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News Briefs (December 2024)
Our News Briefs bring you the latest highlights from the advocacy efforts of APRRN and our members, as well as keeping you informed on upcoming events and activities. We strive to provide regular updates on the network’s activities and developments in the refugee protection sphere, alongside the emerging political climate in the Asia Pacific region. We welcome contributions from members! Please share your updates, information, or resources with Ali at msco@aprrn.org
Rohingya
Across South and Southeast Asia, several critical initiatives supporting refugee communities reached completion in December. All these projects have been implemented through the work of Refugee Led Initiatives (RLIs). In Indonesia, emergency response projects providing essential aid to boat arrivals received overwhelming positive feedback. The initiative particularly benefited mothers and their newborns, supplying crucial hygiene kits and nutritional support. In Malaysia, an innovative project focused on women's empowerment combining business management training with mental health support, creating holistic capacity-building opportunities for participants.
Education remained a priority in Bangladesh, where projects provided essential learning materials to students while supporting dedicated teachers in their mission to educate young minds. The creative arts sector flourished through engaging Art and Writing workshops, offering young adults in the camps valuable opportunities for self-expression and reflection through exhibitions. Responding to an urgent crisis, APRRN swiftly mobilised support following a devastating fire in the camps on December 24th, 2024. Working through an RLI, the network facilitated the distribution of essential non-food items to affected families, demonstrating the crucial role of rapid response mechanisms in emergency situations.
On the research front, an RLI is documenting the experiences of Rohingya refugees in detention facilities across India, with their comprehensive report nearing completion. Concurrent efforts in Bangladesh's refugee camps saw the successful implementation of a health awareness campaign focused on Hepatitis prevention and treatment.
As part of its ongoing commitment to regional advocacy, APRRN has begun updating its comprehensive Briefing Paper on the Rohingya crisis, incorporating recent developments and emerging challenges across the region.
Klaus and Hafsar took part in a session of the Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week, organised by ICVA in Bangkok on 10-12 December and had bilateral meetings with APRRN members, including COAST and the Norwegian Refugee Council. Hafsar spoke at a session organised by COAST "Rohingya Community Rights and Mobilizing Civil Society in the Asia-Pacific for a Durable Solution.” Read More Here
APRRN member, Nimo Ahmed from Sisterhood, visited the Secretariat in Bangkok in connection with her attendance at the 15th Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) Forum and she and Klaus discussed ways of advancing APRRN’s work on protecting and promoting the human rights of refugee women and girls and how to advance their meaningful participation and inclusion.
On 16 December, Klaus spoke at a panel at the launch of the Asia-Pacific Migration Report 2024. As a representative of the Stakeholder Advisory Group for the Stakeholder Consultations leading up to the second Asia-Pacific Regional Review of Implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in February 2025, He provided recommendations on reducing vulnerabilities and eliminating discrimination for people on the move, irrespective of their immigration status, and talked about the various roles civil society must play in addressing gaps and solutions. See the recording here:
Commemoration of International Migrants Day in Asia and the Pacific 2024 | ESCAP
On 4 December, Hafsar spoke at ASEAN Women’s Leadership In International justice and accountability at the World Forum in the Hague raising the importance of ASEAN women leaders’ participation in this space.
On International Human Rights Day, 10 December, Hafsar participated in two events with Suaka in Indonesia, where they highlighted international and regional situation updates on refugee rights protection and provided a pre-recorded message to an event held by the New Myanmar Foundation in Thailand. Klaus attended an event in Bangkok held by the German Embassy in Bangkok and highlighted the need for meaningful representation of people with lived experience in addressing gaps and solutions in ensuring the human rights and dignity of the increasing number of refugees and migrants in Thailand.
On 20 December, APRRN member, Linda Bartholomei from the University of New South Wales, Sabine Larribeau, Chair of APRRN’s Working Group on Advocacy and Legal Aid were joined by Hafsar and Klaus and together delivered a lecture: Addressing Migration Governance and Refugee Rights in the Asia Pacific" as part of a Winter Workshop, organised by the Center on Gender and Forced Displacement (CGFD), Asian Institute of Technology, Christ University, Bangalore, and the Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group (CRG), with support from the IDRC (International Development Research Centre), Canada. They spoke about challenges and opportunities for APRRN in promoting and protecting the human rights of refugees and other vulnerable people on the move in our region including protection issues of Rohingya and other ethnic minorities of Myanmar; Combating and Responding to SGBV in Asia and the Pacific Region, and legal protection challenges of refugees and other forcibly displaced populations.
