One border, many journeys: Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers
If you are tasked with asking ten people what separates migrants from refugees, there is a high likelihood you will get ten different answers, and the distinction is far from academic. UNHCR explains that refugees are defined and protected by international law, including the 1951 Refugee Convention (UNHCR, 1951) and the 1969 OAU Convention (UNHCR, 1969), while migrants are generally recognized under each country’s own immigration rules. The blog takes inspiration from the journal titled “Childhood Experiences, Self-Efficacy, and Migration...
Phones, Promises and Risky Roads: The Digital Side of Irregular Migration
For many people who cross borders irregularly, one of the most valuable things they carry is not money or food but a smartphone. A recent study by Mouhi Eddine Sadaoui and Souad Azizi examines how phones and social media shape the journeys of undocumented migrants who travel through Morocco hoping to reach Europe (Sadaoui & Azizi, 2026). Their findings expose the half-truths...
“My future is not here”: Migration, Borders and the political Hope in Gambia
Thousands of young Gambians have attempted an irregular journey to Europe, and many of them know that the journey could end in death, detention, and torture. The journal written by Saidyejeng and Drammeh opens up with a question: Why do young Gambians risk death and detention to reach Europe, especially because a lot of people are aware of the dangers of a “Backway”? The question matters far beyond Gambia; the question sits beneath nearly every conversation about migrants,...
Trapped Between Borders: The Hidden Crisis Facing Migrants and Refugees in Libya
Since 2011, Libya has gone from being one of the best destinations for labour migration to now being one of the most dangerous places in the world for the same people who worked to build its economy. Before the revolution, Libya hosted about 1.35 to 2.5 million migrant workers (Borgnäs Emma; Cottone L.;...
A Nation in Motion: Nigeria's Triple Role as Migrant Source, Refuge and Crossroads
Nigeria holds an intriguing position on the African continent: it is a country that people flee to, from, and through at the same time. With a population of well over 220 million, Africa's most populous country both produces one of the continent's largest displaced populations and sends a significant number of skilled migrants abroad, while also hosting refugees escaping wars in neighbouring nations. Keeping all of these movements, both forced and voluntary, internal and international in one perspective...
Research Launch: Refugees Integration in Uganda: Perspectives of Refugees, Stakeholders and the Host Community
On 12 May 2026, SIHMA launched the research “Refugees Integration in Uganda: Perspectives of Refugees, Stakeholders and the Host Community,” a journey that started in 2023 following the opening of a new mission by the Missionaries of St Charles Scalabrini in Uganda. The research aimed at informing the work of the Missionaries of St Charles and other projects that are aimed at enhancing refugee integration in Uganda. Given that Uganda hosts millions of refugees and asylum seekers...
