create formal and informal networks. “In such networks national experts and decision makers can exchange best practices in all specific issues that have to be addressed to design and implement responsible national policies on migration and refugee flows,” he said.

Chairperson of the Permanent Council and German Ambassador to the OSCE, Eberhard Pohl, thanked the Swiss OSCE Ambassador and his team for their committed work. “There was a clear common understanding among all OSCE States today that migration and refugee flows figure high on the OSCE agenda in line with its comprehensive approach to security,” Pohl said.

“Given the scale and transnational character of this issue, it is clear that no single country can cope with the challenge of current migration and refugee flows alone. It has to be addressed in a co-operative manner, in a spirit of shared responsibility. We will continue to support OSCE activities in this field and work to further develop the contribution of the OSCE.”

The OSCE Permanent Council is one of the main regular decision-making bodies of the Organization bringing together representatives of all 57 OSCE participating States and the 11 Partners for Co-operation.

Related Stories




refugee

OSCE States explore role for the Organization regarding migration and refugee flows

VIENNA, 20 July 2016 – Possible roles for the OSCE in the context of the migration and refugee flows across the OSCE area were discussed today at a special meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna.

The meeting was a milestone in the process launched in March 2016 by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship. In a series of seven meetings and following an inclusive approach, an Informal Working Group took stock of the migration-related activities of the OSCE and developed proposals for future engagement. The Working Groups was chaired by Swiss Ambassador to the OSCE Claude Wild and open to all participating States, Partners for-Cooperation and OSCE executive structures as well as a number of international organizations and NGOs.

Presenting results of this ambitious preparatory process Wild said in today’s Permanent Council: “While the current situation is generally referred to as ‘the refugee and migration crisis’, it is in fact a crisis of international migration governance. Comprehensive governance is needed to deal responsibly with the phenomenon of migration and refugee flows. This includes addressing issues of protection, combating crime, border management, successful integration as well as solidarity and partnerships.”

Wild highlighted that the OSCE is uniquely positioned and equipped to use its political convening power and technical expertise to create formal and informal networks. “In such networks national experts and decision makers can exchange best practices in all specific issues that have to be addressed to design and implement responsible national policies on migration and refugee flows,” he said.

Chairperson of the Permanent Council and German Ambassador to the OSCE, Eberhard Pohl, thanked the Swiss OSCE Ambassador and his team for their committed work. “There was a clear common understanding among all OSCE States today that migration and refugee flows figure high on the OSCE agenda in line with its comprehensive approach to security,” Pohl said.

“Given the scale and transnational character of this issue, it is clear that no single country can cope with the challenge of current migration and refugee flows alone. It has to be addressed in a co-operative manner, in a spirit of shared responsibility. We will continue to support OSCE activities in this field and work to further develop the contribution of the OSCE.”

The OSCE Permanent Council is one of the main regular decision-making bodies of the Organization bringing together representatives of all 57 OSCE participating States and the 11 Partners for Co-operation.

Related Stories




refugee

OSCE States explore role for the Organization regarding migration and refugee flows

VIENNA, 20 July 2016 – Possible roles for the OSCE in the context of the migration and refugee flows across the OSCE area were discussed today at a special meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna.

The meeting was a milestone in the process launched in March 2016 by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship. In a series of seven meetings and following an inclusive approach, an Informal Working Group took stock of the migration-related activities of the OSCE and developed proposals for future engagement. The Working Groups was chaired by Swiss Ambassador to the OSCE Claude Wild and open to all participating States, Partners for-Cooperation and OSCE executive structures as well as a number of international organizations and NGOs.

Presenting results of this ambitious preparatory process Wild said in today’s Permanent Council: “While the current situation is generally referred to as ‘the refugee and migration crisis’, it is in fact a crisis of international migration governance. Comprehensive governance is needed to deal responsibly with the phenomenon of migration and refugee flows. This includes addressing issues of protection, combating crime, border management, successful integration as well as solidarity and partnerships.”

