Development Blogs.com

i.lex: The Legal Research System for International Law in U.S. Courts (American Society of International Law) - Described as an "online database of select U.S. court cases and related materials...designed to serve as a practical resource for members of the judiciary and other legal professionals to identify and understand how international law is interpreted and applied by U.S. courts at both...

Here are three recent guides that are designed to help with different facets of the research process: Guide to Locating Migration Policies in the European Commission, 2nd ed. (Migration Policy Group, Oct. 2008) [access] - This guide helps readers to locate migration policy measures in the rather complex machinery of the European Commission. Immigration Data Matters (Population Reference Bureau...

Citizenship Studies, vol. 12, no. 6 (2008) [contents] - Special issue on "Europeanization and migration: challenging the values of citizenship in Europe?" Field Exchange, no. 34 (Oct. 2008) [full-text] - Focus is on infant and young child feeding in emergencies. International Migration, vol. 46, no. 5 (Dec. 2008) [contents] - Articles discuss health and disease in diasporas. Journal of...

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2007 Yearbook on Immigration Statistics (U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, Nov. 2008) [access via beSpacific] The Difficulties of US Asylum Claims Based on Sexual Orientation (Migration Information Source, Oct. 2008) [text] ECRE Recommendations to the 2008 Ministerial Conference on Integration (ECRE, Nov. 2008) [text] Iraqi Refugees: Plan for Ongoing Support in an Unstable Region (Refugees...

AWR Bulletin, vol. 45, no. 2 (2008) [contents] - Mix of articles with one looking at asylum and immigration in Austria and Hungary. Conflict and Health, 2:9 (30 Sept. 2008) [access] - Includes article entitled "Users' guides to the medical literature: how to use an article about mortality in a humanitarian emergency." Forced Migration Review, no. 31 (Sept. 2008) [full-text] - The theme of this...

Australian Journal of Emergency Management, vol. 23, no. 3 (August 2008) [full-text] - Mix of articles with several focusing on communication during emergencies. Citizenship Studies, vol. 12, no. 5 (2008) [contents] - Mix of articles. Disaster Prevention and Management, vol. 17, no. 4 (2008) [contents] - Mix of articles. Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, vol. 6, no. 1 (2008)...

According to a Press Pelease by the European Commision: The European Commission has allocated a further €21 million in humanitarian aid for the Horn of Africa: Assistance is being provided to vulnerable populations in Somalia (€13m), Eritrea (€4m) and Ethiopia (€4m). So far in 2008, the Commission has provided nearly €120 million in humanitarian aid, including food aid, to needy people in the Horn of Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda). The funds are channelled through the Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel. The Press Release went on by saying: The Commission’s assistance will focus on rural populations and internally displaced people (IDPs). It addresses core humanitarian needs, with emergency relief...

Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, vol. 17, no. 1 (2008) [contents] - Includes an article on displacement from the Three Gorges dam in China. Conflict Trends, no. 1 (2008) [full-text] - Tenth anniversary issue. Cultures & Conflits, no. 69 (printemps 2008) [texte intégral] - Focus of this issue is "Xénophobie de gouvernement, nationalisme d'Etat." Disaster Prevention and Management, vol. 17,...

Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies, no. 2008-1 [full-text] - This issue focuses on psychosocial support programs. AWR Bulletin, vol. 46, no. 1 (2008) [contents] - Mix of articles on migrants/asylum seekers in Europe. Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, vol. 22, no. 2 (Winter 2008) [contents] - Mix of articles including one on the use of teleconferencing in asylum removal...

Despite a growing backlash, the boom in migration has been mostly good for both sending and recipient countries, says Adam RobertsEnoch Powell had a point. The Conservative British politician gave warning, nearly four decades ago, that immigrants were causing such strife that “like the Roman, I seem to see the River Tiber foaming with much blood.” That proved to be nonsense, as did his advice that migrants should be encouraged to leave. Had they done so, Britain and other rich countries that depend heavily on foreign labour would be in a dreadful state. But one prediction he made was spot on: that by about now, one in ten people in Britain would be migrants. And indeed, at the last count in 2005, the foreign-born made up 9.7% of the British population.By historical standards, that is...

Main findings·Almost three-quarters of EU citizens believe that people with a different background (ethnic, religious or national) enrich the cultural life of their country; 49% stated that representatives of non-mainstream cultures rather enrich their own country; and 23% indicated that such cultural diversity even highly enriched their country's cultural life. Irish and the Luxembourgish respondents agreed most that the presence of people from various backgrounds enriched the cultural life of their nation; followed by the French; the German and the Finnish. The highest levels of disagreement with this assumption were found in Malta, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania. However, even in those countries, more than half of the citizens think that people with different cultural backgrounds...

Does a country have the right to determine the composition of its population? If so, how should it do so? These questions are hard to answer. That is presumably why the government has run what amounts to a "stealth" immigration policy. But that approach is now unworkable. The time has come for a debate. That debate should focus on whether restricting immigration is legitimate, desirable and feasible. Only then can one decide what policy to pursue.The government is in difficulties on this topic, for three reasons. First, the inflow has been substantial. Between 1997 and 2006, gross immigration was 4.8m and net immigration 1.6m, or 7.8 per cent and 2.6 per cent of the 2006 population, respectively. The latest projections suggest that the population might rise by 4.4m between 2006 and 2016,...

I am a human pileup of illegality. I am an illegal driver and an illegal parker and even an illegal walker, having at various times stretched or broken various laws and regulations that govern those parts of life. The offenses were trivial, and I feel sure I could endure the punishments — penalties and fines — and get on with my life. Nobody would deny me the chance to rehabilitate myself. Look at Martha Stewart, illegal stock trader, and George Steinbrenner, illegal campaign donor, to name two illegals whose crimes exceeded mine.Good thing I am not an illegal immigrant. There is no way out of that trap. It’s the crime you can’t make amends for. Nothing short of deportation will free you from it, such is the mood of the country today. And that is a problem.America has a big...

