Analysis: The plight of LGBTI asylum seekers, refugees

KATHMANDU, 7 May 2013 (IRIN Global) - Refugees and asylum seekers face a host of challenges when crossing borders, but the obstacles are particularly pronounced for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) persons, say experts. full report

Analysis: Southeast Asia’s human trafficking conundrum

JAKARTA, 6 May 2013 (IRIN Asia) - Tens of thousands of people are vulnerable to being trafficked in Southeast Asia, with governments struggling to understand and respond collectively to the problem, say experts and government officials. full report

In Brief: Raids free enslaved migrants/refugees in Yemen

DUBAI, 2 May 2013 (IRIN Middle East) - The army in Yemen has started a crackdown on illegal smuggling hideouts in the north where migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa are frequently held against their will and tortured by criminal gangs looking for ransom money. full report

Lifeline to “climate refugees”?

JOHANNESBURG, 17 April 2013 (IRIN Global) - The international community has steadfastly dodged the issue of recognition and protection for “climate refugees” - people forced to relocate to another country as a result of the risks and hazards of a changing climate. Now, the first global initiative to address humanitarian options is underway, with discussions focusing on the Pacific Ocean states to take place soon. full report

For women, urbanization is a mixed bag

NAIROBI, 17 April 2013 (IRIN Africa) - Countries across Africa are experiencing unprecedented urban growth, presenting women with greater economic and social opportunities as well as greater risks to their safety and welfare. full report

Migrant voices - Ethiopians in Yemen describe kidnapping and torture

SANA’A, 11 April 2013 (IRIN Middle East) - Record numbers of migrants from the Horn of Africa are crossing into Yemen, most of them on their way to find better opportunities in Saudi Arabia and other rich Gulf countries. But many do not make it any further. Seeking a new life, they end up unwitting victims of a smuggling racket designed to exploit the migrants at each juncture of their journey. full report

Europe's forced returnees claim abuse

JOHANNESBURG, 10 April 2013 (IRIN Global) - Cases of excessive force being used to remove rejected asylum seekers have been documented in a number of European countries. But with the financial crisis eroding sympathy and tolerance for asylum seekers, there has been little public or political support for measures that would provide more humane approaches to removing those reluctant to accept an asylum rejection. full report

Mounting crisis for conflict-hit northern Mali pastoralists

MOPTI/BAMAKO, 8 April 2013 (IRIN Africa) - Ongoing fighting and the fear of reprisal killings has severely disrupted normal migration patterns for pastoralists in northern Mali, putting them and their families in danger of severe food insecurity and poverty as the lean season approaches. full report

Balancing conservation and people’s access to land

LONDON, 4 April 2013 (IRIN Africa) - In the great plains of northern Tanzania, close to the world-famous Serengeti National Park, a bitter row has broken out over an attempt to designate 1,500sqkm of Loliondo District as a game-controlled area. full report