Policy and Legislation

This report presents the findings of a comprehensive study on immigration detention and alternatives to detention (ATD) across 19 countries within the five sub-regions of the Asia-Pacific: East and Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South and Southwest Asia, North and Central Asia, and the Pacific. Across the Asia-Pacific region, there is widespread use of...

Climate change, environmental degradation and disasters are impacting on human life around the world and affecting contemporary migration dynamics. Globally, natural disasters, climate change, and environmental degradation are reshaping contemporary human mobility patterns around the world. Internal mobility and safe, orderly and regular international...

This report is a part of UNIDIR’s Managing Exits from Armed Conflict (MEAC) initiative, run in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) & other agencies. It explores the experiences of Iraqis repatriated to their home country after spending time in the Al Hol Camp in Syria. It is based on original qualitative research and surveys...

The report provides a detailed account of the return and reintegration experiences of Iraqis coming back to their homeland after years in Al Hol Camp. This research builds on prior studies carried out by UNIDIR’s Managing Exits from Armed Conflict (MEAC) in 2022, run in partnership with IOM Iraq, UNDP Iraq, and the Swiss FDFA. The report is based on...

The Eastern and Horn of Africa region is one of the world’s most dynamic areas in terms of migration, driven by a complex interplay of economic, social, and security factors. Migrants and mobile populations in this region face numerous challenges in accessing essential healthcare services, including the absence of migrant-inclusive healthcare laws and...

The fourth volume of Fatal journeys focuses on the issue of missing migrant children, as more and more young people are setting out on perilous and frequently deadly journeys. While many deaths go unreported, it is unknown how many people die while migrating globally. Since 2014, IOM has confirmed more than 32,000 deaths and disappearances in Migration...

By the end of 2021, an estimated 89.3 million people had been forcibly removed from their homes; by the middle of 2022, that number had risen to a startling 100 million. As more children are impacted globally, they currently make up 42 million, or 41%, of all people who have been forcibly relocated. Multifaceted crises are causing an increasing amount of...

The impact of climate-related migration and displacement on children and youth is often overlooked in policy-making. In 2020 UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) hosted a virtual symposium to recommend developing Guiding Principles to safeguard the rights and well-being of children and youth moving due to climate change. These...

This issue paper is a publication of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT). It provides an overview of the intersections between sustainable finance and human trafficking and proposes recommendations and metrics for States, and other actors on how to harness sustainable finance to counter trafficking in persons...

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, encompassing the protection of LGBTI individuals from discrimination, violence, and torture. Despite this, widespread human rights violations against LGBTI people persist globally. The United Nations, alongside regional and national human...

Migration is crucial for the Kyrgyz Republic, with about 14.3% of its population living abroad and remittances constituting over 30% of its GDP, making it one of the most remittance-dependent economies globally. However, Kyrgyz migrants are insufficiently protected and often fall victim to trafficking. This report investigates the systemic vulnerabilities...

Millions of Bangladeshi citizens migrate internationally, however, these migrants often face exploitation and trafficking, particularly along the migration corridor to Malaysia. This report aims to understand the systemic forces that make Bangladeshi migrants vulnerable to trafficking and to contribute to safe migration efforts. Trafficking is influenced by...

This Technical Note lays out ways in which national child protection systems can be enhanced to include children in the context of migration. This effort is a product of the IOM-UNICEF Strategic Collaboration Framework (2022-2023), aiming to protect the rights of migrant children through more inclusive and mature child protection systems.

Freedom of association and collective bargaining (FACB) are fundamental rights of universal scope that should apply to all workers – including migrant workers. The ILO Report on Migrant Workers’ Rights to Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining supports efforts to fine-tune laws and regulations to promote migrant workers’ FACB rights. It depicts the...

Victims of trafficking are subjected to exploitation in various ways. Sometimes, as a result of their victimization, they engage in illegal conduct. Common examples include involvement in the sex trade, involvement in drug production or trafficking, petty crime, possession or the use of fraudulent documents or entering another country in a manner that does...

This policy brief summarizes the findings of a joint study by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) that examined links between climate change and labour migration. In Malaysia, the study focused on workers from Bangladesh and Indonesia employed on large estates in Johor and Pahang, the top two palm...