Human Development Research Initiative

The Human Development Research Initiative (HDRI) presents its new publication on "Gender-Based Persecution and Protection: Afghan Women and Girls In The French Asylum Framework" written by @Anna Lisa Johner and edited by @Guglielmo Maria BARBETTA. This brief examines the acute effects of forced migration due to the systematic gender-based persecution of Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule, and the urgent need for EU states to implement gender-responsive migration govern

📄 The EU's newest reception centres on Lesvos and Samos are fitted with biometric gates, AI surveillance, and real-time monitoring. Behind that infrastructure: overcrowded facilities, daily water shortages, and people who can't eat when the system goes down. "Smart Camps and Digital Border Governance in the Eastern Mediterranean" is HDRI's new Migration & Security research paper, authored by Soumit Farhan, Georgios Kapsalis, and Arantza Renteria Vizcarra, and edited by Gugli

Discover the profound connections between France's colonial past, migration flows from Africa, and their lasting ripple effects on security, society, and development in this groundbreaking research paper. Authored by Lejla Ajdin and edited by G.M. Barbetta, this HDRI study dives deep into migration from former French colonies, focusing on Morocco and Niger to France, where immigrants comprise over 10% of the population.🌍✨ ​ Our study examines how colonial histories shape tod

🌿 A UNESCO forest. A border wall. A humanitarian emergency that EU law is struggling to address. HDRI's new Migration & Security paper examines what has been unfolding at the Białowieża Forest, on the Poland-Belarus border, since 2021. Author Guglielmo Maria Barbetta traces the overlapping consequences of border militarization: systematic pushbacks denying migrants access to asylum, documented violence against people stranded in dangerous conditions, and a fortified wall cut

This research written by Amjad Nablsi  and edited by Guglielmo Barbetta, explores how large-scale refugee return is reshaping security and stability in post-war Syria, showing that while return brings hope, it can also trigger violence, reprisals, and new governance challenges. The paper argues that safe and sustainable return depends on fair, civilian-led security forces , inclusive reforms, and coordination between state actors and aid organizations. It reframes refugee r

The objective of this paper is to explore techniques to cope with the limited water access for the Za'atari refugee camp.

After Kazakhstan gained its long awaited independence in 1991, these ethnic minorities started leaving the country, supported by...

This policy paper seeks to shed light on the challenges in the implementation of UNHCR’s community-based protection framework at Za’atari...

This toolkit sheds light on the disparate treatment of refugees entering Europe according to their origin by looking at the recent...

The practice of detaining refugees and other migrants falls in line with the general European approach towards migration governance –...

Turkey is still known as the country that hosts the highest number of Syrian refugees in the world, the majority of which consist of...

This research-based and evidence-based essay focuses on Women’s Safe Spaces or Female Friendly Spaces as an essential element of...

This toolkit is part of HDRI’s first toolkit series and is a collective effort made by our fellow researchers Iliana Flores Pérez,...

If the international protection of refugees and stateless persons is guaranteed by the Geneva Convention of 1951, the colonial legacies...

In Lebanon, there are approximately 250,000 domestic migrant workers (DMWs) primarily from Sub-Saharan Africa and South and South East...

The topic of immigration has a longstanding tendency to be used as a political wedge in Australia, securitized by politicians for...

This paper provides an overview of the context faced by women and girls in each specific Northern Triangle of Central America country...

India’s geographical location has played a strategic role in maintaining its diplomatic and economic relations with the neighbouring...

This article demonstrates the profound impacts of the United States’ Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) or “Remain in Mexico” policy on...

In their own unique way, Chinese ethnic diasporas function as their own authentic forms of globalization. The ebbs and flows of Chinese...