In early May, Klaus attended part of the official launch of the Queer Forced Displacement Network (QFDN), a global initiative by Rainbow Railroad to address the urgent needs of LGBTQI+ people facing forced displacement. Ryan Joseph Figueiredo, Chair of APRRN’s Women, Gender, and Diversity Leadership Working Group, stepped in as inaugural Co-Chair of the  QFDN. A number of APRRN members attended, including representatives from Asylum Access Thailand, International Detention Coalition, and APCOM. Klaus met with a number of  LGBTQ+I activists from Thailand and beyond.

 

On 18 May, Klaus and Steering Committee members, Naiyana Thanawattho of the Asylum Access Thailand and Kunanyaporn Jirasamatakij (Git) of the Jesuit Refugee Service - Asia Pacific, spoke at a public event in Bangkok, “Don’t leave us behind: Struggles for LGBTQI+ Refugees and Asylum Seekers”. Invited by APCOM, they spoke about challenges and opportunities for rainbow refugees in Thailand and the region. This event was part of a 3-day event, marking the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) DAY, organised by APCOM in collaboration with the Dutch Embassy in Thailand, and others. 

 

On 19 May, Klaus, along with Git and Sabine Larribeau, current and former SC members of APRRN’s Advocacy and Legal Aid Working Group, had a lunch meeting with the Executive Director of the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), to explore collaboration between OSJI and APRRN on strategic litigation in the region.

 

Meetings in Bangkok with the APRRN member, the Norwegian Refugee Council and the Bangladeshi Ambassador.

Klaus and Hafsar had meetings with representatives from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Bangkok, namely Dan Tyler, Regional Head of Advocacy – Europe and Asia, NRC Regional Director, Carlo Gherardi, and Bangladesh Country Director, Dipankar Datta. The meetings centred around increased collaboration between APRRN and NRC, with a focus on the situation in Bangladesh, and preparations for an upcoming field trip to Bangladesh with two APRRN members.  

 

APRRN endorsed the Independent Declaration on the Right of Persons with Experience of Forced Displacement or Statelessness to Participate in Decisions that Affect them. 

If you would like to sign the petition, please click here: endorsing the Declaration

 

Members Spotlight! 

Every year, Migration and Asylum Project (MAP) marks World Refugee Day by creating spaces that celebrate the spirit, resilience, and contributions of people who have been forced to flee their homes. Through art, storytelling, dialogue, and community engagement, we seek to honour the experiences of forcibly displaced communities while amplifying their voices, talents, and aspirations. For more, see here.    

This year, MAP turned the theatre into a powerful medium of expression.

Most of us grow up with myths and legends that help shape our understanding of who we are and where we come from. But how often do we get the opportunity to hear the stories that children in other parts of the world grow up with? The Night They Chose brings together talented young artists from refugee communities across Afghanistan, Myanmar, Somalia, and Sudan to share stories inspired by folklore, myths, legends, and lived experience. Through performance, the production explores themes of home, belonging, loss, and hope, while offering audiences a rare opportunity to encounter the cultural worlds that communities carry with them across borders and generations.

We recognise that too often, conversations about refugees focus solely on crisis, vulnerability, or displacement. Yet people forced to flee also bring with them histories, traditions, languages, art forms, and ways of understanding the world. Cultural heritage is an essential part of identity, resilience, and belonging, and preserving and sharing these stories is an act of both remembrance and resistance. Through The Night They Chose, MAP invites audiences to discover these traditions, celebrate the richness of cultural exchange, and connect through the universal power of storytelling. The socials for the event are on our handles on Instagram.

 

ACTIONS AND NEWS FROM MEMBERS

Shared Power, Doubled Impact: Why the Co-Executive Director Model is the Future of Leadership. PILnet’s Co-Executive Directors Julia Mayerhofer and Andrej Nosko discuss how PILnet’s adoption of a Co-Executive Director model reflects a broader shift toward shared, collaborative leadership in the nonprofit sector, demonstrating how co-leadership can provide more sustainable, resilient, and equitable governance.
 

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia has been running a number of events and initiatives over Refugee Week, leading up to World Refugee Day, such as: 

• “Our Stories: Refugee Leadership exhibition”,  Refugee Week Storytelling and Workshops in Schools and World Refugee Day - Myanmar advocacy. Please see relevant information for these events here:
• Relevant links and contact information: https://aus.jrs.net/en/news/our-stories-refugee-leadership-exhibition-2026/
• Leaders' stories online throughout this period. Thanush's story (+video) and Batoul's story are examples.
• School resources: https://aus.jrs.net/en/news/jrs-refugee-week-resources/
• We also ran a very lovely Schools Creative Competition for Refugee Week. I've attached a couple of entries. 
• We are also hosting a number of workshops in schools celebrating Refugee Week, and providing paid opportunities for people with lived experience to share their stories with the community. 
• We intend to use World Refugee Day itself to share about our emerging advocacy for Australia to take action to support people displaced from Myanmar. 
  • See our page here, including our statement (to be launched on 12/6). 
  • We also have our new JRS Australia promo video available here. 

