Hafsar Tameesuddin stepping down as Co-Secretary General of APRRN

From 28 September to 31 December, Hafsar will be working with APRRN in a reduced capacity, as they began a new job with the Red Cross in New Zealand, where they are based.  Hafsar’s primary focus with APRRN for the remainder of 2026 will be to work alongside Co-Secretary General Klaus to implement a transition plan and facilitate a smooth transition at both the operational and governance levels. 

From January - April 2026, Hafsar will continue to serve as lead advisor on the implementation and monitoring of APRRN’s Meaningful Refugee Participation Guidelines and provide technical advice on documenting and sharing learning from APRRN’s co-leadership model.

Hafsar wrote to all members in September: “During my time as one of APRRN’s Co-Secretaries General, I have greatly enjoyed working with all of you and have learned so much from you. I am deeply grateful for the trust, solidarity and shared commitment that have shaped our work together.”
 

The Thai and International Boards, the Steering Committee and the Secretariat expressed their deep gratitude for Hafsar’s leadership and stewardship for the past 3 ½ years, and look forward to working with Hafsar in different capacities. A transition plan is currently being discussed at Steering Committee and Board levels, which will also include a stocktake and preparation for APRRN’s longer-term leadership and organisational needs, including a review of Secretariat staff capacity, leadership and governance models required beyond April 2027.

 

As part of APRRN’s collaboration with the Humanitarian Partnership Network, operating under the Overseas Development Institute. The launch of Local leadership in a changing humanitarian architecture issue 87 on 7 September was a success, thanks to the hard work and contributions from our members and partners. Klaus delivered the opening speech, and the APRRN Secretariat and members Amrita Paul, Khair Ulla, Baqir Bayani, and Subin Mulmi spoke at the launch.  

The event was well attended, and below are the launch recordings in the respective languages.

• English
• Arabic
• French
• Burmese
• Swahili

The Secretariat will continue to be involved in the Humanitarian Partnership network, and discussions are ongoing.

 

Hafsar attended the ODI Global discussion titled “The bigger change we want to see: from advisory groups to meaningful participation” on September 24th. Advisory groups are common across the humanitarian sector that is talking (if not always walking) the talk of meaningful participation. Many UN agencies, donor governments, and INGOs now routinely seek advice from panels of people with lived experience. But, as we are learning first-hand, the initial act of setting up the group is the easy part. The process of building the foundations needed to make these groups meaningful is the hard part. – Participation – attending the meeting or being part of the panel – is not the end goal. It’s the means. It’s about shaping the agenda. It’s about influencing the bigger change that we want to see.

 

APRRN played a proactive role in support of the 2026 UNHCR Global Consultations with NGOs on the topic of Safeguarding the Right to Asylum and Strengthening Protection (28 September - 1 October 2026), held for the first time online due to budget cuts. APRRN’s network coordinator joined the INGO and UNHCR colleagues' steering committee, sharing lessons learned from Asia Pacific consultations and advocating for diverse and inclusive consultations. 

Core substantive discussions were structured around four key themes:

• Upholding the Convention as a global public good
• Protection through local agency
• Countering anti-refugee narratives
• Protection at the centre of solutions

1,033 people from 663 civil society organisations registered to take part. Attendees came from 109 countries and territories. The group was broad and firmly rooted in local communities. National, local, and community-based NGOs represented more than two-thirds of participants. Of those organisations, 220 identify as refugee-led, 139 as women-led, 62 as youth-led, and 28 as stateless-led. A further 25 are organisations of persons with disabilities, 22 are LGBTIQ+ or SOGIESC-led, and 10 are Indigenous Peoples organisations. They were joined by 102 international NGOs, 20 networks and 15 academic institutions. 

See: Closing Plenary: Presentation of the NGO Rapporteurs   

APRRN members provided input into the NGO statements delivered during the UNHCR Executive Committee meeting:  

• Collective NGO Statement_General Debate_77ExCom_Oral.pdf 
• Ex77_Collective NGO Statement_Consultations Rapporteur Speech_FINAL_EN.pdf
• ExCom77_International Protection_Oral Statement.pdf

 

Think Change episode 106: United Nations General Assembly – what would a fairer humanitarian system led by displaced people look like? People with lived experience of displacement are often the furthest from the decisions that shape their lives, despite being best placed to understand what their communities need. While international institutions are increasingly creating spaces for displaced people to participate, consultation alone does not necessarily shift who holds power. In this episode of Think Change, Hafsar Tameesuddin, together with Sara Pantuliano, Sana Mustafa and Ana Maria Diez, explored how refugee-led organisations are building more democratic and accountable ways of working, why funding remains such a powerful barrier to local leadership, and what governments, donors and international institutions need to do differently to support communities to lead their own responses.

