Migrants playing football at one of IOM’s seven transit centers in Niger where close to 5,000 people receive essential services. Amidst the current political instability, humanitarian corridors must be established to allow migrants to return home in a safe and dignified manner. Photo: IOM/Souleymane Galadima

Starters

Urgent action needed to avert escalation of crises in Niger

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) issued a stark warning today, emphasizing the critical need for immediate action to address the worsening political turmoil in Niger, which has further exacerbated vulnerabilities among migrants, internally displaced persons, and host communities.

The turmoil, which began in late July, has prompted border closures and airspace restrictions, resulting in significant shifts in migration patterns.

Armed Taliban security personnel parade on a Humvee convoy as they celebrate the second anniversary of their takeover near the US embassy in Kabul on August 15, 2023. Afghanistan's Taliban government marked on August 15 the second anniversary of their takeover of the country with celebrations and a public holiday, issuing a defiant statement commemorating their surge back to power. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Starters

Afghanistan faces dual crisis: High displacement and weapons contamination

In a somber revelation, Afghanistan finds itself grappling with a two-fold crisis: an alarming number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and a distressing prevalence of explosive remnants of war that disproportionately affect children. As reported by TOLO News, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has declared Afghanistan one of the most weapons-contaminated countries globally, with a staggering 85 percent of explosion and unexploded mine victims being children.

Rohingya refugees and humanitarians have faced unprecedented challenges in 2023, including fires, cyclones, and ongoing threats of monsoon-related disasters, putting their resilience to the test. Photo: IOM

Starters

IOM urges enhanced assistance and sustainable solutions for Rohingya refugees

As the Rohingya crisis reaches its sixth year in Bangladesh, the situation of nearly one million refugees remains unchanged, caught in a cycle of uncertainty and vulnerability. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is urging the global community to ensure the provision of essential humanitarian aid and long-term support for both Rohingya refugees and the communities hosting them.

A girl looks out a damaged window at a house Israeli soldiers demolished at the Asker camp for Palestinian refugees east of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, early on August 8, 2023. The Israeli army demolished the house of Abdel Fatah Khroushah accused of an attack which killed two Israelis in the occupied West Bank at the end of February. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Starters

Israeli settler violence displaces entire Palestinian communities in West Bank

The escalating violence and illegal land takeovers by Israeli settlers have resulted in the displacement of almost 500 Palestinians from seven communities in the past 20 months. This distressing trend continues, with twelve families from the Ras At-Tin Bedouin community, located northeast of Ramallah, forced to flee their homes this week.

The situation has raised concerns among humanitarian organizations, with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) condemning the displacement.

Photo: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

Starters

Afghanistan: Taliban authorities forcefully remove displaced people from makeshift camps in Kabul

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has received distressing reports from its field teams detailing the violent eviction of displaced families from a settlement in Kabul. Approximately 280 families have been left homeless as a result of this demolition. Shockingly, during the traumatic evacuation process, two young lives, a 4-year-old and a 15-year-old, were tragically lost. Bulldozers were deployed early yesterday morning, reducing the camp to rubble by day's end.

This aerial view shows makeshift structures of people displaced by drought at the Ladan internally displaced people (IDP) camp in Dolow on May 1, 2023. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Starters

More than a doubling of displaced people: “This has been a dark decade”

Statement by Jan Egeland, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Secretary General, on the new global displacement figures.

“This has been a dark decade. Every year, the world watches the number of displaced people increase, and then does too little to protect and assist the displaced. There is a reason for the dramatic increase in refugees and internally displaced: we fail to prevent war and violence, and national and international leaderships fail in conflict resolution where we have protracted emergencies.

A seven-year-old girl pours water on her father’s head to help him relieve the summer heat. IOM, through its partners, regularly supplies water to IDP camps in northwest Syria. Photo Credit IOM

Starters

Funding for humanitarian operations in Syria and neighbouring countries at critical low: IOM Chief

The Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), António Vitorino, is raising alarm over the scarcity of funding for humanitarian operations required to support millions of Syrians and their host communities in Syria and neighbouring countries.

