A large number of refugees are forced to live in refugee camps which lack in both quality of life and infrastructure. Most of them are located in areas without mobile coverage. By contrast, Smart Cities aim to improve the life of its citizens, mainly helped by ICTs. Therefore, refugee camps can also take advantage of the ICTs to enhance the life of refugees. The present thesis aims to explore the needs and priorities of refugees, analyse the impact of smart city solutions implemented in refugee camps on the lives of refugees, and identify and analyse currently unused smart city solutions that could meet the needs of refugees in refugee camps and enhance the Sustainable Development Goals. The study is carried out through the literature review and interviews with professionals working in NGOs devoted to the refugee issues. The necessity and benefits of ICTs have been analysed and the most promising solutions in the different domains of the refugee camps have been selected and described, including IoT based solutions supported with low power WAN to collect data, and blockchain applications as new protocol for a database. / Ett stort antal flyktingar tvingas bo i flyktingläger som saknar både livskvalitet och infrastruktur. De flesta av dem ligger i områden utan mobil täckning. Däremot syftar Smart Cities till att förbättra medborgarnas liv, främst med hjälp av IKT. Flyktingläger kan därför också dra nytta av IKT för att förbättra flyktingarnas liv. Nuvarande avhandling syftar till att undersöka flyktingarnas behov och prioriteringar, analysera effekten av smarta stadslösningar som genomförs i flyktingläger om flyktingarnas liv och identifiera och analysera nuvarande oanvända smarta stadslösningar som kan tillgodose flyktinglägernas behov och flyktingläger förbättra de hållbara utvecklingsmålen. Studien utförs genom litteraturöversikt och intervjuer med yrkesverksamma inom icke-statliga organisationer som ägnar sig åt flyktingfrågorna. Nödvändigheten och fördelarna med IKT har analyserats och de mest lovande lösningarna på flyktinglägernas olika domäner har blivit utvalda och beskrivna, inklusive IoT-baserade lösningar som stöds med låg effekt WAN för att samla in data och blockchain applikationer som nytt protokoll för en databas .

