L'Asile en France ET EN Europe: Les réfugiés afghans en quête d’un espace de protection
July 2023: Afghanistan is facing a ‘Gender Apartheid.’ Since the fall of Kabul in August 2021, the rights of Afghan girls and women have been systematically reduced and erased. Today nearly 2.5 million (80%) of school-aged Afghan girls and young women are out of school, given the ban on education of girls.
In a recent paper, for L'Asile en France Samuel Hall’s Nassim Majidi and Cyrus Ettehadieh illustrate how international support from Europe and neighbouring Iran and Pakistan is paramount in sustaining protection through migration for Afghans.
In Afghanistan, the high costs of obtaining a passport restrict a section of population from migration. Most Afghans cannot afford to pay for a legal way out. The challenge today is not to know whether Afghans are entitled to international protection - but how to access this right to asylum in the context of regional closure, both in their region and in Europe.
They emphasise on the need to improve access to asylum and strengthen asylum policies for Afghan girls and young women. Together, we call for an end to forced returns and facilitating special visas to allow Afghan girls and women to access international protection.
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LE' ELEPHANT LES FEMMES AFGHANES RENDUES INVISIBLES
Dans le dernier numéro de L'éléphant, l'équipe de Samuel Hall expliquela situation en Afghanistan où la moitié de la population est rendue socialement invisible, effacée de la vie économique et écartée du débat politique.
Ce numéro spécial - dans vos kiosques depuis le 13 juillet - présente notre entretien avec la fondatrice et la responsable des programmes de Radio Begum, la seule radio féminine à émettre en Afghanistan sur la fréquence FM.L'émission de radio sert d'espace d'expression pour les femmes et contribue à combler le vide laissé par les restrictions des droits des femmes. Radio Begum propose à l'antenne des programmes éducatifs et de soutien psychologique.
‘Aujourd’hui, les priorités sont d’aider les femmes à se mettre à l’abri et de renforcer les capacités de réponses humanitaires dans le pays.’ L’article appelle le gouvernement français à offrir un droit de protection en s’appuyant sur sa diplomatie féministe pour offrir une voie de sortie de cet apartheid de genre.
Plus d'informations ici: https://lelephant-larevue.fr/numero/?n=-21
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American Behavioral Scientist: Deterring Migration in Times of Crises: The Ethics of Behavioral Change in Migration Information Campaigns
02.07.23: In a recent academic article published by American Behavioral Scientist, ‘Deterring Migration in Times of Crises: The Ethics of Behavioral Change in Migration Information Campaigns’ by Samuel Hall’s team and co-founder, Nassim Majidi, we analysed a specific program carried out in Ethiopia and Afghanistan between 2016 and 2019, which focused on changing the behaviour of potential migrants through an information campaign.
The case study reveals that certain practices in migration information campaigns diverged from established standards in social and behavioural communication campaigns.
This article advocates for applying UNICEF's standards on strategic behavioural change, highlighting good practices and emphasising their relevance to the field of migration. The goal is to establish a constructive approach for planning information campaigns that empowers individuals and communities, addresses and lower structural barriers hindering the adoption of positive practices, and supports local initiatives aimed at building better societies.
The article also serves as a reminder to a broader audience that maintaining these standards is crucial in all contexts, particularly in challenging situations like Afghanistan and Ethiopia. In such contexts of forced migration, where people rely on migration as a means of protection, ethical challenges arise when attempting to control or manage migration.
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Radio France: For an emergency reception of Afghan women in France with Solène Chalvon and Nassim Majidi
21.04.23: We are facing a critical situation in Afghanistan, particularly for women, who are now at risk of facing discrimination, violence, and abuse. In response, more than 350 personalities have called on the French authorities to establish an emergency reception program for Afghan women.
Our co-founder, Nassim Majidi, recently spoke to Solène Chalvon-Fioriti on Radio France about the situation of Afghan women in France, discussing the issues at hand and the responsibilities of both the French government and citizens.
We encourage everyone to tune in to the conversation and learn more about the urgent need to support Afghan women during this challenging time.
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Na'amal: Voices of Resilience Podcast
16.03.23: Storytelling is a powerful tool for researchers in gathering data and information. It provides context, meaning, and emotion to otherwise dry and factual information, making it all the more compelling, understandable, and importantly, relatable to policy-makers to action change. What researchers, or aid workers, do with the stories gathered from forced migrants can be a tool to amplify refugee voices as forms of knowledge that are valid not only as testimony but as expertise to design research, programmes and policies.
