Publications — Samuel Hall

HABITABLE: Rethinking habitability from ordinary experience in Kenya

May 2024

The consequences of climate change are particularly pronounced in Kenya, where 80% of the land is arid or semi-arid. Most stakeholders understand the short-and long-term risks for communities.

What critical and constructive perspective can the concept of habitability offer in this context? Based on fieldwork carried out in Kenya for the HABITABLE consortium, the aim of this article is to refine the contextual, in situ definition of habitability, using exclusively qualitative data, supplemented by video-mapping exercises.

Secondly, this paper tests the hypothesis of tipping points, understood as triggers for individual or collective decision-making. Finally, in the last part of our analysis, we propose rethinking socio-ecological systems in a dynamic way and conceiving habitability as both a common good in the making and a critical issue for the men and women living in Baringo, Makueni, and Eastleigh.

Rather than proposing a positivist view of habitability, this article suggests linking habitability more closely to the daily practices, habits, solidarities, and resistances that shape the ordinary lives of community residents and displaced persons.

Read full article here

Samuel HallMay 16, 2024Kenya, Climate change, Habitability, Qualitative data, Mobility

ADSP: Solutions for Afghan nationals ordered to return from Pakistan

May 2024

Since 2022, Samuel Hall, has been working with Asia Displacement Solutions Platform (ADSP) to create a space for research and advocacy on durable solutions, building on existing data. The Asia Displacement Solutions Platform (ADSP) is a joint initiative of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) which works to contribute to the development of comprehensive solutions for displaced populations in Asia. The aim of this series of briefs is to focus on the sub-regional protection needs of Afghan refugees, inform and raise awareness on the specific needs of demographic groups.

This Briefing Note focuses on the state of returns of Afghan nationals from Pakistan in the last quarter of 2023. It presents data collected from a mission in Afghanistan, to Torkham and Jalalabad, in November 2023, protection monitoring data collected by DRC and the Protection Cluster, and additional data from organisations working closely on the issue.

Read full Briefing note here

Samuel HallMay 14, 2024Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Refugees, DRC, IRC, ADSP

IIED - PDUW: Inclusive Urban Solutions in Afghanistan

May 2024

Afghanistan hosts over 3.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and over 17 million returnees, with half a million Afghan nationals repatriated from Pakistan in late 2023 alone. This reality calls for new investments in inclusive urban solutions.

Our research in Afghanistan through the Protracted Displacement in an Urban World (PDUW) project led by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) from 2020 to 2023 focuses on long-term displacement experiences in urban areas and settlements - with the aim to build a robust evidence base to engage in a conversation with local actors and advocate for inclusive urban solutions through participatory forum planning processes.

This two-pager outlines the specifics of the research conducted in Afghanistan spanning from 2020 to 2024. The project comprised 889 initial surveys that informed 5 participatory forums engaging diverse stakeholders. The findings, based on three interrelated themes; wellbeing, livelihoods (with a particular focus on women), and urban city planning, provide invaluable insights into the overlooked dynamics of protracted displacement.

For a deeper understanding of the project's outcomes, please refer to the 2-pager and the attached outputs.

Research Brief: Afghanistan's unfolding crisis; Wellbeing and livelihoods of displaced people before and after the regime change
Read Policy Brief - Displaced people in Afghanistan’s cities need support
Read Policy Brief - Inclusive urban solutions: city actors engaging with displaced communities
Read City Note - Jalalabad Participatory Forums

PACES: Decisions to stay and migrate in Algeria, Ethiopia and Nigeria, Scoping studies for the PACES project

April 2024

Knowledge and understanding of people's decision to migrate is critical for policymakers' ability to develop migration policies.

The EU-funded PACES project – Making migration and migration policy decisions amidst societal transformations focuses on two parallel research components: the factors shaping migration decisionmaking and the mechanisms supporting migration policies. The project will combine theoretical and empirical knowledge from several academic disciplines and methodological paradigms to systematically investigate the interactions between migration decisions, policies, and broader social transformation.

PACES draws on data collected in Algeria, Ethiopia, Italy, Libya, Nigeria, Slovakia, and Spain to elaborate a heuristic model that identifies different constellations of conditions that influence decisions to stay and migrate at various stages of individual life trajectories and migrant journeys. This report presents three scoping studies carried out to examine and select the six research locations (secondary cities) in Algeria, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

Within this component, we explore how people’s decisions to stay and migrate are influenced by societal changes, individual life experiences and migration policies over time and as people move across different locations. We pay particular attention to the role of people's perceptions of their social and personal situation, as well as their values and expectations, as determining factors in decisions to stay or emigrate.

Read full report here.

Samuel HallApril 30, 2024Algeria, EU, ETHIOPIA, Italy, Libya, Nigeria, Slovakia, Spain, Migration, migration policies, PACES

IIED: City Note - Urban Solutions For Local Integration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

February 2024

With recent political developments, refugees in Addis Ababa face numerous challenges in terms of livelihoods, basic services and protection. Their legal status remains a concern, as do government officials’ gaps in awareness about refugee rights and state obligations.