A study of how Europe integrates immigrants has exposed wide variations in the welcome foreign workers receive.The European Union-backed research found Sweden doing the most to help migrants settle - and Latvia the least.Overall, EU nations are only doing half as much as they could, said researchers acting for a consortium of 25 organisations across Europe.The study of policies across the continent ranks countries on key factors affecting immigrants' lives.The Migration Integration Policy Index is produced by a consortium of European organisations, led by the British Council and the Migration Policy Group in Brussels. See full...

The Spanish government is encouraging businesses to recruit temporary workers from Africa in an effort to discourage illegal migration.A delegation of Spanish employers will arrive in Senegal on Friday to recruit labour for construction work and the summer harvest.The initiative has the backing of the Senegalese government, which sees the opening of legal channels for migration as a dignified alternative to the plight of thousands of Africans who risk their lives every year attempting the perilous crossing to Europe.Every summer, Italy and Spain face a humanitarian crisis as thousands of Africans try to reach the Canary Islands or southern Europe.The migration wave has led to a de facto breakdown of maritime law, with Malta refusing to accept castaways picked up by fishing vessels.See...

Migration into Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries rose by 10% in 2005, according to the body's latest report.The OECD's International Migration Outlook study said four million people arrived in its member states that year.Regarding the UK, it said that 9.7% of the British population in 2005 was born overseas, about 5.8 million people.The OECD represents 30 of the leading democratic economics, from Australia to the US, France to Japan.See full...

Migration to OECD countries continues to rise, according to the latest edition of the OECD’s annual report on migration movements and policies, International Migration Outlook 2007. About four million new immigrants entered OECD countries on a permanent basis in 2005, an increase of 10% from 2004.Commenting on the figures, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría noted that international migration is one of the major issues in the global agenda.“As with many other aspects of this agenda, the international mobility of people needs to be well managed, and sound policies designed and implemented,” he told a news briefing. “Migration is part of the solution for labour shortages and population ageing in OECD countries, but to take full advantage of it, effective integration policies are...

2006 Global Trends: Refugees, Asylum-seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons (UNHCR, June 2007) [text] Bridging Divides: The Role of Ethnic Community-based Organizations in Refugee Integration (MPI, June 2007) [text] Detention of asylum seekers in the UK (ICAR, June 2007) [text] Failed States Index 2007 (Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy, June 2007) [access] Human...

As global warming tightens the availability of water, prepare for a torrent of forced migrationsHuman-induced climate and hydrologic change is likely to make many parts of the world uninhabitable, or at least uneconomic. Even if there are some "winners" from climate change perhaps farmers in high-latitude farm regions where the growing season will be extended by warmer temperatures there will also be large numbers of undeniable losers. Over the course of a few decades, if not sooner, hundreds of millions of people may be compelled to relocate because of environmental pressures.To a significant extent, water will be the most important determinant of these population movements. Dramatic changes in the relationship between water and society will be widespread, as emphasized in the new...

AWR Bulletin, vol. 45, no. 1 (2007) [contents] - Mix of articles, including one on refugee protection and human rights. Conflict, Security and Development, vol. 7, no. 2 (2007) [contents] - Mix of articles. Development in Practice, vol. 17, no. 3 (2007) [contents] - Mix of articles. Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, vol. 21, no. 2 (Winter 2007) [contents] - Mix of articles. Global-e: A...

Speaking at the World Islamic Economic Forum on Monday, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Indonesian president was quoted as saying: We appear weak because we have been told we are weak and believed it. In an equally encouraging remark, Abdullah Badawi, Malaysia’s prime minister said: The loss of knowledge and innovation within the Muslim ummah [people] eventually led to the loss of sovereignty and empire. Abdullah Badawi went on by saying: We must rediscover our ability and passion for knowledge and innovation … we must reclaim this legacy. Click here to view the full article on the Pan Arab Al Jazeera TV......

Louis Michel; EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Development was quoted as saying:  I am proposing to you a regional pact for stability, security and development in the Horn. This pact would revitalize and complement agreed common programs to address the regional cross-border dynamics and ensure that such programs are fully effective. (…) This strategy should focus, in particular, on regional governance, natural resources management, food security, border control and nonproliferation of small arms,” he told eastern Africa leaders in Nairobi. (…)The history of the EU can be a source of inspiration for the region. The EU has thrived and flourished because it has overcome long-standing rivalries and hatred. Louis Michel went on by saying: Nowadays, your regional...

The Sydney Morning Herald featured story about a Somali teen-ager and says:  In many respects, Mohamed is a typical teenager. He likes to drive the family car, regards the prospect of working in an office with dismay and his dad wants him to study harder. In many ways he also is a normal young cricketer. He wants to bat higher, reckons he ought to bowl more and thinks his captain is a dunderhead. He is different in only two regards. He is from Somalia. And he has one leg.  The determination to success and perseverance of this young Somali man is admirable!  Click here to view the full article on the SMH. ...

One of the claims about migration is that countries receiving immigrants are economically damaged. People argue for tougher limits of immigration in the name of protecting jobs. The empirical evidence, however, suggests that economies as a whole benefit from immigration. The Freedom Institute - Europe's feistiest think tank - reports new figures from Ireland's Central Statistics Office. In the third quarter of 2005:approximately 25% of the 40,000 immigrants who joined the labour force found work in the construction industry. Interestingly, the same release reports a 30,000 increase in employment in that sector in the 12 months to the end of Q3. That means that an extra 20,000 Irish people found work in construction, despite the influx of 10,000 "displacing" immigrants into the...