 

UNHCR and IOM, together with ICVA, launched a new online dashboard to map protection and assistance services available to refugees and migrants along key routes. The tool provides a cross-regional overview of available services and urgent gaps. 

 

ICVA, The Future of Resettlement: A Lifesaving Protection Tool - Webinar Outcome Document.

 

University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Practical toolkit on climate and disaster displacement: 24th and 25^th June, Train the Trainer Sessions on the use of the Toolkit.

Climate impacts are arising in international protection claims worldwide. A new ground-breaking toolkit shows how decision-makers across the globe are grappling with such claims, offering practical legal guidance to those navigating them in practice. ‘Inaccurate but popular labels – such as “climate refugee” – have caused confusion, and some decision-makers have been spooked by “climate change”, thinking they need specialist scientific expertise to grapple with it. The Practical Toolkit debunks and demystifies these and other misapprehensions, using case examples and principled analysis to show why no special tricks are needed,’ McAdam added.

 

Call to Action:

UNHCR Route-Based Approach: Protection and Assistance Service Mapping for the South-West Asia Route (Myanmar).

The mapping is a work in progress. While more than 267 services provided by 61 service providers across Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Myanmar have already been recorded, this represents a starting point. Further contributions from partners are very much welcome, and we will continue to expand the geographic coverage, scope and depth of the data in the coming months.

The relevant country-level focal points:

• India: Ragini Zutshi (zutshi@unhcr.org)
• Myanmar: Adrian Kisai (kisai@unhcr.org)
• Thailand: Keane Shum (shum@unhcr.org)
• Indonesia: Emily Bojovic (bojovic@unhcr.org)
• Malaysia: Yukiko Koyama (koyama@unhcr.org)
• Bangladesh: Vinothraj Ratnaraj (RATNARAJ@unhcr.org) / Jose Manuel Vincente (vicentej@unhcr.org)

-----------------------------------

UNHCR on Afghanistan Situation on Protection and Assistance Service Mapping for the South-West Asia Route. Presentation attached.

The mapping is a work in progress. While more than 1,300 services provided by 60 service providers across Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan have already been recorded, this represents a starting point. Further contributions from partners are very much welcome to expand the geographic coverage, scope and depth of the data in the coming months.

• The relevant country-level focal points are:
  • Afghanistan: Hannah Waisman Motta Da Silva (waisman@unhcr.org) / Sophie Jambazishvili-yucer (yucer@unhcr.org)
  • Pakistan: Rio Otsuka (otsuka@unhcr.org) / Richard Grindell (grindell@unhcr.org)
  • Iran: Tomoya Soejima (soejima@unhcr.org).

• More information here: Working Group: Route-Based Approach: Data and Research.

 

News from the region

Afghanistan: 

At least 22 people were killed, and about 36 were injured when a truck carrying Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan crashed in eastern Afghanistan on May 30. Five women and 10 children were among those killed, according to officials. 

 

UNHCR, In the Afghanistan and wider South-West Asia context, a new analysis examines continued onward movements along the Iran–Türkiye route, drawing on interviews conducted in Türkiye. It highlights key drivers of movement, protection risks, and conditions along the journey. Complementing this, Life in the Shadows: Afghan Children and Youth in Pakistan, focuses on the impact of shrinking protection space following the Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan. It underscores heightened vulnerabilities among Afghan children and young people, including increased exposure to protection risks and pressure to move onwards. 

 

New Humanitarian: From chaos to contradictory positions, Afghan resettlements have never been “dignified”.

 

Australia: 

Australia needs to build its maritime intelligence networks in the Indian Ocean. Australia’s 2026 National Defence Strategy seeks to build ‘maritime domain awareness’ through regional partnerships in the Indian Ocean, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, addressing shared threats such as people smugglers and illegal fishers. A report noted that Australia was particularly concerned about ‘the potential for people smuggling of Rohingya refugees from the huge camps located in southern Bangladesh.’ 

 

From refugees to the World Cup for the exciting Australian duo. Footballers Nestory Irankunda and Mohamed Toure are friends, forwards and refugees named to Australia’s Socceroos team for the World Cup, with their first match set for 13 June.

