Refugee News

9:58 AM EST
2/10/2012 Thousands of Touaregs flee into Burkina FasoAt least 8,000 Touaregs fleeing fighting in neighbouring Mali have found refuge in Burkina Faso, having arrived “in a dire humanitarian condition,” the government said yesterday.

Source:IRIN Topics:Politics, Refugee

8:40 AM EST
2/6/2012 Mine clearance could take 10 years or moreLandmine clearance in Sri Lanka's conflict-affected north could take more than a decade, experts say. Approximately 126 square kilometers of land remains to be cleared in the island's north at the end of 2011, according to data from the National Mine Action Center.

Source:IRIN Topics:Politics, Refugee, Government, Safety Of Citizens, Defense, Military Equipment

11:14 AM EST
2/1/2012 Sex, gender violence on rise in Hargeisa IDP campsCases of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as domestic violence, are increasing in camps for internally displaced persons in Hargeisa, capital of the self-declared independent Republic of Somaliland, with social workers attributing the trend to hard economic times made worse by recent drought in the region.

Source:IRIN Topics:Unrest, Conflicts And War, Conflict, Social Issue, Abusive Behavior, Politics, Refugee

7:46 AM EST
1/31/2012 Health concerns for Kachin IDPsAid workers in Myanmar's northern Kachin State have expressed concern over the health of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) along the border with China.

Source:IRIN Topics:Health, Health Treatment, Medical Procedure/test, Politics, Refugee

10:41 AM EST
1/25/2012 Congolese refugee returns to start in AprilUp to 120,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will be helped to return home from the north of neighboring Republic of Congo after more than two years.

Source:IRIN Topics:Unrest, Conflicts And War, Conflict, Politics, Refugee

10:12 AM EST
1/25/2012 Little hope of swift return for Abyan IDPsWhen Abdullah al-Hasani, 55, fled his home in the Khanfar District of Yemen's Abyan Governorate eight months ago, he hoped some day to return and grow watermelons. But on a visit there in January he found nothing left of his two-story home and his watermelon farm -- the family's sole source of income -- had become a wasteland.

Source:IRIN Topics:Politics, Government, National Government, Refugee

8:56 AM EST
1/25/2012 Asylum seekers in Australia suspend hunger strikeAbout 150 asylum-seekers in Australia have suspended their hunger strike after accusing the government of reneging on a promise for community detention and bridging visas for long-term detainees who posed no risk, activists confirm. At least 34 of the participants had been on hunger strike for a week.

Source:IRIN Topics:Politics, Refugee, Unrest, Conflicts And War, Demonstration, Social Issue, Minority Group, National Or Ethnic Minority

10:09 AM EST
1/20/2012 Bureaucratic obstacles frustrate asylum-seekersAsylum-seekers entering South Africa are no longer being issued with the necessary documents to apply for refugee status. Without a so-called section 23 permit, they are being turned away from Refugee Reception Offices and denied the opportunity to legalize their stay in the country.

Source:IRIN Topics:Unrest, Conflicts And War, Crisis, Politics, Refugee

8:14 AM EST
1/20/2012 Governments falling short on R2P, says new studyThe governments of 15 countries most affected by internal displacement have failed to adequately protect internally displaced persons, and in many cases have themselves been perpetrators of violence or abuses that led to the displacements, according to a Brookings-London School of Economics study.

Source:IRIN Topics:Politics, Government, National Government, Refugee

9:28 AM EST
1/13/2012 Rohingyas wary of Burmese reformsWhile the Myanmar government takes significant strides in political reform, Rohingya refugees in southern Bangladesh fear their condition may not change any time soon.

Source:IRIN Topics:Politics, Refugee, Social Issue, Minority Group, National Or Ethnic Minority