 

Member’s Spotlight! 

The Council of Minorities (CoM) is a human rights organisation that works to establish the rights of different minority communities in Bangladesh. Since 2013, the organisation has been working to promote the rights of the Urdu-Speaking people living in various camps spread around the districts of Bangladesh. To establish legal rights, it has been working to create awareness among the camp dwellers regarding their birth certificates, death certificates, passports, trade licenses, national identity cards, commissioner certificates, bank accounts, general diaries in Thana, etc. In order to connect the minority youth with mainstream society, the Council of Minorities organises a youth summit every year.

The Council of Minorities exists to advocate for the rights, representation, and well-being of marginalised and underrepresented communities. Through community engagement, policy advocacy, education, and cultural empowerment, the Council works to ensure equity, inclusion, and social justice for all minority groups. Our mission is to amplify voices, influence positive change, and foster a society where diversity is recognised as a strength.

In order to bridge the gap between law and the mainstream lives of the Urdu-speaking communities in the country, we have been providing paralegal support through six community-based paralegal centres in Dhaka (Mirpur and Mohammadpur), Mymensingh, Khulna, Chittagong, and Saidpur. Through this approach, camp dwellers and others who have crises, issues, or need legal support and civil documentation come to our paralegal centres. A total of six community- based paralegal centres in Dhaka (Mirpur and Mohammadpur), Mymensingh, Khulna, Chittagong, and Saidpur, and 16 youths are assigned as community-based paralegals to provide knowledge on law and government information to community people and provide skills like negotiation, community education, approaches to organising, and advocacy to seek concrete solutions to instances of injustice. At the paralegal centres, paralegals provide information about the law, prepare applications in the paralegal centre, accompany clients to government offices to apply and they do follow up on delays and denials of the cases. Currently, we have 9 paralegal centres, and at each paralegal centre we have 20 pro bono youth paralegals and 20 pro bono women, and a total of 360 pro bono youth and women are helping our paralegals as well as our camp community.

Recently, from 6 to 8 October, 206 we organised a 3-day paralegal refresher training at Sarah Resort, Gazipur. Our training content was legal empowerment, paralegal ethics and responsibilities, citizenship law and international law, advocacy and advocacy roadmap, and legal aid and mediation.  www.councilofminorities.org

 

 

Asylum Seekers Resource Centre’s Media Release: Labour’s asylum deadline would dismantle Australia’s protection system. 

 

Refugee Council of Australia: Government recycles past failed policy with plan for time limit on asylum claims.

 

Myanmar burns. Diplomacy continues. ASEAN says it wants to end the violence in Myanmar, yet some member states continue engaging with the military junta while civilians remain displaced, attacked and forced from their homes. In this new analysis, Ahtaram Shin, APRRN’s Creative Initiatives in Practice Working Group Deputy Chair, examines Malaysia’s repatriation of Myanmar nationals, its welcome for Min Aung Hlaing, and what this regional diplomacy means for the people of Myanmar — especially the Rohingya.

 

There has been a significant increase in incidents across immigration detention centres in Australia, information released through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests shows. In March 2025, the same month the service provider Secure Journeys took over, 793 incidents were recorded. This rose to 1,600 incidents in May 2026. The reported incidents include self-harm, serious assault and the possession of weapons. FOI data also shows a rise in the planned use of force, including the use of handcuffs. Workers consistently pointed to understaffing as a major contributor to the unsafe environment. Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) supervising senior solicitor Ahmad Sawan pointed to government policies, including the deportation deal with Nauru, as well as inadequate services contributing to the increased rate of incidents. 

 

Violet Roumeliotis, chief executive of Settlement Services International, stated at The Sydney Morning Herald that ‘Refugees must not be judged as a cost item in a balance sheet’.

