Refugees

Decisive Action is Overdue to Protect the Rohingyas
- September 15, 2018
By John Packer

Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa and Neuberger-Jesin Professor of International Conflict Resolution

Finally, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar has stated the obvious: the Rohingya …
By CIPS
Asia, Canadian Foreign Policy, Human Rights, International Law, Refugees, United Nations
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Germany: Yet Another Migration Debate?
- August 1, 2018
Asli Ilgit, Cukurova University

Audie Klotz, Syracuse University

Once again, pundits predict the downfall of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Why? Her migration policies appear to fuel the rise of the nationalist …
By CIPS
Europe, Human Rights, Middle East, Refugees
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Need More Proof of Genocide in Myanmar? It’s Being Born Right Now
- June 3, 2018
by John Packer

Nine months since the violent attacks of August 25, 2017, and thereafter forced 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, the first of thousands of pregnancies as a result of rape are coming to term.

For these …
By CIPS
Asia, Canadian Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Refugees, Women
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Canada Among Donors: What Do the Latest Foreign Aid Statistics Tell Us?
- April 17, 2018
The preliminary aid statistics for 2017 are now out. What do they tell us about global trends and Canadian foreign aid?

Globally, official development assistance (ODA) from traditional donors has held steady. The total amount, US$147 billion, is down slightly …
By Stephen Brown
Canadian Foreign Policy, International Development, Refugees
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Time to Make the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Plan Permanent
- March 21, 2018
In too many countries around the world, LGBTQ persons are criminalized — singled out for who they love — with criminal penalties including prison time and death. Canada’s refugee admission system is not perfect, but one of its great strengths …
By Patti Tamara Lenard
Canadian Foreign Policy, Gender, Human Rights, Refugees
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Afghanistan’s Outlook for 2018 and Beyond
- January 29, 2018
The New Year ushers in predictions of what to expect in the coming year, but no predictions are necessary for Afghanistan this past week — the news says it all: three major attacks adding up to hundreds of casualties. Since …
By Nipa Banerjee
Fragile States, International Security, Middle East, Refugees
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Commemorating Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries and Iran
- December 5, 2017
On November 30th, the State of Israel commemorates Jewish refugees from Arab Countries and Iran. The date is symbolic in itself, as the previous day, November 29th, marks the anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly vote of 1947 that …
By Costanza Musu
Middle East, Refugees
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Merkel’s “Homelessness” of Power and the Future of the EU
- October 23, 2017
It has been very quiet in Berlin after the general election of 24 September. Yes, Angela Merkel officially won the election with 26.8% or 200 seats in the new Bundestag. However, her Christian Democrats (CDU) together with the Christian Social …
By Benjamin Zyla
Democracy, Environment, Europe, Refugees
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The Politics of Border Security in the Sahel
- May 9, 2017
By Philippe M. Frowd

A casual observer of the Sahel could be forgiven for understanding this region of West Africa as a space of threat: radicalization, terrorism, massive population growth, and irregular migration all grab the headlines. …
By CIPS
Africa, International Security, Refugees
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The New Colossus
- March 30, 2017
by Ruth Bradley-St-Cyr

“Give me your tired, your poor,/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” The words inscribed at the base of the statue of Liberty are famous, and yet hardly anyone knows that they are from a sonnet …
By CIPS
Human Rights, Refugees, USA
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Syrian Refugees and Canada’s “Defining Moment”: One Year On
- December 7, 2016
By Elke Winter, Benjamin Zyla, Charlotte Murret-Labarthe

University of Ottawa

Origins of the crisis

In March 2011, three months after the Arab Spring began in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, fifteen Syrian schoolchildren were arrested and tortured for writing on a …
By CIPS
Canadian Foreign Policy, Middle East, Refugees
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We Must Not Close the Doors to Spontaneously Arriving Asylum Seekers
- November 8, 2016
By Stephanie J. Silverman

Governments understandably focus on enhancing security, surveillance, and risk management for their citizens, and as we have seen, particularly since 9-11, much of this increased attention is directed at national borders. While every person enjoys the …
By CIPS
International Security, Refugees
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