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Diaspora Engagement Efforts in Afghanistan Real-Time Review

Diaspora Engagement Efforts in Afghanistan Real-Time Review

by Administrator

Diaspora Emergency Action & Coordination (DEMAC), Afghanistan

 

On 16 August 2021 the Taliban announced that they had gained control of Afghanistan. The takeover resulted in a heated public debate about the two-decade war, the humanitarian implications of the withdrawal, and the future of women and civil society in Afghanistan. To capture Afghan diaspora engagement in the current political crisis, Meraki Labs conducted a Real-Time Analysis in the immediate aftermath of the Taliban takeover in Mid-August.
The report, commissioned by DEMAC - Diaspora Emergency Action & Coordination, takes two main approaches to data collection: 1) online media monitoring from 15 August 2021 to 30 September 2021 of 60 Afghan diaspora organizations, and 2) key informant interviews with representatives of ten ADOs, as well as Danish Refugee Council Diaspora Program staff. In this report we document the rapid response and self-mobilization of ADOs, as well as their efforts in fundraising and direct support in Afghanistan. The report also looks at some of the challenges faced by these organizations and provides recommendations on the way forward.

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“We are the ones they come to when nobody can help” Afghan smugglers’ perceptions of themselves and their communities

“We are the ones they come to when nobody can help” Afghan smugglers’ perceptions of themselves and their communities

by Administrator

International Organization for Migration, Migration Research Series No.56

 

Authored by Abdullah Mohammadi, Ruta Nimkar and Emily Savage, this publication in the Migration Research Series analyses the perceptions that Afghan smugglers have of themselves and of their relationships with their communities in Afghanistan. The paper is based on interviews with 23 smugglers in three sites in Afghanistan and considers community dynamics and low-level smugglers rather than high-level organizers of smuggling networks. It highlights that smuggling networks have a long-standing and respected place in Afghan culture. The paper also provides an analysis of factors that affect perceptions of and trust in smugglers among Afghan society. It concludes with some implications to support policy responses and programming concerning migrant smuggling and migration in Afghanistan.

 

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Iran Country Protection Strategy

Iran Country Protection Strategy

by Administrator

RELIEF INTERNATIONAL, IRAN

Iran currently hosts over 1 million registered Afghan refugees, and up to 2 million unregistered Afghans. The Government of Iran has made significant advances in providing education and health care to refugee populations, but most are still subject to stigma, discrimination, and protection risks.

Meraki Labs supported Relief International in identifying key protection issues and developing priorities for programming, ultimately resulting in a revised Country Protection Strategy. Meraki Labs worked closely with Relief International to support capacity of staff to implement the strategy, including training and engagement with protection and complimentary sector staff.