The global population of forcibly displaced people has increased during the last years, due to persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations. Since 1997 the number of forcibly displaced people increased from 33.9 million people to 65.6 million at the end of 2016, amongst which 22.5 million are refugees living in refugee camps around the world. These camps are usually hastily built shelters with the main objective to provide immediate protection and safety, therefore these camps rarely have power supply that can satisfy more than the basic, essential needs. However, the average length of time during which a refugee spends in exile is approximately 20 years and in order sustain shelters for such a long time, there is also a need to satisfy the long-term energy demands. The purpose of this thesis is to chart the energy-related problems in refugee camps and to evaluate potential energy supply solutions with respect to given indicators, with a setting in Central- and Eastern Africa. The given indicators are availability, scalability, adoptability, environmental impact and cost. The different energy solutions that are chosen for evaluation are fuel generators, solar power, biogas, wind power and fuel cell. A literature study is conducted with the limitation to mainly examine camps between the equator and southern Europe and where the assumption of every refugee camp having approximately the same problems is made. The literature study of different refugee camps revealed that most energy-related problems could be derived from insufficient energy supply, which results in problems with cooking and lack of lighting. The available energy resources in refugee camps are mainly firewood or charcoal, that emits hazardous gases during combustion. The collection of firewood as well as the lack of lighting also puts people, mainly women and children, at safety risks. Furthermore, the lack of decent lighting also reduces the amount of productive hours. To solve the problems, the evaluation of the chosen energy solutions could work as a foundation for projects on implementing energy systems in a refugee camp setting. The evaluation provides an overview of how the energy solutions works in relation to the given indicators and thus their ability to provide energy in an economic, social and environmental manner. Furthermore, the results from this thesis have been compiled into a project manual, with summarizing tables of each energy solution in regards to the indicators. Every refugee camp has their own needs and conditions that has to be met in order to provide sufficient energy solutions, which makes it difficult to fully assess the evaluated energy solutions. Therefore, there is a need for further work that would include a case study. By conducting a case study, the needs and conditions for the chosen refugee camp can be taken into consideration, thus resulting in a solution that could better meet the demand. In most cases, the energy related problems in refugee camps are not one solution issues but could rather be solved by combining different methods of energy access. The evaluated energy solutions could therefore be combined to meet the demands of refugee camps. / Antalet människor som är på flykt i världen har ökat under de senaste åren på grund av förföljelse, konflikt, våld eller kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter. Sedan 1997 har antalet människor på flykt ökat från 33,9 miljoner till 65,6 miljoner i slutet av 2016, varav 22,5 miljoner är flyktingar som lever i flyktingläger runt om i världen. Flyktingläger är ofta konstruerade under nödsituationer, där det främsta syftet är att ge omedelbart skydd och säkerhet. Syftet med flyktinglägren är därmed att agera som ett tillfälligt skydd, vilket innebär att de sällan är utrustade med strömförsörjning som kan tillgodose mer än de mest grundläggande och nödvändiga behoven. Trots att lägren är konstruerade som tillfälliga lösningar, tillbringar en flykting i genomsnitt 20 år i exil. För att kunna hålla goda levnadsförhållanden under en sådan lång tid i ett flyktingläger, finns ett behov av att tillgodose lägren med långsiktiga, hållbara energilösningar. Syftet med kandidatexamensarbetet är att kartlägga energirelaterade problem i flyktingläger och att utvärdera potentiella lösningar för energiförsörjning med avseende på givna indikatorer, med fokus på Central- och Östafrika. De angivna indikatorerna är tillgänglighet, skalbarhet, acceptans, miljöpåverkan och kostnad. De olika energilösningarna som utvärderas är bränslegeneratorer, solkraft, biogas, vindkraft och bränsleceller. En litteraturstudie genomförs med den huvudsakliga begränsningen att granska läger mellan ekvatorn och södra Europa och där ett antagande om att varje flyktingläger står inför liknande problem görs. Kartläggningen av energirelaterade problem i flyktingläger visar att de flesta problem kan kopplas till en otillräcklig energiförsörjning, vilket i sin tur resulterar i problem med matlagning samt brist på belysningsmöjligheter. De tillgängliga energiresurserna är huvudsakligen ved eller kol, som vid förbränning avger hälsofarliga gaser. Insamling av ved samt brist på belysning utsätter även invånarna, främst kvinnor och barn, för säkerhetsrisker. Bristen på ordentlig belysning reducerar även antalet produktiva timmar för människorna i ett flyktingläger. För att kunna bidra med en lösning till problemen kan den utförda utvärderingen av de valda energilösningarna användas som en grund för andra projekt, som ämnar att implementera energisystem i flyktingläger. Utvärderingen ger en översikt av hur energilösningarna fungerar i förhållande till de givna indikatorerna och därmed deras förmåga att tillhandahålla energi på ett ekonomiskt, socialt och miljömässigt sätt. Resultaten från kandidatexamensarbetet har även sammanställts i en projektmanual, med en sammanställning för varje energilösning med avseende på indikatorerna. Varje flyktingläger har dock unika behov och förutsättningar som måste tillgodoses för att tillhandahålla tillfredställande energilösningar, vilket försvårar en fullständig bedömning av de utvärderade energilösningarna. Det finns därför ett behov av ytterligare undersökning innefattande en fallstudie som kan ta hänsyn till de behov och förutsättningar som kan finnas. Slutligen kräver de energirelaterade problemen i ett flyktingläger oftast en kombination av olika energilösningar, eftersom att en sådan bättre kan möta ett flyktinglägers energibehov.

Human rights and foreign policy often come together in dealing with humanitarian crises, especially when we consider how a country’s foreign policy affects the rights of refugees as protection of the refugees often involves bringing together international actors and different countries. One such example is the Rohingya refugee crisis. Since the outbreak of the Rohingya refugee crisis in 2017, Bangladesh’s foreign policy and its aims have directly impacted the rights of the refugees who have sought shelter in Bangladesh. The country has adopted a foreign policy that aims to seek assistance in hosting the refugees while putting pressure on Myanmar to take back the refugees. In doing so, Bangladesh has both protected the rights of refugees and has restricted or threatened them. Bangladesh’s identity as a Muslim majority state and also one of fast economic growth has played a significant role in shaping Bangladesh’s policy. A meaningful analysis of Bangladesh’s foreign policy concerning the Rohingya and its impact on their rights, therefore, requires us to use the theory of constructivism in international relations studies. Constructivism’s focus on identity as the primary shaping foreign policy grants us the tools to understand how and why Bangladesh treated the Rohingya humanitarian crisis.

