Refugees and migration

Failed states and criminality are driving record numbers of people to the US border. The resulting crisis of polarization may be regional, but the response should be global, writes Christopher Sabatini.

Here’s what Chatham House’s experts will be keeping their eyes on in the year ahead

Europe is facing crisis – in our winter issue, we examine the threats to Europe within and beyond. We also eye up what’s in store for the world in 2025: from Trump’s return to the White House to the likelihood, or otherwise, of a ‘pandemic treaty’ – and more.

A nascent far-right movement has exploited concerns about high immigration and a housing shortage. And despite poor electoral results, it remains a force in Irish politics, writes Shane Harrison.

Chatham House’s Europe programme hosted representatives from the European Political Community in June, in advance of July’s summit.

Centrists like Mette Frederiksen are talking tough on migration. But adopting right-wing policy may make it harder to manage the issue.

Israel’s latest operation in Gaza has created two serious threats to Egypt’s government.

Its civil war is a vortex of transnational conflicts, but regional rivals must find a consensus to avoid an even worse calamity, writes Alex de Waal.

The president of the Crisis Group tells Roxanne Escobales why war is trumping diplomacy and why South Africa’s legal case against Israel matters.

As Russia continues to weaponize migrants to undermine EU unity on Ukraine, the EU can learn important lessons from Finland.

The UK government’s new bill, unveiled alongside a new treaty with Rwanda, is extraordinary – for all the wrong reasons.

The former International Development Secretary tells Roxanne Escobales about the importance of overseas aid commitments and why conservatism is failing the world.

A wave of crime and kidnapping has increased murder rates five-fold in a country that was until recently a haven of peace. Dan Collyns speaks to those affected.

Noo Saro-Wiwa, author of ‘Black Ghosts’, and BBC journalist Danny Vincent discuss China’s African community and the country’s ‘pragmatic’ attitudes to race.

From major elections to the AI boom, here are the issues six of our expert contributors expect to make the news in the year ahead.

The day Hugo Chávez was elected president on 6 December, 1998, many dared to hope. Instead, he launched 25 years of repression and chaos, writes Francisco Toro.

A solid bloc of Eurosceptic parties in power is cause for concern.

The prime minister’s ambition for ‘creative Europe-wide solutions’ to small boat crossings will not progress if his government attack the European Court of Human Rights.

As satellite images reveal, the gruelling battle for Khartoum is being waged with little care for civilians, write John Pollock and Damien Symon.

After Opec cut oil production on October 17, 1973, millions were displaced from Afghanistan and Syria, transforming global politics, argues Randall Hansen.

‘How Migration Really Works’ brings facts to a polarized discussion, but it works best engaging with the arguments behind the myths, writes Jacqueline Broadhead.

Common Futures Conversations members identify three policy areas where action could help protect access to education for young people affected by violence.

The UK government rushing its Illegal Migration Bill will not stop small boats but will damage the country’s reputation as a reliable international partner.

I fled Uganda with my children after my father-in-law tried to kill me. But in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, my sexuality still makes me a target, says Juliet Wabule.

Ukraine’s government must provide jobs, eradicate corruption and devolve power to create a convincing vision of post-war prosperity, writes Orysia Lutsevych.

Anti-corruption measures, deepening ties with the EU and widespread investment are essential to entice displaced Ukrainians home, writes Mustafa Nayyem.

Episode 27 of our weekly podcast examines the Syrian regime with signs that governments in the Middle East are prepared to engage with Bashar al-Assad again.

As European attitudes towards refugees harden, Anna Vallianatou speaks to Lisa Toremark about the ongoing reform negotiations and key policy issues at stake.

The poet tells Gary Younge about the power of reggae, the neglected contribution of Caribbean migrants to Britain and how the Illegal Immigration Bill recalls slavery.

Growing public opinion evidence and uncertainty about the future of the war suggests that continued American support for aiding Ukraine should not be assumed.

Exploitation and abuse of Nigerians and other people moving have become a profitable revenue source for armed groups in Libya. Tackling this situation will require both a transnational approach and policy tools beyond those traditionally associated with conflict response.

This paper explores how the remote border district of Sinjar in Iraq became a transnational conflict hub that threatens wider security in the Middle East.

The war is making the challenges of climate change harder to overcome, both in Ukraine and worldwide.

This paper explores the regional dimensions of the two-year civil war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and the potential for successful implementation of the November 2022 peace agreement.

Public facilities are key to managing human displacement crises. With strained resources, sustainable upgrades to buildings can enable states to meet multiple welfare objectives.

This paper analyses the contentious and complex issue of Loss and Damage finance by examining the perspectives of different countries.

The global ambition of SDG 7 to provide clean, safe and sustainable energy for all cannot be achieved if displaced people are left outside energy policy and planning in host countries.

What does the use of artificial intelligence in border control and related systems mean for asylum seekers and refugees, and how can their rights be protected?

China has increased its humanitarian aid and diplomatic engagement in displacement crises, but obstacles to deeper involvement remain.

In the near term, climate change adaptation efforts must prioritize tackling socio-economic vulnerabilities in the most at-risk regions. Failure to act will worsen climate impacts across the world.

The UK has a unique opportunity in 2021 to set the global climate change agenda and take action to mitigate the climate change risks to geopolitical stability.

How can coordination be improved to address competing policy priorities and migration pressures?

This ethnographic study is the first of its kind to analyse energy access and resilience strategies deployed in two refugee camps in Kenya and Burkina Faso. It highlights the need for new methodological approaches to expand the evidence base for humanitarian energy interventions and policies.

This paper highlights a number of options for managing electricity infrastructure in refugee camps and outlines the challenges, opportunities and operational implications associated with them. It takes the Kalobeyei settlement in Kenya as a case study.

Drawing on experiences from Phase II of the MEI in Burkina Faso, Kenya and Jordan, these learning briefs highlight MEI’s approach to innovation, engagement with the private-sector and host communities, and gender-sensitive energy projects. The four learning papers are intended for practitioners and policymakers working in the humanitarian sector and host-country governments.

This paper evaluates the market-based approaches adopted in the MEI projects in Kenya and Burkina Faso. It articulates how such commercial strategies can be applied to the delivery of energy in displacement settings and compares this to real world examples.

This paper explores the increase in resources and funding needed to improve the access of displaced people to modern and sustainable energy services.

In displacement settings, providing cooking solutions that reduce negative impacts on the environment and health remains a challenge for local governments, humanitarian agencies, businesses and refugees.

As humanitarian crises become more protracted and aid budgets face unprecedented scrutiny, agencies could save millions by switching from diesel and oil fuels to cleaner energy sources.

In the first of a new annual series, Chatham House experts examine how aspects of the established order in global affairs are shifting.