Africa

The Experiences of Ghanaian Live-In Caregivers in the United States

Cati Coe of Rutgers University reviews The Experiences of Ghanaian Live-In Caregivers in the United States by Martha Donkor. Martha Donkor examines the migration of the women to the US and their decisions to care for upper middle class white...

The Regularization of Zimbabwean Migrants: A Case of Permanent Temporariness

In this essay, Sergio Carciotto of the Scalabrini Institute for Human Mobility in Africa (SIHMA) examines South Africa’s temporary labor migration laws and how they apply to migrant workers from Zimbabwe. Carciotto makes the case that low-skilled workers, such as Zimbabweans, are not provided the benefits that high-skilled workers receive, particularly the opportunity to become permanent residents. As such, they are without leverage in the workplace and are subject to exploitation. Carciotto concludes that low-skilled workers who enter on a temporary basis should be allowed to apply for permanent residency after a certain time, in order to avoid situations of indentured servitude. In other words, the longer a worker remains, “the stronger their claim to full membership in society and to the enjoyment of the same rights as citizens.” He also states that such a policy should be included in the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, currently being negotiated by United Nations member states.

CMSOnAir | Paola Piscitelli on the Humanitarian Corridors Project

In this episode, Paola Piscitelli, president of the Community of Sant'Egidio USA, describes the history of the Community of Sant'Egidio and explains its Humanitarian Corridors Project, including the process of identifying refugee beneficiaries and the communities to host them, the services and programs coordinated to welcome refugees, and the importance of ecumenical partnerships to serve people in need.

Negotiating Belongings: Stories of Forced Migration of Dinka Women from South Sudan

Katarzyna Grabska of The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies reviews Negotiating Belongings: Stories of Forced Migration of Dinka Women from South Sudan, by Melanie Baak. Melanie Baak utilizes narrative, ethnographic and autoethnographic approaches to explore the negotiations for belonging for...

Thrive or Survive? Explaining Variation in Economic Outcomes for Refugees

Despite a growing literature on the economic lives of refugees, much of that work has lacked theory or data. The work that has been quantitative has generally focused on the economic impact of refugees on host countries rather than explaining variation in economic outcomes for refugees. This paper seeks to explain variation in economic outcomes for refugees by asking three questions about the economic lives of refugees: 1) what makes the economic lives of refugees distinctive from other populations; 2) what explains variation in refugees’ income levels; and 3) what role does entrepreneurship play in shaping refugees’ economic outcomes? To answer these questions, the paper draws upon extensive qualitative and quantitative research conducted in Uganda. The quantitative data set is based on a survey of 2,213 refugees in three types of contexts: urban (Kampala), protracted camps (Nakivale and Kyangwali settlements), and emergency camps (Rwamwanja). The paper concludes that supporting refugees’ capacities rather than solely addressing their vulnerabilities offers an opportunity to rethink assistance in ways that are more sustainable for refugees, host states, and donors.

The Ideal Refugees: Gender, Islam, and the Sahrawi Politics of Survival : The Concerned Women of Buduburam: Refugee Activists and Humanitarian Dilemmas

Elisabeth Olivius of Umeå University reviews The Ideal Refugees: Gender, Islam, and the Sahrawi Politics of Survival : The Concerned Women of Buduburam: Refugee Activists and Humanitarian Dilemmas, by Elizabeth Holzer. Dr. Holzer draws on fifteen months of ethnographic fieldwork in Ghana and subsequent...

Mothers on the Move: Reproducing Belonging between Africa and Europe

Valentina Mazzucato of Maastricht University reviews Mothers on the Move: Reproducing Belonging between Africa and Europe, by Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg. Professor Feldman-Savelsberg takes readers back and forth between Cameroon and Germany to explore how migrant mothers—through the careful and at times difficult...

Matching Systems for Refugees

The paper addresses how to match refugees — who have been approved for resettlement — to particular areas, arguing for the importance of accounting for refugee preferences. It finds that matching systems between refugees and states or local areas are emerging as one of the most promising solutions to this question. This paper describes the basics of two-sided matching theory used in a number of allocation problems, such as school choice, where both sides need to agree to the match. It then examines how these insights can be applied to refugee matching in the context of the European Union, and explores how refugee matching might work in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.

Scalabrini Study Centers Release First Annual International Migration Policy Report

New York, NY – The migration study centers of the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles – Scalabrinians, a Catholic community dedicated to serving refugees and migrants throughout the world, released today their first annual International Migration Policy...

International Migration Policy Report: Responsibility Sharing for Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants in Need of Protection

This inaugural report of the Scalabrini migration study centers covers responsibility-sharing for large-scale refugee and migrant populations in need. The report consists of chapters that describe the situation of refugee and migrant populations in select regions around the world and analyzes the responses of states, regional bodies and the international community.