 

There has been continued focus on the Australian government’s spending on offshore processing following the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre (ASRC) report last week that asylum seekers in Nauru are unable to access enough food or clean drinking water. The Australian government spent $971.6 million on offshore management in the 2025-26 financial year, equating to approximately $9.6 million per person. Despite this, the ASRC report showed asylum seekers are skipping meals as they are unable to afford enough food. ASRC’s deputy chief executive said ‘even the most basic standards of safety and human dignity are not being met’.

• ‘Australia spent more than $9m for each asylum seeker held on Nauru last year – so why can’t they afford to buy food?’
• ‘Asylum-seekers on Nauru facing food, water shortages’.

 

Proposed Refugee Program cut would betray Labour Party values, Refugee Council of Australia says. Department of Home Affairs officials suggest that the program could be cut to 13,750 places in 2027-28 unless the Cabinet committed funds to maintaining it at its current level.

 

A Year On, Refugee Leadership Deserves Recognition and Investment: A joint statement 

On 1 October 2025, refugees living in the nine camps along the Thailand–Myanmar border became able to leave camp to work legally under a new policy implemented by the Royal Thai Government. To mark the first anniversary, The Border Consortium, the Karen Refugee Committee, and the Karenni Refugee Committee call for recognition of refugee leadership and sustained investment in refugee governance to support the transition to self-reliance. 

Read the full joint statement in English, Burmese, Thai, and Karen. 

 

How does New Zealand’s Community Organisation Refugee Sponsorship (CORS) programme work, and who may be eligible? This English-language guide explains the key requirements in plain language. This video provides general information only, not individual immigration advice or a guarantee of a visa. Referral, nomination, or an expression of interest does not mean approval. Requirements can change, so check current Immigration New Zealand guidance and HOST International Aotearoa resources before taking action. Warch Here 

 

Norwegian Refugee Council: Beyond Short-Term Aid: Financing Durable Solutions for Displaced Afghans

As over six million people have been forced to return to Afghanistan since 2023, the country remains marked by declining international assistance, widespread poverty, and significant political constraints. Returns are taking place in communities already affected by poverty, weak access to services, limited livelihood opportunities, and offering little perspectives for reintegration. This study, commissioned by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and carried out by Tasneem Mowjee and Lydia Poole, assesses whether the current aid architecture, funding mechanisms and donor practices are enabling progress towards durable solutions for displacement-affected Afghans and examines which financing approaches can better support durable solutions in Afghanistan. The report finds that existing aid financing remains largely short-term, fragmented and organised around individual sectors and projects, which limits the ability of aid actors to address the interconnected needs of returnees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and host communities over the longer term. Moreover, existing durable solutions strategies are not guiding donors’ funding decisions and seem to lack clarity on prioritisation and operational specificity. It argues that durable solutions in Afghanistan will not be achieved through stand-alone returnee projects or short-term funding mechanisms. Instead, donors should support multi-year, area-based approaches that combine humanitarian assistance, basic human needs, livelihoods and recovery support, while strengthening community ownership. The report recommends that aid actors support integrated, area-based approaches that target entire displacement-affected communities and enable sustainable reintegration. Financing approaches must also facilitate this shift, adapting to Afghanistan’s political, operational and economic realities.
 

"Statelessness as a Barrier to Self-Determination: The Rohingya Experience, Refugee-Led Governance, and the Politics of Belonging". Written from inside the Cox's Bazar camps. By Murshid Alam, a Rohingya survivor. About a community that did not wait for states to recognize its right to govern itself. Statelessness is not an accident. It is a political weapon. And our response to it — building institutions, preserving memory, advocating internationally — is self-determination in action. 

 

News from the region

Afghanistan: 

An Afghan woman with US permanent residency status who had been accused of supporting a plot by the Islamic State group ISIL (ISIS) was deported through an application to the US Alien Terrorist Removal Court, according to the US Justice Department. The court had never previously been used since it was created in 1996 for the removal of non-US citizens classified as ‘alien terrorists’, in cases where disclosure of evidence could threaten national security. Lawyers for the woman argued that bringing a lawful permanent resident before a court while withholding the evidence against her violated her right to due process under the US Constitution. 

 

US weighs third-country resettlement for more than 1,000 Afghans stranded in Qatar.