An attempt to counter negative narratives on Rohingya and migration:
Confronting falsehoods about the #Rohingya community that circulate widely on social media, especially in South and Southeast Asian countries where many Rohingya refugees seek asylum. In a powerful effort to counter #misinformation, #disinformation and #hatespeech, Rohingya advocates are stepping forward to challenge harmful narratives targeting Myanmar's Rohingya refugee community. Watch the video and join the conversation: #stophateagainstrohingya, with Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network and more.
On 13 and 18 December, respectively, Q4 Board and Steering Committee Meetings were held (summary notes of the Steering Committee Meeting forthcoming).
Members Spotlight!
The Australian Rohingya Women’s Development Organisation (ARWDO) is a not-for-profit charity whose mission is to empower Rohingya women and children. ARWDO's purpose is to provide benevolent relief to the disadvantage, distress, suffering and poverty of Rohingya women and children. ARWDO works for the Rohingya community and works for the fulfilment of human rights, gender equality and independence. The women of ARWDO are passionate about addressing systemic inequalities, poverty, and discrimination.
Persecution, attempted genocide, and mass displacement has direct impact identity and culture which contributes to suffering and distress, ARWDO is committed to community building and cultural preservation, celebration, and representation. ARWDO is working for a united, peaceful, and respectful Rohingya community in Australia and world-wide. ARWDO is a safe space for women and children. Visit Their Website
ACTIONS AND NEWS FROM MEMBERS
At the 15th Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) Forum in Bangkok, APRRN member, Nimo Ahmed, The Sisterhood Foundation, proudly took the Feminist Stage for the first time and shared an inspiring message: With the right support, displaced women can lead and create positive change, transforming personal struggles into shared strength.
Watch the recording of the hybrid symposium on statelessness held in Tokyo last June by Forum for Refugees Japan, now available on YouTube.
News from the region
Afghanistan:
OCHA - Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025: Political developments in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan add to the risk of a renewed returnee crisis, which peaked in the last quarter of 2023 with the arrival of nearly 500,000 Afghans from Pakistan alone. Although the monthly number of returnees crossing into Afghanistan has since stabilized, the ongoing threat of Afghan deportations from Pakistan persists. Moreover, recent announcements from Iranian authorities regarding the deportation of 2 million undocumented Afghans by March 2025 have corresponded with a temporary rise in mostly undocumented returnees crossing monthly (around 255,000 people in September and more than 219,000 in October 2024), further increasing the need for assistance at border points and areas of return.
Indonesia:
Indonesian University, UGM to Host International Conference on Forced Migration, 20-23 January 2025.
Thailand:
The Thailand Migration Report 2024 was launched in December by the UN Network on Migration in Thailand. The chapter on Immigration Detention and Alternatives to Detention was led by UN Human Rights.
Malaysia:
As of the end of November, there were around 111,410 Rohingya refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia, about 58% of the total refugee population in the country.
India:
The Quint, Inside India’s Detention Camps: Rohingya Refugees Face Abuse, Harsh Conditions: New investigative report reveals over 50% of unlawfully detained Rohingya refugees in India are women and children. As of September 2024, the latest numbers available, UNHCR estimates that there are 676 Rohingya refugees in immigration detention centers across India, and 608 of them have no ongoing court cases or sentences pending.
Delhi government schools are denying admission to these children because they are 'Rohingya Muslims' - Activist and lawyer Ashok Agarwal in an interview about taking a case of these children to the Delhi high court. On November 3, the high court in its order said, 'Since the Rohingyas are foreigners who have not been officially and legally granted entry into India, the present writ petition stands disposed of with a direction to the petitioner to make a representation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India which is directed to decide the same in accordance with law as expeditiously as possible.'
Bangladesh:
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain ... advocating informal engagement with the Arakan Army (AA), which controls much of Arakan State. The government is also exploring the creation of “safe zones” in Myanmar to prevent further refugee influxes. - Shafiur Rahman, Rohingya journalist stated: The Rohingya crisis demands a rights-based approach rooted in realism. Safe zones, seductive in their simplicity, offer neither. They are dangerous illusions, promising safety while risking catastrophe. For Bangladesh, for the Rohingya, and for the international community, the focus must shift to sustainable solutions that address both the symptoms and the causes of this protracted tragedy.
