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.