The United States is now negotiating with other countries over possible resettlement options for the Afghans, NPR reported. The U.S. State Department said relocating them to a third country could provide a safe alternative outside Afghanistan, while also addressing Washington’s security concerns.

 

Human Rights Council session begins

A new session of the Human Rights Council opens 7 September in Geneva, with a wide swathe of escalating crises in the foreground and the UN’s budget crunch overhead. New updates or sessions on genocide prevention, an updated database on businesses in Israeli settlements in Palestine, and examinations of rights in Afghanistan are among the many pressing issues on the schedule.

 

German Authorities deported 22 Afghan men to Afghanistan on 1 September. According to reports, the men had been convicted of unspecified crimes. Germany has deported more than 200 men to Afghanistan in the past year. Human rights groups have warned that deportations of people with criminal records are a slippery slope. Already, Germany has lifted the criteria that only men convicted of crimes can be deported, and at least one man with no criminal record was deported to Afghanistan at the end of July.

 

‘Afghan Authorities’ Policies and Plans for Durable Solutions: Approaches to Return and Reintegration’. This Policy Brief maps Afghan authorities’ current policies, practices, and perceptions related to durable solutions to displacement for the period 2021–2025 and looks forward to priority interventions.

 

Australia: 

The Labor government’s reforms to the migration system, revealed last week, did not substantially address asylum seekers and refugees, instead focusing on reforms for international students, temporary visa holders and visa overstayers. The tougher sanctions for visa overstayers reportedly involve repurposing a former quarantine facility in Melbourne as a detention centre and bringing on an additional 100 'compliance officers’. The Home Affairs Minister was careful to specify that this proposal would not involve ‘the sort of operation that some people have seen on TV happening in other countries’, reportedly referencing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Greens Senator David Shoebridge drew attention to the similarities with ICE and said that ‘Labor’s new immigration jails will be run by the same exploitative US private prison multinational that is already abusing people’s rights in immigration detention here’. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said that the Labor government’s announcement marked a ‘major expansion of immigration enforcement, detention and removal’ and that ‘the right to seek asylum and the right to work while seeking safety remain in danger’. The Refugee Council of Australia also expressed concern that the recent reports of significant amendments to the onshore protection process were not addressed in the Press Club address. Some migration experts have defended the government’s plans as sensible. 

 

‘Labor premiers join business groups in warning Albanese government over immigration cuts’, The Guardian.

 

‘What Australia can learn from 165 years of migration data’, ABC News.

 

Two former Afghan refugees who work with newly arrived refugees at AMES Australia, Khojista Hosaini and Yaser Joyan, recently became Australian citizens. Ms Hosaini said that becoming an Australian citizen meant ‘being recognised, respected and valued as an equal member of society’. Mr Joyan fled to Australia after the fall of Kabul in 2021. He said that ‘being granted citizenship while working for AMES, an organisation that once helped him, made this feeling even more profound’.

 

Refugees and people seeking asylum can face higher barriers to disclosing domestic and family violence. Experts and people with lived experience called for more culturally responsive support services and funding for translation of essential services information, amid reports that sexual violence in Australia has reached its highest level in decades. 

 

Bangladesh: 

Pediatric Analysis of Rohingya healthcare landscape in Ukhiya and Teknaf mega camp.

• Children treated in KTP are arriving sicker, later, and with more complex conditions than before.
  • The proportion of patients of all ages who need to be transferred to an external facility has increased from 2.7% in 2022 to 4.7% in 2026 (74% increase).
• Malnutrition is intensifying the severity of common childhood illnesses and slowing recovery, while delayed access to care and shrinking health services are contributing to worsening paediatric outcomes
  • Child and adolescent mental health needs are rising, including suicide attempts linked to chronic stress and family violence.
• Children under the age of 18 years accounted for 27% - this means one in every four suicide attempts were children.

 

Nine years on, a Rohingya survivor revisits the massacre that killed her family, and dreams of going home. “We just came to save our lives, not to stay.”

 

Why Rohingya Are Fleeing the Refugee Camps and What They Actually Want.

 

Is there any possibility for Rohingya repatriation? Repatriation is not merely a physical return. It means safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return with citizenship, equality, security, freedom of movement, and full rights.