More than 3 million refugees have resettled in the U.S. alone since 1948 (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], 2018). Less than 10% of refugees resettled in the U.S. make educational advancements of any kind post-resettlement, and only six percent of refugees worldwide have entered postsecondary education (Capps and Fix, 2015; Ferede, 2018; Kerwin, 2012; Mendenhall, Russell and Buckner, 2017; U.S. Department of State, 2017; UNHCR, 2017, 2019, 2021). Despite these data, there is no lack of desire to attend college or university among refugees who have completed secondary school (Dryden-Peterson et al., 2010). This post-intentional phenomenological study sought to understand more deeply the lived experiences of resettled refugees accessing postsecondary education and how they utilize navigational and aspirational capital to negotiate exploration, application, and enrollment processes. Findings of this study surfaced barriers resettled refugees in the United States navigate at the meso-, macro-, and micro-levels of postsecondary educational access, the community cultural wealth that resettled refugees create, and how they utilize this capital to navigate the complexities of an educational system created without them in mind. This study has implications for secondary and postsecondary professionals, policymakers at the state and federal levels, and for researchers who are interested in postsecondary educational access for resettled refugees. / Doctor of Philosophy / Refugees have been resettled in the United States since 1948(United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], 2018). Most of these resettled refugees have not made educational advancements after resettlement despite their desires for additional education. This study was designed to understand what it is like for resettled refugees when they attempt to purse education after graduating from high school and what are the barriers that can get in their way when they are learning about, applying to, and going to college. This study also sought to understand what helps resettled refugees successfully continue to make progress at each of these points in the college-going process. This research shows that resettled refugees have high aspirations for gaining education after high school and that their families and other members of their broader community also share these aspirations. It also shows that resettled refugees learn how to work through complex challenges by relying on both the information they collect about college-going and the information that others share with them. This study is useful for those who work in all areas of education and government in the United States and who are responsible for making decisions about how policies and rules can help or hinder resettled refugees as they attempt to learn about, apply to, and go to college.

Det finns många små barn vars föräldrar ursprungligen kommer från andra kulturer, och de har uppfostrats annorlunda än den nya kulturen. De flesta tidigare forskningarna visa att utländska föräldrar står inför flera utmaningar i uppfostrans process som att behålla sin identitet, modersmål och normer. Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur irakiska småbarnsföräldrar uppfostrar sina barn i Sverige. Forskningsmetoden är hermeneutisk där 10 föräldrar, varv fem mammor med barn i åldrarna 2–8 i en intervju, delade med sig av sina upplevelser och erfarenheter. Med hjälp av en tematisk analys identifieras fem teman som en förändrad syn på uppfostran: barn i centrum, en annorlunda familjekonstellation, genusbaserade normer i uppfostran, en diskrepans mellan föräldrars skyldigheter och barnens rättigheter och önskan att behålla föräldrarnas värderingar. Studiens resultat visar att det är en utmaning att uppfostra barn i en ny kultur, därför bör föräldrarna ta hänsyn till de kulturella skillnaderna för att undvika kulturkrock.

Background: Refugees and refugee claimants experience health needs upon arrival in Canada. Retrenchments to the Interim Federal Health program (IFHP) in 2012 greatly reduced healthcare access for refugee claimants, generating concerns among healthcare providers and other stakeholders affected by the reforms. In 2014 a new IFH program temporarily reinstated access to some health services however, little is known about the reforms and more information is needed to map its impact on key stakeholders. This study aims to examine the perception of key stakeholders regarding the impact of the 2014 reforms on the policy’s intermediary goals: access and provision of healthcare. Methodology: Data was collected using semi-structured key informant interviews with refugee health policy stakeholders (n=23), refugees and refugee claimants (n=6), policy makers and government officials (n=5), civil society organizations (n=6) and professionals and practitioners (n=6). Data was analysed using a constant comparative approach with NVivo 10 (QSR International). A stakeholder analysis was used to map out key stakeholder perceptions, interests and influences in refugee health policy and a content analysis was further employed to abstract themes associated with barriers and facilitators to access and provision of healthcare in the current situation. Results: The findings provide information for management of stakeholder engagement revealing the perceptions of key stakeholders on the 2014 reforms: eight were opposed to the reforms, eight held mixed positions, four supported the reforms and one did not comment. Five facilitators to accessing healthcare were identified. Eighteen themes emerged under four health care access and provision barrier categories: cognitive, socio-political, structural and financial. There were four common themes perceived among all stakeholder groups: lack of communication and awareness of refugee and provider, lack of care provider training leading to unfamiliarity with IFHP, lack of continuity and comprehensive care and the political discourse leading to refugee and claimant social exclusion. Other common barrier themes included healthcare affordability for refugees and the healthcare system, fear of the healthcare system, and interaction with the Ontario Temporary Health Program. Conclusion: The study highlights that reforms to the IFHP in 2014 have transferred refugee health responsibility to provincial authorities and healthcare institutions resulting in bureaucratic strains, inefficiencies, overburdened administration and increased health outcome disparities as refugees and claimants choose to delay seeking healthcare due to existing barriers. There are some benefits to the reforms, but the lack of support and mixed opinions among the majority of stakeholders emphasize the need for reformulation of policy with stakeholder engagement. This study recommends future refugee health reform strategies incorporate stakeholder leadership, cooperation and perspectives, as revealed in this research, to successfully move healthcare policy from theory to practice. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Background: Canada brings in more than 200 000 newcomers annually, many of who require the use of social services to aid in their integration process. In 2011, the federal government made a 12% cut to the budget allocated for newcomer services, resulting in the closure of many services and decreased overall service capacity. The purpose of this study is to understand how social services for newcomers are provided, managed, evaluated, and funded. Methodology: Seven electronic databases (CINAHL, Global Health, Medline, Ovid Healthstar, PAIS, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts) were searched using search terms related to newcomers, social services, and Canada (as a jurisdictional limit). Thematic Synthesis methodology was used to code textual data, and extract descriptive themes to further analyze to determine analytical themes. Results: A total of 20 studies were selected for the systematic review (19 through database search, 1 through a search of references). From these, 7 descriptive themes were found and analyzed to determine 2 analytical themes. Findings exhibit unique interactions between different levels of service delivery for newcomers, but also demonstrate scarcity of data and research dedicated to the topic. Conclusion: Due to significant changes in the governance structures that determine what services are provided and how they are funded, it is essential that future research focus on these changes and their impact on newcomer integration. Additionally, a deeper understanding of the relationships between and within different levels of service delivery is required. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