 

Nauru and Manus Island:

The Nauruan government has withdrawn $30.5 million from a sovereign trust fund established with the Australian government to implement the third-country resettlement deal struck in 2024 following the NZYQ decision. The Nauruan President’s son, Secretary of Finance Damon Adeang, serves on the two-person committee charged with managing the $388 million trust. The Australian government representative on the committee stated that the money was ‘for the broad benefit and uplift of Nauru’. The Department of Home Affairs intends to appoint an auditor to oversee the trust, but has not yet done so. 

• The government faces questions about the first payment to Nauru under the NZYQ deportee deal.
• Nauru NZYQ trust overseen by the president’s son, Home Affairs confirms.
• Nauru directs most of the Australian deportation deal funds toward offices controlled by the president and his son.

 

Bangladesh: 

Hundreds of Rohingya refugees and undocumented Bangladeshi migrants tried to flee back to Bangladesh from India’s West Bengal state, as the new state government opened holding facilities to detain foreigners for deportation. Many of those fleeing remain in limbo near the Bangladeshi border, without formal documents to prove their nationality. 

 

Bangladesh Post, NGOs for Rohingya Repatriation Committee. The original brief and position paper of CCNF can be found here.

 

Bhutan:

The Diplomat, 1 Year Later, Deported Bhutanese Refugees Feel the Psychological Toll of Statelessness.

 

Malaysia:

New Refugee Registration Scheme Must Protect Rights: The government should ensure safeguards against data misuse, detention, and forced returns ahead of the limited rollout in June.

 

HRW, Malaysia: New Refugee Registration System Raises Concerns, Amid Crackdown, Process Heightens Fear, Uncertainty.

In January, the authorities began rolling out the registration program for Rohingya refugees in immigration detention centres. The first group was moved to a processing centre in Bidor, Perak, for interviews. Two refugee registration committees will review interview findings to determine their refugee status. “Only individuals confirmed as refugees by the refugee registration committee will be issued an identity document known as the Refugee Registration Document,” the home minister said.

DPP cards will allow refugees to stay in Malaysia “while awaiting resettlement,” according to the immigration director-general.

 

BFM, Aslam Abdul Jalil, Gaps in Our New Refugee Registration System.

Malaysia’s new refugee registration system, Dokumen Pendaftaran Pelarian, is raising alarm over weak data protections and fears of surveillance. Human Rights Watch warns it risks functioning as immigration control, as arrests surged to 92,000 last year and UNHCR cards were destroyed in raids. Aslam Abdul Jalil joins us to talk about this. (Starts at 23:27)

 

Myanmar:  

HRW, Myanmar: No Redress for Rohingya Muslims in Arakan Army Massacre, Hundreds Killed at Hoyyar Siri in 2024 Amid Military Indifference; Survivors Denied Return.

 

Bangkok Post, Thailand's risky Myanmar policy.

At the 48th Asean Summit in Cebu on 7-8 May, several member states signalled support for "calibrated engagement" with Myanmar's junta after five years of failed diplomacy.

 

examines the outcomes of the recent ASEAN Summit in Cebu and critically assesses the growing push within ASEAN toward “calibrated engagement” with Myanmar’s junta. It argues that premature normalisation risks undermining accountability, weakening ASEAN’s credibility, and marginalising the voices and rights of Myanmar’s civilian population.

 

Thailand:

UNHCR welcomes Thailand’s move to issue identification cards to refugees in temporary shelters along the Thailand-Myanmar border. The measure follows Thailand’s 26 August 2025 Cabinet Resolution, which enabled refugees residing in temporary shelters to access legal employment.

 

Danish Refugee Council, Experiences of Return and Reintegration: Voices of Returnees from Denmark to Thailand.

 

Pakistan:

HRW, Pakistan: Surge in Forced Returns of Afghan Refugees - Police Raids, Detention, Denial of Basic Services Intensify Amid Border Conflict.

 

Nowhere to Exist: Queer and Trans Afghans on The Move.

 

Afghan LGBTQ refugees face abuse and insecurity after fleeing.

 

New Zealand:

Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill: The Government has introduced a Bill that will make targeted amendments to the Immigration Act 2009.

 

Asylum Seeker Support Trust, Collective Statement: Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill.

 

Other News:

The UK will use an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to estimate the age of migrants arriving on small boats from next year. The UK Home Office said the move aims to detect adult migrants who ‘game the system’ by claiming to be children. However, experts have called the technology unproven and questioned whether it can accurately account for the ageing effect of traumatic journeys or past torture and abuse. 

 

US Court Dismisses Rohingya Hate Speech Lawsuit Against Meta. Plaintiffs argued that Facebook helped spread hate speech that “amounted to a substantial cause, and eventual perpetuation of, the Rohingya genocide.”

