Workshop
Forced Migration and Development
When : Sep 08, 2014 Venue : World Bank, Room MC 11-715, 1818 H St NWLocation : Washington DC

Event description:

Forced migration understood in the broadest sense is a challenging and complex topic, encompassing different groups of people, fleeing from persecution or conflict, escaping environmental change, natural or human made disasters, migrating because of development projects or being deported or trafficked. Only a sub-set of these persons fall within UNHCR’s refugee and IDP mandate. More and more displaced persons are in protracted situations. Existing approaches based on humanitarian, human rights and security perspectives are failing to provide sustainable solutions on a larger scale. There are also important knowledge gaps from a development perspective.

The workshop’s objective was to brainstorm about these issues to help shape the work program of KNOMAD’s newly created thematic working group on forced migration. More specifically, in three sessions the following aspects were discussed:

  • Typology of forced migration, available data and existing initiatives
  • Development impacts of forced migration on countries/regions of origin, destination and forced migrants themselves
  • Short, medium and long-term policy issues when linking forced migration and development

The workshop brought together an outstanding and diverse group of experts, researchers and thought leaders at the forefront of forced migration from the humanitarian side as well as from the development perspective.