World poverty is a persistent phenomenon despite international efforts and the improvements achieved in the last few decades. For many people it can be a chronic condition. This thesis aims at testing that the main reason some people are poor is due to a poverty trap, i.e., to some contextual mechanisms which limit their ability to escape poverty, reproducing it over time. To investigate this hypothesis, this thesis is guided by three different questions. First, does a poverty trap emerge in the aftermath of an extreme weather shock? Second, do communities in a humanitarian context have the same wealth dynamics? Third, what is the role of income diversification for agricultural households for asset accumulation, and does it depend on their wealth? The analysis focuses (a) on the case of Nigeria and a devastating flood, (b) on refugees and host communities in Uganda and (c) on agricultural households in Tanzania, respectively. Results show that Nigerian flooded households have poverty traps dynamics, condemning the poorest in a destitute state over time. Refugees and host communities in Uganda have similar wealth dynamics but both converge to a low-wealth equilibrium, suggesting a structural poverty trap that worse for refugees. Income diversification in Tanzania shows important nonlinearities according to households’ wealth: it fosters the accumulation of durable assets for better-off households only, while helping the poorest to accumulate livestock. These findings shed light on the interaction of low-income conditions and contextual challenges and opportunities, suggesting policy actions able to lift poor people above a wealth threshold, improve their living conditions and favouring their profitability.

Why do some political parties in Bangladesh discriminate against the Rohingya, while some do not? Much has been written about the conflict in Myanmar, but the plight of Rohingya in Bangladesh remains understudied. This lack of understanding is underscored by the five million Syrian refugees fleeing their own civil war that dominates the news and the attention of scholars. The Rohingya, however, are stateless: they are denied citizenship in their native Myanmar and are forced to find refuge in whichever country will take them. Much has been published that links immigration policy to security considerations and the national identity and ethnic homogeneity of the host country. I argue that it is the domestic politics of Bangladesh that directly influences the policies concerning, and subsequent treatment of, the Rohingya migrants. This leads back to the question I pose: why is it that some political parties in Bangladesh actively support the ethnic group while others actively discriminate against the Rohingya? I argue that it is the individual ideologies of that party that can be directly attributed to their stance on Rohingya. Using qualitative analysis, I measure how a party's foreign policy, social policy, and political ideology affects that organization's attitude toward Rohingya refugees. Understanding the largely political nature of refugee policy will allow policy-makers, intergovernmental organizations, and human rights groups to be better equipped to improve the conditions of, not only the Rohingya population, but other vulnerable refugee groups that seek safety in foreign states.

Why are Venezuelan Migrants accepted in neighboring Colombia, but not in other countries in South America? It is true that Colombia and Venezuela are similar in language, culture, and customs, but this is true across the continent. There has been literature published on the size of the crisis, and where they are going. Here, I will assess why the Colombian government is more accepting of Venezuelan migrants, even when this is not popular in Colombia or any other country in South America. My argument is that US foreign policy has caused Colombia to be more accepting of Venezuelans than neighboring countries. Great power politics plays a role in this crisis. It is not in the United States' interests to take in Venezuelans, no matter how much they oppose the Maduro regime. This is because President Trump promised to take an "America First" stance and is not in favor of bringing in more migrants into the United States. This is popular among his party's base. Colombia has a very close relationship with the United States and has ties that go back decades. Other countries that are taking in migrants, such as Peru and Brazil, do not have this precedent. Colombia also receives a much higher rate of aid from the United States than the other countries do, giving it an incentive to take in Venezuelans.