 

Reports & Publications

Why Digital Access Matters for Refugee Girls in Conflict Settings. Compared to boys, refugee girls are less likely to have independent access to phones or the internet. Article by: Junhee Seo.

 

Asia Center, Religious Fundamentalism in Myanmar: Post-Coup Repression of Gender Rights.

Asia Centre launched its first report in a five-report regional series examining the impact of religious fundamentalism on gender rights and civic space across South and Southeast Asia. The report identifies patterns of backlash from Buddhist fundamentalist anti-rights movements in Myanmar and their impacts on activists, movements, and organisations advocating for women, gender, and sexual minority (WGSM) rights.
 

How to finance refugee leadership: navigating a humanitarian system at breaking point.

 

Funding opportunities

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is offering a new scholarship for undergraduate students from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds based in Australia to undertake any undergraduate degree at UNSW. Significantly, it is open to students on temporary visas. It covers full tuition fees, accommodation support, and a living stipend, removing many of the financial barriers for students to access higher education. Find out more. 

 

University of Melbourne Human Rights Scholarship Program - Area: Human Rights, Research

The Human Rights Scholarship Program provides financial support to domestic and international students commencing graduate research degrees, with a focus on projects that contribute to the study and advancement of human rights.

Deadline: Oct 31, 2026     Grant Type: Scholarship Countries/Regions: All Countries

 

Australia Awards Fellowships aim to build networks of influence and leadership by strengthening partnerships between Australian organisations and partner organisations in the region. Australian organisations can apply for funding (up to AUD $34,500 per Fellow) to host and support a range of professional development activities, including: work attachment; supervised research; a management or leadership course; a study tour; program meetings and visits, or a combination of these.

 

CFPs: Women's Scholarship for International Students 2026

Deadline: Aug 28, 2026

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Countries/Regions: All Countries

Area: Students, Women and Girls, Women & Gender

Applicants are now invited to submit applications for the Women's Scholarship to award female students at all higher study levels.

 

Small Grants Program, Mérieux Foundation. 

The Mérieux Foundation’s Small Grants Program supports local, community-rooted initiatives combating infectious diseases in vulnerable populations, especially mothers and children. Grants fund implementation-ready projects that are aligned with local priorities, integrated with existing health efforts, and led by organisations embedded in the target communities. Applicants must demonstrate a long-term commitment to public health and adhere to the ethical principles outlined in the Foundation’s charter.

• Geographies: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Vietnam, Iraq, Iran, 
• Who can apply: Local nonprofit organisations registered for ≥3 years; student groups and international NGOs are not eligible.
• Funding amount: Up to EUR €5,000 per project; overall project budget may not exceed €50,000.
• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: maternal & child health, community-based infectious disease response, gender equity.
• Deadline: Two rounds yearly, March 1, 2026, and August 1, 2026.
• Learn more and apply here.

 

In July 2026, the lululemon Gives Community Wellbeing Grant will open a call for funding to community-led organisations around the globe that are advancing wellbeing through movement and mindfulness. Interested organisations can apply for up to $50,000 USD, which should not exceed 40% of their most recently completed fiscal year’s operating budget.

 

Taiwan Foundation for Democracy's Domestic Grants

The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy offers domestic grants to support initiatives that advance democracy and human rights through research, education, and international engagement.

Area: Community Development, Democracy & Good Governance, Education, Human Rights, Research

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Countries/Regions: Taiwan

Deadline: Jun 25, 2026

 

International Women's Media Foundation, Kim Wall Memorial Fund - Area: Journalists, Women and Girls, Journalism, Media, Women & Gender.

 

UNHCR Innovation Accelerator for Scaling Humanitarian Innovation

The UNHCR Innovation Accelerator supports the transition of proven humanitarian innovations from pilot stage to sustainable, system-level scale in order to improve protection, inclusion, and assistance for forcibly displaced and stateless people worldwide.

Grant Size: up to 250.000 USD

Deadline: Jul 12, 2026

 

Nominations open for Spirit of Togetherness Award

Area: Leaders, Leadership, Youth & Adolescents

The Spirit of Togetherness Award 2026, launched by Pernod Ricard in partnership with One Young World, seeks to honour young leaders who are strengthening social connection and inclusion through community-driven initiatives.

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Deadline: Jul 20, 2026

 

Shadowing Programme for Young Theatre Professionals from Abroad

The Shadowing Programme has launched its applications to support international artists within the field of Performing Arts, with an internship for a stay in Germany at a theatre or production house.

