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Dealing with uncertainty: Responses to the “refugee crisis” in Sweden 0
- Human Rights and Migration, Op-ed
- 01/02/2016
Many in Sweden believe the Scandinavian country is facing the hardest “refugee crisis” in a long time. According to Migrationsverket, the official Swedish migration agency, more than 160.000 asylum seekers have arrived in Sweden in 2015, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. What are the responses of civil society and the State authorities in the response to crisis and are they conducive to successful integration of refugees in Swedish society?
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Are all biofuels evil?0
- Environment and Energy, Op-ed
- 30/01/2016
Biofuels have been a matter of conflict in the EU policy agenda. Until recently, the EU had an “unlimited” biofuel production policy which was heavily criticised by NGOs like Oxfam, Greenpeace or political faces like the Green Party of the European Parliament. But not all biofuels deserve their criticism.
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Filling the gaps: Contribution of CSOs in the management of refugee affairs in Eastern Africa 0
- Human Rights and Migration, Op-ed
- 29/01/2016
African states have performed dual roles producing refugees while offering asylum to others. However the economic status of many receiving countries is too low to support provision of adequate basic services to their own citizenry and refugees are perceived as an extra burden. Civil society organizations have therefore taken on provision of vital services to fill this gap, complementing the work of UNHCR, the body mandated to safeguard and protect the rights of refugees.
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European Enlightenment 2.0: Toward a Respectful and Comprehensive policy for missing and dead migrants 1
- Human Rights and Migration, Op-ed
- 29/01/2016
The migration crisis is the biggest crisis in Europe since the Second World War. Millions of people follow migration land and sea routes, but not all reach their destination. Missing and dead migrants are largely neglected in the current European migrant policies.
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Waiting in Vain: What we can learn from Europe’s inept diesel policies 1
- Environment and Energy, Op-ed
- 28/01/2016
Since the mid-1990s, the EU has endorsed diesel fuel and promoted it as the green alternative to petrol. A policy not only harmful for the environment but which also steered the industry into a blind alley: The farfetched dream of “clean diesel” has turned out to be a dirty nightmare.
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To welcome or not to welcome: what civil society does for refugees?0
- Human Rights and Migration, Op-ed
- 27/01/2016
The weaknesses of EU policies has been displayed in times of refugee crisis, but the strength of social movements and NGOs has been shown in addressing it. The void of political inaction is being partially filled by civil society: Houses, universities, shelters have been opened, blankets, food, money have been distributed, and especially, it has made visible the social and human consequences behind such a migration process. However, actions of civil society are to be complementary to State ones, not to substitute them.
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