 

Must not be a forgotten issue’, Speakers at Cox’s Bazar seminar. Hafsar Tameesuddin, co-secretary general of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, called for meaningful Rohingya participation in humanitarian, diplomatic and policy decisions affecting their future. She proposed a formal advisory mechanism involving Rohingya with different areas of expertise and warned against bringing refugees into discussions only after decisions had already been made. Efforts to stop further Rohingya arrivals in Bangladesh must also address the root causes inside Myanmar, including the conflict, and involve engagement with both the Myanmar authorities and the Arakan Army, she added.

 

India:

UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination publishes findings on India.

The Committee was gravely concerned about reports of large-scale violations perpetrated by law enforcement officials against ethnic and ethno-religious groups, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, including Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, particularly Dalits, and non-citizens. These included racially motivated violence, excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary and prolonged detention without due process, torture, ill-treatment and sexual violence. The Committee called on India to conduct prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all such allegations and ensure accountability for those responsible.

 

Policy Brief | When unarmed women hold the frontline: Implications for policy.

Shalaka Thakur challenges familiar narratives of women in conflict as victims,  peacebuilders or combatants. Focusing on Manipur in northeast India, she shows how unarmed women have become influential actors in an ongoing conflict – shaping mobility, access and frontline dynamics in ways that complicate conventional ideas of women’s roles in war and peace.

 

Iran:  

A South Korean court overturned a decision denying refugee status for an Iranian Christian, finding that converts from Islam to Christianity may face persecution in Iran. The decision was taken after a six-year legal battle by the plaintiff, who fled Iran after another convert to Christianity was arrested and he was told by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that he was also at risk of arrest. 

 

Iran and the US have exchanged strikes again, with Iranian state media and a rights group reporting that a US missile hit a wedding celebration, killing 4 people and injuring more than 60. 

 

Malaysia:

Malaysia asked UNHCR to temporarily stop registering new refugees in the country, so that the government can implement its own refugee registration system, known as the DPP. Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said the DPP would enable the government to better administer registration and management of refugees without relying on records from any foreign entities, and allow UNHCR to focus on third-country resettlement of refugees who cannot be repatriated. Rights groups warned the suspension of refugee registration will leave newly arrived asylum seekers with no way to establish their protection needs.

 

Hate should never replace facts. Organised hate speech against an entire refugee community is unacceptable.

 

Malaysia says first Myanmar repatriations will start on Sept. 29.

• The first phase takes place on September ⁠29 and involves 1,476 Myanmar nationals who have been identified by the Myanmar government, Malaysia's Home Ministry said.
• "The repatriation process will use two Myanmar Navy warships and one hospital ship," it said.
• The Ministry said this year about 4,008 individuals, primarily ethnic Rohingya, will be channelled into the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) programme, while 5,000 ‌other ⁠individuals will undergo the voluntary repatriation process, as agreed with the Myanmar government.
• The Ministry said there were 10,388 Myanmar nationals at immigration detention depots as of August 15, ⁠though not all can be considered refugees.
• "The Immigration Department is working with the police to verify the identity, nationality and ⁠security background of each detainee, with the process expected to conclude by the fourth quarter of the ⁠year," it said.
• The Ministry added it will continue to identify individuals who are eligible and willing to return voluntarily.

 

Better to Kill Us’: Fear Over Malaysia’s Plan to Send Back Myanmar Migrants. The announcement has sent panic through a community that fled its country’s brutal military rule, civil war, religious persecution or some combination of the three.

 

On 25 August 2026, the UN human rights office said that the situation in Myanmar has fallen to a new low, singling out the “ever-worsening brutal abuse” of the Rohingya minority population in Rakhine State. 

 

MALAYSIA MUST HALT DANGEROUS RETURN OF ROHINGYA REFUGEES TO MYANMAR AMID ONGOING HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS. Amnesty International Malaysia strongly condemns the government’s decision to begin implementing its agreement with the Myanmar authorities to return 5,000 Myanmar refugees, starting with the return of 1,476 people (mostly Rohingya) on 29 September 2026.

 

UNHCR said it had no role in arranging the returns, had not verified whether they were voluntary, and stressed that Myanmar remains unsafe for refugee repatriation.

 

Myanmar:  

In the southern part of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, more than 30,000 internally displaced people face critical food shortages and a lack of healthcare, due to heavy fighting and ongoing military blockades preventing access to humanitarian aid, with about 5,100 of them requiring emergency assistance, according to local aid groups. Nearly 3.8 million people were internally displaced across Myanmar as at 30 June 2026, according to UNICEF. 