Attended by the IOM Director General, the Brussels conference taking place on 14-15 June, represents a significant opportunity to collectively show solidarity and commitment to the people most affected by the Syria crisis.

Man in Cox's Bazar refugee camp. Photo: Jessica Wanless / NRC

Starters

Bangladesh: A downward spiral towards starvation and death

The excruciating new cut in food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh will have a deadly impact, warned the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

According to the World Food Programme (WFP) the UN agency has again been forced to make additional cuts to already dwindling food assistance due to critical funding gaps.

Photo: Abdulkadir Mohamed / NRC

Starters

Somalia: Over 1 million people internally displaced in Somalia in record time

A toxic mix of conflict, severe drought and devastating floods has forced more than 1 million people in Somalia to flee their homes in just 130 days – a record rate of displacement for the country.

The figures recorded by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), show that conflict was among the main causes of displacement between 1 January and 10 May this year, while over 408,000 people were displaced by floods sweeping across their villages and another 312,000 people were displaced by ravaging drought.

More News

LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Two-Thirds of Afghanistan population face food insecurity: Human Rights Watch

Israel's Iron Dome air defence system intercepts rockets launched from Gaza City, on May 10, 2023. Israel's army and Gaza militants traded heavy cross-border fire on May 10, with 22 Palestinians killed over two days amid the worst escalation of violence to hit the coastal territory in months. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Palestine: End Gaza violence immediately

Detainment of Gonzalo Lira: A stain on the Zelensky administration and its Western allies

One in seven people in the world without legal identity: unveiling the invisible crisis

Afghan refugees sit at registration center for migrants on their arrival from Pakistan at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak on October 30, 2023. Islamabad has issued an order to 1.7 million Afghans it says are living in the country illegally to leave by November 1, or be deported. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Typography

Font Size
Default
Reading Mode

A recent conference by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Denmark highlighted a startling global issue: around one billion people, or one in every seven globally, do not have a legal identity. This situation severely limits their access to essential services and rights, including social services, banking, and voting, while complicating their mobility and pushing many towards perilous, irregular migration routes.

Jens Godtfredsen, Ambassador for Migration, Return and Readmission at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized the importance of addressing this gap. He pointed out that the lack of legal identity is a significant factor driving people towards unsafe, undocumented journeys. The IOM conference called for the digitalization of legal identity systems, a move supported by representatives from countries such as Somalia, Lebanon, Iraq, Cabo Verde, El Salvador, and Mozambique.

This digitalization effort, aimed at facilitating smoother migration processes and enhancing border security, must be tailored to each country's unique context and operational capacities. Countries face diverse challenges based on their socioeconomic and political landscapes, influencing the approach and implementation of digital identity systems.

Countries with High Numbers of People without Legal Identity

Despite global efforts, certain countries continue to struggle with high numbers of individuals lacking legal identity:

India: Significant challenges remain in providing legal identities to the entire population, especially among rural and marginalized communities.
Nigeria: Widespread internal displacement due to conflict and poverty has resulted in many, especially children, being left unregistered.
Ethiopia: High birth rates and limited resources for civil registration have left many Ethiopians without official documentation.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Ongoing conflicts and instability have led to large numbers of the population living without legal identity.
Pakistan: Bureaucratic hurdles and socio-political challenges contribute to a significant portion of unregistered individuals, particularly among women and children.
Bangladesh: Despite recent progress, issues like poverty and bureaucratic inefficiencies lead to many, particularly in remote areas, lacking legal identification.
Indonesia: The challenge of managing civil registration across its vast and disparate island geography results in many Indonesians, particularly in remote areas, lacking official identity documents.

The conference emphasized the importance of cross-regional exchanges on good practices, learning from one another to refine national policies, strengthen coordination mechanisms, and ultimately, reduce vulnerabilities of migrants by adopting a rights-based approach. The push towards a more inclusive digitalization process in identity management is seen as critical to addressing these challenges effectively.

Sidebar