Rohingya refugees trapped in Kutupalong Transit Centre - While the centre is intended as a sanctuary for those fleeing danger within the Rohingya camps, its ability to ensure security is highly questionable.
Drones, Desperation, and Displacement: Rohingya Flee Violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State - Amid a growing humanitarian crisis, the personal accounts of two Rohingya women illuminate the profound struggles faced by those escaping the turmoil in Rakhine.
OTHER:
Japan Global Refugee Forum Network" kicks off and launches National Refugee Support Initiative.
December 19, a multi-day trawler carrying 115 Rohingya people drifted towards the coast of Mullivaikkal in Mullaitivu. The boat had 103 individuals seeking asylum, alongside 12 persons who had initiated the journey. When the refugees were presented before the Trincomalee Magistrate Court, the 12 individuals were remanded, while the remaining refugees were ordered to be sent to the Mirihana Immigration Detention Centre. However, they were later detained at the Air Force camp in Mullaitivu, where they continue to be held.
GDP report on Immigration Detention in Taiwan: Detention “Shelters,” International Isolation, Growing Migration Pressures: Immigration detention is an important tool of immigration control in Taiwan, where detainee numbers have steadily risen in recent years. Although conditions in Taiwan’s detention centres have frequently been criticised, they have received little international scrutiny because of China’s opposition to Taiwan’s UN membership. Taiwan also lacks an asylum system, though the need to establish asylum procedures has grown increasingly urgent as the numbers of Hong Kong residents seeking protection have grown.
Afghans arrive in the Philippines to complete visa processing for resettlement in US.
Reports & Publications
ODI: Migration deterrence strategies are popular among politicians, but what do we know about their effectiveness? New research explores the flaws of this concerning policy trend.
GCM implementation the Secretary-General report outlining progress, challenges and recommendations to advance GCM commitments and improve migration governance. Key measures include: (A) voluntary framework of indicators to track progress, align policies with the 2030 Agenda and improve migration data. (B) Recommendations to strengthen cooperation on missing migrants and provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in distress.
The ARC-UNHCR Conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement in Malaysia, welcomes paper submissions and poster presentations on any topics pertaining to refugees and issues of forced displacement. Aside from full-length paper presentations, poster presentations from graduate students, researchers, practitioners, academics, and members of refugee communities are welcome. Deadline: 28 February 2025 use the Proposal Submission Form.
OHCHR and the Global Strategic Litigation Council jointly organized two webinars on utilizing UN human rights treaty bodies for strategic litigation, including: 1. an overview of how to effectively use individual communication procedures of UN treaty bodies, 2. selected jurisprudence on the principle of non-refoulement and other human rights protection against return, which can be used in litigation, as well as to advocate for regular admission and stay. You can watch the webinars here. See also: Selected case law on the human rights of people on the move in the context of return
UNHCR invited states to pledge funding support for 2025: Australia, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, and Japan pledged. See Here
GCR:
The fourth quarterly informal briefing on the GCR took place on 2 December 2024, see the summary note, PowerPoint presentation, and recording, also available on: Briefings and meetings in 2024 | UNHCR.
GRF Legal Community Pledge Impact Report for the first pledging period, covering 2020 – 2023 including the collaborative pilot project in Thailand funded through the Pledge and utilizing a localized model for collaborative private-public legal assistance delivery, led to increased access to legal assistance for forcibly displaced people in Thailand.
Watch a discussion on "The Core Paradox of International Refugee Law," exploring how international refugee law can be both paradoxically powerless and powerful, considering its potential for both liberation and oppression.
Call for Nominations: UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. Deadline: 7 April 2025
Funding opportunities
US Department of State announcement, 20 January: Please note that there is a current 90-day suspension of US foreign aid. We are monitoring the situation closely and will update members on an on-going basis.
ASEAN Foundation empowering Youths Across ASEAN (Cohort 5), provide up to USD 25,000 per project to plan and implement for six months to civil society organisations and social enterprises in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, or Viet Nam that works in Community Empowerment, Arts and Culture, Environmental Diversity, or Education to partner with their #YouthVolunteers across ASEAN! Deadline Date: February 02, 2025
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe - Vigdís Prize for Women's Empowerment 2025, (60,000 Euro), rewards outstanding initiatives promoting the empowerment of women in all their diversity, which can range from achievements in gender equality, including women’s public participation and access to decision-making, to championing outstanding women’s achievements and role models, as well as transformative actions to achieve inclusive policies and practices that benefit women’s public and private lives. Deadline Date: March 28, 2025