 

A Rohingya refugee petitioned the UN for the release of 116 Rohingya asylum seekers detained for nearly 21 months in Sri Lanka after arriving in boats from Myanmar. Mohammad Anwar, who is also living in Sri Lanka, said the group should be treated as refugees seeking protection rather than being classed as ‘illegal migrants’. 

 

‘Gaps in Australian law leave thousands of stateless people in 'limbo'. Australia is home to more than 8,000 stateless people, whose lack of citizenship means they struggle to access education and employment. The persecuted Rohingya minority represents the world's largest stateless population because the Myanmar military regime denies them nationality.

 

‘Why more Rohingya are taking deadly boat journeys’. Two boats carrying more than 500 Rohingya asylum seekers have disappeared almost without a trace off the coast of Myanmar in recent weeks. The tragedy brings the number of people reported lost at sea in the region this year to more than 800 — nearly reaching last year's record total of about 900.

 

A/HRC/63/21: Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar - Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - Advance unedited version.

 

Myanmar human rights conditions hit new low, UN says.

• UN report cites widespread abuses by Myanmar military and Arakan Army
• Rohingya face killings, torture and forced recruitment and labour
• Illegal rare-earth mining fuels conflict economy

 

Ending the Cycle of Flight for the Rohingya Requires a Political Reckoning. The international community keeps treating the symptoms without touching the underlying cause: our political exclusion within Myanmar.

 

Naoero and Manus Island:

The Australian government has released the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Naoero to resettle the so-called NZYQ cohort. This comes after months of the government refusing to release to the MoU to the public. Under the terms of the agreement, Naoero is only able to refuse a ‘proposed person’ due to ‘a serious and immediate risk to the public health or national security’ of the country. There are additional stipulations for how deportees are to be treated in Naoero, including that they should not be detained or generally restricted in movement. The Australian Human Rights Law Centre director said that they ‘have already learned about the involvement of organised crime in propping [the deal] up’. At the Pacific Islands Forum, the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Pacific leaders that ‘the NZYQ deportations had in no way contributed to a transnational organised crime crisis in the region’. 

 

Nepal:

New Humanitarian, Nepal flood puts loss and damage funding to the test.

Nepal’s catastrophic Himalayan flood is rapidly becoming a test case for climate justice. On 26 August, a collapse of glacier, rock, and ice near the Nepal-China border sent a wall of material down the Bhoteloshi-Trishuli river system, killing more than 1,250 people in Nepal and leaving more than 4,200 people missing. Kathmandu formally asked the UN’s Loss and Damage Fund for an unspecified amount of emergency financing, arguing that the destruction exceeded its response capacity. On 3 September, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the government had sought an immediate $20 million from the fund, adding that this assistance alone was “definitely not adequate”. The appeal is unusually urgent: The fund has yet to make its first country payout, and its next board meeting is not until December. Khanal has also called on the US, China, and India – the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters – to contribute “climate compensation”. Officials have estimated Nepal’s direct losses at $2.56 billion, with recovery costs at 4-7 billion. For more on how early warning systems were overwhelmed and on what can be done to prevent similar disasters in the future, read the in-depth analysis.

 

Thailand:

UNHCR, One year on, Thailand’s decision to grant refugees the right to work is transforming lives and supporting growth.

 

A Work Permit Is Not Self-Reliance: Reflections from the Thailand–Myanmar Border on the Meaning of Safety.

 

Pakistan:

Personal Data of Afghan Allies to Britain Leaked for 50th Time in Five Years.

The latest breach was reported on Sunday, August 23, 2026, involving Afghan applicants who had been waiting in Pakistan to travel to Britain. According to British media reports, the incident is the 50th data breach involving Afghan applicants and allies in the past five years.

 

Two Former Afghan Military Personnel Shot Dead in Pakistan’s Quetta.

The shooting is the latest in a series of attacks targeting Afghan nationals and former members of Afghanistan’s security forces in Quetta. Earlier this month, local sources reported that Hazratullah Achakzai, the former commander of Police District 2 in Kandahar, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Quetta. Two days later, unidentified attackers opened fire on a group of Afghan migrants in Quetta’s Hazara Ganji area, reportedly killing three Afghan citizens.

