Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:

Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries

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CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This report paints a picture of the incredible diversity of forced migration—from its scale,

drivers, and legal frameworks—in and from the 57 countries that make up the Organisation

for Islamic Cooperation (OIC). But despite key differences among countries and regions, there

are several common challenges that have emerged, which are critical to a holistic

understanding of the impact of and approach to managing forced migration in OIC and around

the world.

Seven key trends in particular stand out:

Forced migration is a dynamic, complex, and

far from linear process

;

The international legal framework governing forced migration has remained static

while the drivers have evolved significantly—placing an

ever greater burden on

national and regional systems

to fill these gaps;

National approaches to protection evolve over time

, based on both internal

dynamics (changes to a country’s identity or political dynamics) as well as external

dynamics (involvement of regional bodies or donor countries);

Access to protection, legal status, and core rights thus

depends not just on

where

you are but also

who

you are

, even within the same country;

Protection in practice also depends as much on

implementation capacity

at the

national and local level as on legal frameworks;

Beyond basic safety and respect for human rights, the most significant challenge for

most forced migrants is the

ability to legally earn a living in displacement

—which

requires a supportive policy framework from national governments, but can also

benefit from significant investment and creativity from NGO and International

Organization (IO) partners.

Finally, access

safe and affordable housing

is deeply intertwined with other key

poverty alleviation policy areas, including access to livelihoods, yet remains a major

challenge in all of the case study countries.

This chapter will examine these trends in greater detail and draw a few lessons on how the

case study countries, and OIC states more broadly, have tackled the challenges of forced

migration. Finally, the chapter concludes with some initial recommendations on how to

constructively manage forced migration.

I. Forced migration in OIC Countries

Migration is sometimes described in a linear way, with a single point of origin, transit, and

destination. But the reality is much more complex. Forced migration, in particular, is an

inherently dynamic process, through which individuals and families constantly acquire and

adapt to new information about dangers and opportunities en route. In part, this is due to the

fact that the drivers of forced migration are neither simple nor static. Issues such as civil war,

political instability, and forced conscription often overlap with environmental degradation,

mass poverty, and lack of livelihood opportunities—which can all become more or less salient

over time. These may also coexist with persecution based on individual characteristics

(religion, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity). Individuals may explore various resilience

strategies to cope with these challenges before crossing an international border—so forced

migration can occur months or years after triggering events (such as Syria’s civil war). In some

corridors, forced migration is circular, and can involve periods of return to the country of

origin. Indeed, most refugees are first displaced within their own countries.