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Deadline: Dec 31, 2026

 

Fuller Fellowship Peacebuilding Program 2026

Area: Leaders, Leadership, Peace & Conflict Resolution

Submissions open for a year-long fellowship supporting early- and mid-career peacebuilders from Asia and the Pacific, featuring leadership development, professional exchange, and a self-designed project.

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Deadline: Jul 12, 2026

 

Apply for the Culinary Lens Fellowship Program (India)

Area: Food Safety, Arts & Culture, Individuals, Livelihood, Migration

The Culinary Lens Fellowship Program has launched its applications to explore informal street food economies in Delhi and Kozhikode as a lens to understand migration, identity formation, livelihood patterns and urban food security.

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Deadline: Jun 30, 2026

 

GCSP Prize for Innovation 2026

Area: Individuals, Innovation, Peace & Conflict Resolution, Research

The GCSP Prize for Innovation celebrates outstanding and innovative contributions across disciplines to support impactful solutions in global security and peace.

Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000

Deadline: Sep 23, 2026

 

3rd Call for ReCIPE Big Research Grant Program

Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000

Area: Democracy & Good Governance, Economic Development, Climate Change, Natural Resources, Researchers, Students, Peace & Conflict Resolution, Research

The ReCIPE Big Research Grant Program offers third-call Big Research Grants to support research that deepens understanding of the relationship between conflict, economic growth and public policy.

Deadline: Aug 11, 2026

 

UNESCO MGIEP India-wide Youth Debate on Peaceful and Sustainable Futures (India)

Deadline: Jun 30, 2026

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Countries/Regions: India

Area: Education, Literacy, Climate Change, Individuals, Leadership, Media, Peace & Conflict Resolution, Sustainable Development, Youth & Adolescents

The UNESCO MGIEP India-wide Youth Program is inviting applications to support peace, sustainability and ethical leadership, which will be held in New Delhi, offering a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue aligned with global education priorities.

 

Open Call: Glocal Teen Hero Program Nepal 2026

Countries/Regions: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka

Area: Individuals, Innovation, Leadership, Media, Youth & Adolescents

The Glocal Teen Hero Nepal has launched its applications to celebrate exceptional teenagers who are creating impact beyond academics through leadership, innovation, creativity and social contribution.

Deadline: Jul 25, 2026

 

RFPs: Design and Delivery of Festival of Rights 2026 (Malaysia)

Area: Business & Industry, Children, Youth & Adolescents

UNICEF Malaysia is seeking proposals from qualified event agencies to conceptualise, design, and deliver the World Children’s Day 2026 “Festival of Rights” in the Klang Valley, covering full event planning, production, execution, and reporting. 

Deadline: Jul 03, 2026

 

Open Call for Equity Initiative Fellowship Program

Countries/Regions: Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Area: Health, Social Justice, Leaders, Leadership

The Equity Initiative Fellowship Program is accepting applications to cultivate leaders committed to advancing health equity across Southeast Asia and China.

Deadline: Aug 01, 2026

 

UPCWGS Research Grant Program (Philippines)

The University of the Philippines Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies is accepting proposals for the UPCWGS Research Grant to support innovative research on women and gender in the Philippines.

Area: Leaders, Researchers, Innovation, Research, Women & Gender

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Deadline: Jul 31, 2026

 

Taiwan Foundation for Democracy Domestic Grants for Democracy and Human Rights (Taiwan)

Area: Democracy & Good Governance, Education, Human Rights, Individuals, Research

The Domestic Grants Program is now accepting applications to support initiatives that promote democracy, human rights, research, and international engagement in Taiwan.

Deadline: Aug 15, 2026

 

Call for EOIs: Enhancing Skills for Adolescents to Thrive in East Java (Indonesia)

Area: Entrepreneurship, Capacity Building, Disability, Education, Gender Equality

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund is seeking applications to support improving adolescent skills development in East Java through inclusive education, training, and capacity-building initiatives.

Deadline: Jun 26, 2026

 

Applications Open: Community Grants for HIV Support and Inclusion

The Positive Action has announced funding opportunities for community-led and community-based organisations working to eliminate AIDS, support people living with HIV, and reduce stigma and discrimination through locally driven interventions.

Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000

Countries/Regions: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines

Area: Community Development, HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ

Deadline: Jul 05, 2026

 

Catalyst for Change Fellowship Programme (India)

The CFC Fellowship Programme offers a 24-month professional opportunity for law and related discipline graduates to engage in legal aid, advocacy, and field-based work supporting displaced communities and migrant populations in India.

Area: Community Development, Human Rights, Individuals, Sexual Abuse, Violence Prevention, Migration, Women & Gender

Grant Size: Less than $1000

Deadline: Jun 30, 2026