 

Joint IOM and UNHCR border monitoring report on inflows from the Islamic Republic of Iran #20.

 

Philippines: 

UNHCR, On International Youth Day, One Refugee's Journey Inspires Hope for a Generation.

After nearly nine years in a refugee camp, a young Rohingya scholar arrives in the Philippines carrying dreams, resilience, and hope for the next generation through the Complementary Pathways (CPath) Programme - ‘Learning Without Borders’ initiative.

 

Other news:

The number of refugees and migrants arriving in Europe has reduced by 39% year on year, with nearly 60,000 arrivals up to 15 September 2026 compared to 98,040 in the same period last year, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). However, IOM reported an increase in deaths and disappearances along the Central Mediterranean routes, with at least 2,292 migrants having died or gone missing so far this year, increasing from 1,999 in the same period in 2025. 

 

UN Praises Sri Lanka's Push to Repatriate Tamil Refugees from India

• The UN praised Sri Lanka's efforts to facilitate voluntary repatriation of Tamil refugees living in India.
• Thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils have lived in Tamil Nadu camps since fleeing civil conflict that ended in 2009.
• Humanitarian groups stress returnees need safe land access, legal rights, livelihoods, and freedom from coercion.

 

Reports & Publications

The report and policy brief are based on the discussions, insights, and recommendations shared by a diverse group of stakeholders, including government representatives, donors, UN agencies, humanitarian actors, academics, youth leaders, and refugee representatives. They highlight key challenges, emerging priorities, and recommendations for advancing more sustainable and coordinated responses to one of the world's most protracted displacement situations.

 

Australia needs migration with dignity, not scapegoating and political panic. Noura Mansour.
 

Nasser Al-Sakkaf, Yemen’s latest escalation pushes millions deeper into crisis. The US-Iran conflict is colliding with Yemen’s own long war, forcing more people from their homes as economic collapse compounds the hardship.
 

Australia's migration tightening is part of a bigger shift. 

The government's new measures to lower net overseas migration are part of a much broader global shift in immigration policy.
 

Rennie Lee and Janeen Baxter, ‘The government might strip some asylum seekers of their work rights. Here’s why it shouldn’t’, The Conversation.
 

 

Philip Ruddock, ‘Labor created asylum seeker problem undermining the immigration system’, The Australian Financial Review.

 

The National Archives, ‘Research Routes – Records of Human Experience: The Value and Vulnerability of Refugee Archives’ [video], The National Archives UK.

 

Lisa Martin, ‘Europe borrows Australia’s asylum script – outsourcing rights’, The Interpreter.

 

Melissa Wong and Yuvisthi Naidoo, ‘Around 90% of refugee kids live in poverty in their first year in Australia: report’, The Conversation.

 

Australia: 25 Years of Abusive Offshore Detention Causes Immense Harm to Asylum Seekers, Country’s Reputation, Human Rights Watch. 

 

UNHCR’s budget plan for 2027

Asia Pacific 2027 budgets decrease by $192.0 million, or 22 per cent. The region foresees continued complex and protracted displacement dynamics coupled with recurrent emergencies and onward movements along key routes. The strategic approach in Asia will continue to shift from large-scale humanitarian assistance to a more selective, protection-centered and solutions-oriented model, applying a two-track approach that prioritizes life-saving protection in high-pressure contexts  (Afghanistan,  Bangladesh  and Myanmar,)  and  advances  nationally-led  solutions  through  a  stronger  catalytic  role  (India, Indonesia,  Malaysia,  Nepal,  the  Philippines,  Thailand,  and  in  Central  Asia).  Accordingly, while budgetary reductions are across all impact areas, the protection and solutions priorities are reflected in the smaller reduction. The Office’s work in Afghanistan is shifting towards time-bound return and reintegration support. Work toward solutions and complementary pathways will remain prioritised.

 

Documents seen by Reuters show that UNHCR is planning further steep cuts to its budget and staffing in 2027. UNHCR’s projected budget is being slashed by 16% compared to last year, and the agency is cutting back a further 3,500 positions. UNHCR already cut more than 5,000 positions, moved its headquarters, and scaled back 185 field offices since the US drastically scaled back foreign assistance.

