This thesis study aims to satisfy the need for a composite intersectional study examining the cross-border spread of the flight of Afghans and the attitude of the major donor-system of the...Show moreThis thesis study aims to satisfy the need for a composite intersectional study examining the cross-border spread of the flight of Afghans and the attitude of the major donor-system of the international community and its affiliated humanitarian organisations, such as the UN and the ICRC. The main hypothesis for which an exploration shall be sought is as follows. Strongly tied to the regional escalation of the Afghan refugee crisis, the international security dilemma has burdened an efficient approach to aid assistance of major humanitarian actors during and after the Cold War. An inquiry into the relevance of this expansive statement may result into a multi-layered explanation. Over a timespan of several decades, well before the turn of the century and many more recently, many Afghans have fled their homes to nations sometimes far and sometimes closer to home, into Iran and Pakistan which have functioned as host nations ever since the Soviet invasion of 1979. The latter host, Pakistan, has recently had severe difficulties with the high number of refugees flooding local border towns and into its second-to largest city Karachi. Host-fatigue appears to have caused police brutalities towards refugees who have settled in Karachi and Quetta, the latter being a popular destination among Pashtun refugees who have travelled across the Durand Line border for decades. The problematic attitudes of local government forces have sparked shock among the Pashtun refugee community, resulting in a group of tribal leaders organising a peaceful protest movement named the PTM. Such spurs of feelings of discontent with the status quo may very well result into less favourable protest movements, such has the past demonstrated. The plight of the Afghan cause ties into the extent of the security concerns of major international powers. Since the donors of the international aid system are often the ‘big players’ and member to the, however fictional, international community, the Afghan refugees are dependent of and victim to the mood swings of these actors.Show less
Under the circumstances of a protracted war situation, failures to establish a political solution and no meaningful dialogue on the current security situation in Syria, refugee repatriation and...Show moreUnder the circumstances of a protracted war situation, failures to establish a political solution and no meaningful dialogue on the current security situation in Syria, refugee repatriation and reconstruction dilemmas have become the new subject of matter for Syrian refugee host countries, both European and neighboring, and Syrian government-supporting actors, including Russia and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Since 2017, several actors in Lebanon actively facilitate and promote the repatriation of Syrians refugees. UNHCR stated that the requirements under international law for the United Nations to organise or encourage voluntary repatriation are not yet in place in Syria. However, UNHCR officers do meet with the returning refugees and are present at all current departure points of the returns facilitated by the Lebanese General Security based on the believe that people’s voluntary choice to return must be respected. This study examines the role of UNHCR in the Syrian repatriation process in Lebanon in order to understand how non-state actors operate vis-à-vis sovereign states and to give insight into the role of international organizations in world politics. The thesis is partly based on field research in Lebanon.Show less
As the first of its kind, this paper evaluates the UNHCR's construction of refugees in its annual campaigns between 2011 and 2016. First establishing the complex nature of anti-refugee sentiment in...Show moreAs the first of its kind, this paper evaluates the UNHCR's construction of refugees in its annual campaigns between 2011 and 2016. First establishing the complex nature of anti-refugee sentiment in the United Kingdom using Integrated Threat Theory and the trinity of policy, politics and media, the paper identifies the instances in which UNHCR has offset, overlooked or encouraged public hostility and protectionism. It is concluded that UNHCR’s campaigns before 2014 did not internalise local social and historical hierarchies and anti-refugee discourse. It was only with the ‘I Belong’ campaign of 2014 that UNHCR fulfilled its role as the global guardian of refugee protection norms, addressing UK anti-refugee sentiment directly and effectively.Show less
This thesis looks at the response to the refugee crisis in Jordan as an effect of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 on a national and international level. The legitimacy and effectiveness of non-violent...Show moreThis thesis looks at the response to the refugee crisis in Jordan as an effect of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 on a national and international level. The legitimacy and effectiveness of non-violent humanitarian intervention as well as international burden-sharing are discussed from a theoretical and empirical viewpoint.Show less
This study is to find the stories of heroes who once were ordinary people that encourage us to dare to keep challenging. Listening to the individual voices of refugees, the paper attempts to shift...Show moreThis study is to find the stories of heroes who once were ordinary people that encourage us to dare to keep challenging. Listening to the individual voices of refugees, the paper attempts to shift the often negative images of them. In doing so, this study aims to remind readers of the importance of poststructuralism to bring more positivity to the seemingly unchangeable images of refugees. The study employs the theoretical guidance of Michel Foucault as a heuristic tool to analyse the media discourse from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and aims to contribute the poststructuralist works for the field of refugee studies.Show less
Given the potential for climate change to drastically affect or cause human displacement and statelessness, this paper asks: given the restrictions posed by its global mandate, how has the response...Show moreGiven the potential for climate change to drastically affect or cause human displacement and statelessness, this paper asks: given the restrictions posed by its global mandate, how has the response of the UNHCR toward the issue of climate change induced migration developed over recent years? This paper contributes to the climate change and refugee literature by gauging whether the global state collective represented at the UN level via the UNHCR accepts responsibility for climate change induced displacement, or whether it shifts the burden of addressing and counteracting the problem of environmentally induced migration onto specific countries, regions, or other organisations.Show less