In Ethiopia, our study with IIED for the Protracted Displacement in Urban World project focussed on Eritrean refugees and hosts living in Addis Ababa and Eritrean refugees Semera Logia town and Aysaita camp. Quantitative surveys of 365 refugees and 153 hosts living in Gofa Mebrat Haile condominium, and 372 refugees in Semera Logia and 366 Asyaita camp were supplemented by 150 qualitative interviews in the three locations. The participatory forums were organised by research partners DICAC and MCMDO, with support from Samuel Hall and Cardiff University.

Discussions moved towards planning for city resourcing at a time of need, because allocations for refugees have been mainly targeted at camps, with very limited urban funding. Addis Ababa forum participants agree that hosting refugees requires human and financial/material capacity. This calls for a more holistic approach to urban displacement, starting in the capital and scaled across Ethiopia. The government’s Refugees and Returnees Service has committed to working more closely with city authorities. Participants committed to raising awareness among officials and civilians, and to involving both the host communities and refugees in the design of interventions.

Read here

Samuel HallFebruary 20, 2024

KNOMAD: Youth Migration & Development: A New Lens For Critical Times

January 2024

Supported by World Bank and its TWG on youth & migration co-chaired by OECD & UNDP; Samuel Hall's paper with KNOMAD, “Youth Migration & Development: A New Lens for Critical Times”, aims to empirically validate conclusions in KOMADs scoping paper produced in 2022.

With case studies from Columbia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Senegal, Thailand and Tunisia, the study employed innovative qualitative research methods, filling crucial research gaps and re-conceptualising ‘youth’ and ‘migration’ through the perspectives of the young people.

Through this study, we aimed to better understand how youth migrant integration behaviour differs across age cohorts, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and countries of origin and between migrants and non-migrants.

Download here

Read our scoping paper from 2022 here

Samuel HallFebruary 1, 2024youth migration, Migration, displacement, Case study, Youth development

WUSC: Situational Analysis Access to Secondary Education and Economic Activities of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ethiopia

January 2024

Did you know that Ethiopia is experiencing a significant rise in internally displaced persons (IDPs), reaching a staggering 4.4 million by June 2023?

The situation has worsened due to a prolonged drought, the far-reaching effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and escalating tensions in northern Ethiopia. These factors have intensified health and socio-economic challenges, forcing thousands of households to relocate within the country's borders.

In response to this, the Displaced and Refugee Youth Enabling Environment Mechanism (DREEM) project is working towards creating an inclusive environment for refugee and displaced youth, with a focus on empowering young women to fully engage in society.

Samuel Hall conducted a situational analysis on IDPs in Ethiopia, focusing on their access to secondary education and economic opportunities. We found that challenges such as long distances to schools, overcrowded classrooms, language barriers, and poor hygienic conditions are daily obstacles. Innovative ICT-driven programs and structural initiatives like TVET, micro-credit opportunities, formal employment incentives, and infrastructure projects are essential.

Find out more of our findings and recommendations in our report.

Download here

Samuel HallJanuary 29, 2024ETHIOPIA, situational analysis, East Africa, Education

ADSP: Challenges Faced by Afghan Women and Children in Iran and Pakistan

December 2023

Samuel Hall collaborated with the Asia Displacement Solutions Platform (ADSP) to contribute to two significant research briefs addressing pressing issues Afghan communities face. The first, "Forced to Migrate: Afghan Women Waiting for Protection in Iran and Pakistan," explores the reduced protection space and obstacles confronting Afghan families in the same regions The second, "Afghan Children’s Access to Education in Iran and Pakistan," sheds light on the challenges experienced by Afghan girls in Iran and Pakistan post-2021 migration.

These research briefs are pivotal in understanding the complexities of education rights and forced migration challenges in these regions. Our studies emphasize the urgent need for international support and a rights-based response. A key recommendation emerging from our research is the call for increased global solidarity and responsibility sharing to address the rights of Afghan women, children, and families.

Read the briefing note on Forced to Migrate: Afghan Women Waiting for Protection in Iran and Pakistan, here

Read the briefing note on Afghan Children’s Access to Education in Iran and Pakistan here

Middle East &North AfricaSamuel HallJanuary 11, 2024ADSP, women's safety, children, migration, displacement, Education

Equal Partnerships: Creating Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships to Address Urban Migration and Displacement in African Intermediary Cities

January 2024

African local governments are increasingly experiencing core issues of migration and displacement and their cities are directly impacted by (inter)national policies and (the absence of) funding flows. Nevertheless, national policymakers, international organizations and donors rarely consider local governments as relevant partners to address mixed migration. These cooperation gaps are problematic since human mobility plays an important role for African intermediary cities’ physical, social, and economic urban planning. Networked approaches could help bridging such cooperation gaps and breaking up policy silos. To explore opportunities and challenges of multi-stakeholder partnerships for urban migration governance the Equal Partnerships project organized participatory research, workshops, and networking formats with six cities in East, West and North Africa. This policy paper presents central recommendations for collaborative urban migration governance addressed to local and national governments, civil society, migrant and refugee associations, international organizations, private sector actors, and donors.

Read here

Samuel HallJanuary 1, 2024policy, Policy paper, Africa, urban migration, refugee

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