Building up to the Migration Summit 2023, Samuel Hall’s co-founder, Nassim Majidi spoke to Clay Lowe on the Voices of Resilience podcast by Na’amal exploring the power of storytelling within migration & refugee research - including its ethics and realities on field
Some of these insights were based on a co-authored paper Storytelling in Research with Refugees by Nassim Majidi & Adam Saltsman from the Department of Urban Studies, Worcester State University - who explore the potential of such methods in their research.
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Forced Migration Review: Socio-Economic Integration: Towards Solutions for Displaced People and Host Communities
06.02.23: Our approach to ensuring protection and socio-economic integration is centred on the lived experiences of refugees in all contexts. Encouraging this narrative, Samuel Hall’s Nassim Majidi and Camilla Fogli have contributed to the launch of Forced Migration Review’s 71st issue: ‘Socio-economic integration: towards solutions for displaced people’.
With evidence from Afghanistan and Kenya, our contribution focuses on public-private initiatives for local integration. The article explores ways in which such partnerships are laying the foundations for sustainable and ethical value chain approaches that can be used in displacement-affected communities.
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Crisis for Whom? Critical global perspectives on childhood, care, and migration
09.01.23: Drawing on collaborations between young (im)migrants, researchers, artists and activists, this collection asks new questions about how crises are produced, mobility is controlled, and childhood is conceptualised. Answers to these questions have profound implications for resources, infrastructures, and relationships of care.
Samuel Hall’s contribution to this collection focuses on ‘Deportation as a migration crisis for children: Children's lived experience of return from Europe to Afghanistan’. This chapter explores children’s experiences and perceptions of various phases of migration and their return to Afghanistan and ways that their rights to care and protection can be ensured.
Find out more by downloading the book here and watch this space as we share more findings and reflections from this authored piece
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Radio France: L’aide humanitaire en Afghanistan peut-elle se passer des femmes ?
29.12.22: Hervé NICOLLE, co-founder of Samuel Hall was recently on air with Radio France to discuss the future of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.
As of December 24th, women can no longer work in NGOs. According to Hervé, this reaction is based on “the accumulation of measures taken against Afghan women”. It is also a “pragmatic decision”: without access to women, it is technically impossible to send international aid, whether it consists of the provision of money, the distribution of food coupons or basic necessities.
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France Inter: Trois questions sur l'interdiction pour les femmes de travailler dans des ONG en Afghanistan
25.12.22: Women are no longer allowed to work in non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan. Some have therefore decided to suspend their humanitarian work in the country. However, they are essential for the inhabitants.
Nassim Majidi, co-founder of Samuel Hall spoke to France Inter on how this change would affect humanitarian aid. "Without women, we have no access to the Afghan population. It is impossible to go to the villages to check the needs in terms of water, education, health, but also in terms of professional training, work", explains Nassim.
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Research and Evidence Facility (REF) : Who are the ‘returnees’ in South Sudan?
15.09.22: The study conducted with researchers from the Windle Trust International, aims to comprehend the various drivers behind these "return" movements which are essential to inform current durable solutions initiatives. The complexity of the South Sudanese displacement context and the diversity of the profiles of ‘returnees’ has important implications for policy and programme. Explore and understand more on who these returnees are the different motivations underpinning these “return” movements through this blog authored by the Samuel Hall team:
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GMF : Digital livelihoods for refugees - Examples, Challenges & Recommendations
05.09.22 Hervé Nicolle, co-founder of Samuel Hall recently authored an online piece on digital livelihoods for refugees for the Dialogue on Tech and Migration, DoT.Mig. series by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF); Robert Bosch Stiftung & the Bertelsmann Foundation. Reflecting on how digitalisation is on the rise in every continent and has changed the way we look at digital livelihood, this piece elucidates on the need to understand the scope of digital livelihoods for vulnerable communities like refugees. Our research shows that digitalisation poses some challenges to refugee groups such as poor infrastructure and internet connectivity, lack of access to personal devices, poor working conditions. Women face additional sociocultural and practical challenges. We must look towards improving the quality and relevance of training for refugees while also harnessing technology for better connectivity between job-seekers and employers.
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France Culture: Qui sont celles et ceux qui quittent encore l'Afghanistan ?
01.09.22: Nassim Majidi, co-founder of Samuel Hall was on air on France Culture talking about the situation of Afghan migrants since the American withdrawal. She stressed upon the unprecedented humanitarian crisis facing the Afghan population. Reflecting on our research; she said that after a year of waiting in third countries, Afghans have no choice but to return home and hide to survive.