Wild highlighted that the OSCE is uniquely positioned and equipped to use its political convening power and technical expertise to create formal and informal networks. “In such networks national experts and decision makers can exchange best practices in all specific issues that have to be addressed to design and implement responsible national policies on migration and refugee flows,” he said.

Chairperson of the Permanent Council and German Ambassador to the OSCE, Eberhard Pohl, thanked the Swiss OSCE Ambassador and his team for their committed work. “There was a clear common understanding among all OSCE States today that migration and refugee flows figure high on the OSCE agenda in line with its comprehensive approach to security,” Pohl said.

“Given the scale and transnational character of this issue, it is clear that no single country can cope with the challenge of current migration and refugee flows alone. It has to be addressed in a co-operative manner, in a spirit of shared responsibility. We will continue to support OSCE activities in this field and work to further develop the contribution of the OSCE.”

The OSCE Permanent Council is one of the main regular decision-making bodies of the Organization bringing together representatives of all 57 OSCE participating States and the 11 Partners for Co-operation.

Related Stories




refugee

Implications of migration and refugee crisis for the European security discussed at OSCE-ELIAMEP event in Athens

Challenges posed by the migration and refugee flows and their impact on European security was the focus of an event jointly organized by the OSCE and the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) in Athens on 10 May 2016. The security implications of mass movements of people for regional and sub-regional stability, the role of international organizations, and co-operation and co-ordination among relevant actors, were among the issues highlighted.

Alternate Foreign Minister of Greece Nikos Xydakis opened the event, which brought together over 90 participants from the Greek Foreign Ministry and Athens’s diplomatic, academic and media communities.

In his keynote address, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier warned that migration had emerged as a new fault line cutting across Europe. “As the representative of an Organization that traces its roots to the successful attempt of over forty years ago to overcome the divides of the Cold War, I cannot but underline the need to build bridges – not walls – to protect our common prosperity and security,” he said. He underlined that beyond the humanitarian emergency and short-term responses, we needed also long-term approaches to address the root causes of migration. “On the strength of its comprehensive approach to security, the OSCE intends to play its part in avoiding the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe and in working towards effective solutions to migration-related challenges,” Zannier stressed.

Zannier’s remarks were followed by a panel discussion among Claude Wild, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the OSCE and Chair of newly-created Informal Working Group on Migration and Refugee Flows; Nina Suomalainen, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje; Saban Kardas, Director of Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies in Ankara; and Monika Ekstrom, Head of Political Reporting and Policy Analysis of the Representation of the European Commission in Greece.

Panelists agreed that the phenomenon of migration will most likely be an issue for decades and emphasized a need for long-term solutions and enhanced co-operation among relevant national and international actors. “Today we are experiencing a migration governance crisis as we were not prepared for this challenge. What we need is a comprehensive ‘smart’ response that reconciles both human and state security,” Wild said.

Suomalainen added that the OSCE was already doing a lot in the field of migration but what was needed in many areas was refocusing or updating of available mechanisms and tools.

Turning to larger geopolitical implications of the current crisis, Kardas noted that the reactive manner in which the EU had handled the instability in the Middle East and the resulting refugee crisis had weakened not only the internal solidarity within the EU but also its external credibility. “As a result, the erosion of trust between the EU and Turkey hindered a more effective and constructive partnership between the two actors in addressing the refugee challenge,” Kardas said. He stressed the importance of strengthening the resilience of local communities and infrastructure which are struggling to manage such a large influx of people.

This event in Athens was organized on the initiative of H.E. Dora Bakoyannis, former OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and currently member of the Greek Parliament and of the Panel of Eminent Persons on European Security. The event contributed to an evolving dialogue on migration trends in and around the OSCE area launched at the OSCE Security Days in Rome on 4 March 2016.

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NO COMMENT: Aftermath of Israeli airstrike on Al-Maghazi refugee camp that killed at least four




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The bombs exploding in Ukraine reverberate in Spokane, where tens of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian refugees now live

Alexander Kulabukhov is up at 5 am on Feb. 24, jolted awake by the explosions in his neighborhood…



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Young refugee gives back

“I DON’T want them to have the life I had,” former refugee Hilal Tawakal, 20, said about children in detention centres.