 

RSRI - Webinar Recording, When Do Financial Resources Strengthen Refugee Self-Reliance? including experiences from Village Savings and Loan Associations.

Discussion on community-driven financial practices, inclusive market systems, and innovative approaches to expanding access to capital. Panelists examined how refugees navigate financial challenges as they build sustainable livelihoods. Speakers shared insights into promising strategies that strengthen economic participation, support refugee-led enterprise, and advance more inclusive financial ecosystems that benefit both displaced populations and host communities.

 

Tristan Harley, Najeeba Wazefadost and Mohammad Baqir Bayani, ‘Advancing refugee participation 75 years after the 1951 Refugee Convention’, International Journal of Refugee Law. 

 

Caitlin McCaffrie and Christy Kumesan, ‘The world’s deadliest sea crossing – and the role for Australia’, The Interpreter.

8 December 2026, Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week (RHPW) Asia and the Pacific 2026, Bangkok: “Shaping Humanitarian Futures: Breaking Barriers, Deepening Solidarity, and Scaling Local Sovereignty in Asia and the Pacific”

1. A Changing Landscape: Navigating shifting geopolitics, resource constraints, and new operational realities.
2. The Climate-Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus: Scaling up anticipatory action, local adaptation, and direct-to-local financing.
3. Shifting Power, Shaping Futures: Ensuring local actors, women, youth, and marginalised groups genuinely lead responses.

 

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.

 

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 an internship for a stay in Germany at a theatre or production house.

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Countries/Regions: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam,

Area: Arts & Culture, Theatre, Artists, Youth & Adolescents

Deadline: Dec 31, 2026

 

Reckitt Catalyst Accelerator Program 2026-2027

seeks to support women and underrepresented founders developing innovative solutions that improve access to health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in India. Countries/Regions: India, Indonesia, Pakistan

Deadline: Dec 31, 2026

 

Global Impact Cash Grant Program – Cisco Foundation. Crisis response, education, economic empowerment, climate resilience; technology-enabled solutions. Up to USD $75,000. Rolling - Open to nonprofits and NGOs with national or multinational operations using technology innovatively to address critical social challenges. Process starts with a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) — only organizations that pass are invited to submit a full proposal. Healthcare, schools, scholarships, and events are not eligible. LOI review takes up to one business quarter.

 

Open in September: Commonwealth Foundation grants of up to £60,000 to civil society organisations to facilitate constructive engagement between civil society and decision-makers in an eligible Commonwealth Foundation Member State (Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), including civil society participation in policy development and implementation on JHealth Justice / Freedom of Expression / Climate Justice.  

 

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

 

TFD's International Grants Program

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

Countries/Regions: All Countries

Area: Capacity Building, Democracy & Good Governance, Human Rights, Research

Applications are open for the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy International Grants Program, inviting international non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and think tanks to submit project proposals that advance democracy and human rights worldwide.

Deadline: Dec 15, 2026

 

The Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) Call for Proposals 2026 supports projects that strengthen cooperation between EU Member States and partner countries to advance the external dimension of the European Union’s migration policy. Applications are received on a rolling basis until depletion of funds. Financial envelope: 6,000,000 EUR. Funding sources: Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).

 

 

NED Grants Program – National Endowment for Democracy

Global — over 100 countries on Democracy, human rights, freedom of the press, civil society, rule of law, civic education  - September 21, 2026, January 27, 2027, June 28, 2027

Open to nongovernmental organizations — civic groups, associations, independent media, and CSOs — working in countries with nascent democracies, transitional, semi-authoritarian, or highly repressive contexts. No funding for individuals, governments, or public institutions. Apply by email to the regional address corresponding to your project location.

 

PFH's India Fund

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

Countries/Regions: India

Area: Community Development, Disability, Education, Health, Leadership, Poverty Alleviation, Women & Gender

The India Fund is inviting applications from local Indian NGOs working with vulnerable communities in priority regions to support community-led development and systemic change.

Deadline: Dec 31, 2026

 

TEEEM Foundation Community Impact Grant Program

The TEEEM Foundation Community Impact Grant Program provides financial support to nonprofit organizations developing sustainable, community-driven solutions in education, empowerment, innovation, and service.

Areas: Food Safety, Community Development, Infrastructure, Education, Health, Innovation, Leadership, Gender Equality, Youth & Adolescents

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

Deadline: Nov 01, 2026