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MIGNEX Insight: Policy-makers must ensure the protection of Afghans, starting with the right to mobility – here’s how
21.08.22: Samuel Hall was subcontracted by MIGNEX to deliver a report on migration-related policies in Afghanistan, which was published a year after the fall of Kabul. In Afghanistan; the migration and displacement context has been complex for the past two decades. Emigration, return and internal displacement are dynamic facets in Afghanistan, rendering policy-making a complex task.
Our research with MIGNEX in Afghanistan shows that there remain crucial opportunities for continued engagement on migration in Afghanistan. This blog shares five policy areas to chart a way forward.
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Mediapart: Le courage des Afghanes face aux talibans : « Manifester aujourd’hui est bien plus risqué qu’il y a un an »
16.08.22: Find below the full interview of our co-founder Hervé Nicolle with Mediapart on the courage of Afghan women and the social and economic crisis that plagues Afghanistan. "Today, there is nothing. Nothing for education, nothing for health, almost nothing for food aid,” he said. Hervé also stressed that Afghans need donor investments to lead to impartial assistance and services, including education and health. He added that humanitarian and development organizations need to be more open when it comes to their data.
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France 24: Afghanistan: "Les mariages précoces ont explosé sous le joug des Taliban"
16.08.22: Our co-founder Nassim Majidi was on France 24 to discuss the situation of women in Afghanistan - a year after US withdrawal. Reflecting on Samuel Hall's research, she said that forced marriages were on the rise and stressed the need to encourage access to information in Afghanistan. She also mentioned the need to support civil societies and women-led organisations in the country.
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France Culture: L'Afghanistan peut-il se relever de la chute de Kaboul ?
15.08.22: Nassim Majidi, co-founder of Samuel Hall joined Jean-Luc Racine (research director at the CNRS, senior researcher at the Asia Centre think tank), and Solène Chalvon-Fioriti (independent journalist) to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan on France Culture. Nassim Majidi stressed upon the unprecedented humanitarian crisis facing the Afghan population. Reflecting on our research; she also addressed the "survival strategy" of Afghan families who sell all their belongings and land in the hope of making ends meet.
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France TV Info: Un an après le retour des talibans, la vie détruite des femmes afghanes : "Parfois, je pleure en pensant à tout ce qu'on a perdu"
15.08.22: Samuel Hall co-founder Nassim Majidi was quoted by France TV Info in this article about the situation of women in Afghanistan. Nassim, in particular, mentioned that in one year, everything has changed for Afghan women: forced marriages, limited access to education, employment, freedom of movement, health care along with restricted freedom of expression, the right to live in safety, sport or music.
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Huffpost France : En Afghanistan, les talibans n’ont pas tenu leur promesse de progressisme
15.08.2022: Samuel Hall’s Director of Partnerships, who previously lived in Afghanistan for six years, spoke to HuffPost about the current situation of women's rights, a year after the withdrawal of U.S. troops. He addressed the exercise of power had a very local dimension - especially when it came to girl’s education. He clarified that this is not only about education, but also women’s rights and freedom of movement.
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France 24 English : Afghanistan: "Taliban's Only Agenda is Oppression and Repression of Women"
15.08.2022: Samuel Hall co-founder Nassim Majidi spoke with France 24 on the situation of Afghan women one year after the withdrawal of US troops. She argued that the conditions are worsening for women daily. Reflecting on our research, she said that ‘community health’ in Afghanistan was on the decline and that communities did not have the social and economic resources to care for their own. Nassim also spoke about the increasing social tensions like blocking access to water for IDPs and the strong need to link programming on livelihoods, displacement, and mental health in communities of return and displacement.
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IOM: Uncertainty in the Air for Women, Prospects of Migration in Afghanistan
12.08.2022: Samuel Hall has been speaking to women in Afghanistan since before August 2021. The women who have remained in Afghanistan ask: “What will await us now?” One year on, the answer seems to be taking a gradual turn for the worse as women’s rights and freedoms — including the freedom of movement — continue to erode.
Through their voices, these blogs written by Samuel Hall's Katherine James, Najia Alizada, Nassim Majidi, and Devyani Nighoskar for IOM - UN Migration & IOM Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) document how the lives of women in Afghanistan have changed, their hopes for the future and from the international community.
This text in the blogs is based on the article “Afghan women, migration and their future” by the Samuel Hall authors Nassim Majidi, Najia Alizada, Katherine James and Marta Bivand Erdal, and was published in the IOM - UN Migration's Special Migration Policy Practice Issue on Afghanistan in June 2022.
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