MECS | Highlights

Highlights

To see what we have been up to at MECS please view the updates below.

To stay informed, we welcome you to sign up to our newsletter. As well as keeping you up-to-date with all things MECS, we will bring you regular updates on the MENA region and provide a greater understanding on current issues facing the "Middle East"

Home Office CPIN Review - Afghanistan

In March 2022, MECS reviewed three Home Office's CPINs on Afghanistan for the IAGCI. The reports covered fear of the Taliban, the security situation, and the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan

The report will be posted here once published.

Country Guidance Case

In 2021 MECS produced a Country Guidance Case for the UK High Tribunal. The report was centred on issues of documentation in Iraq. The report addressed the following issues:

1957 document
Registration numbers
The availability of the CSID
The availability of the INID
Electronic registration documents
Laisser Passer and support letters
Checkpoints
Repatriation

The Country Guidance Case is available to view here

Home Office CPIN Review - Iran

In December 2019, MECS reviewed the UK Home Office's CPIN on Christians and Christian Converts in Iran.

To view the revised report, please follow this link

Publication of Research Report with the International Organisation for Migration - Iraq

In September 2019, MECS published a joint paper with Middlesex University and the Brighton Business School for the IOM - Iraq. The paper, titled "Migrants with insecure work: the role of ethnic solidarity networks", sought to address the central research question:

RQ1. How "unauthorised" migrants get access to the segmented labour market at a time of increased in-border controls in the UK?

The paper identifies the social phenomenon of "stretched solidarity" and sets out a a model for understanding its embeddedness within conflict-generated diasporic networks.

To view the paper, please follow this link

Participation at the Gulf Research Meeting 2019

In July 2019, MECS was represented by Kate C. Hashemi at the 2019 Gulf Research Meeting hosted at the University of Cambridge. MECS participated in the workshp on "The Consequences of the Kurdistan Independence Referendum: Relations between the KRG - Iran/the GCC". Kate presented a paper entitled "The KRG Independence Referendum: A Turning Point in Iranian -(Iraqi)Kurdish Relations?".

Country Guidance Case

In 2018/2019 MECS produced a Country Guidance Case for the UK High Tribunal. The report was centred on the return of Iraqi Kurds to the Disputed Territories. The report addressed the following issues:

Background to insecurity in the Disputed Territories
Political overview of Iraq, the IKR, and Disputed Territories
Sources of insecurity
The security situation in the IKR and Disputed Territories
The security situation in Iraq-proper
Security forces in Iraq
Risk profiles in the IKR and Iraq-proper
Risk profiles in the Disputed Territoies
International interests in the Kurdish independence referendum
Iranian interest in Iraq
Turkish interest in Iraq
Sufficiency of protection
Documentation
Mobility

The Country Guidance Case is available to view here

Participation at the IMEIS Conference 2018

In June 2018, MECS was represented by Kate C. Hashemi at the University of Durham's Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies 2018 Conference on "Identity, Legitimacy and Power in the Muslim World". Kate presented a paper entitled "Women and Revolution in Modern Iran: The Girls of Enghelab Street". MECS was thrilled to be a part of such lively debates concerning issues of identity within the MENA region. To view the papers please follow this link

Country Guidance Case

In 2017/2018 MECS produced a Country Guidance Case for the UK High Tribunal. The report was centred on the return of Iraqi Kurds to the IKR and addressed the following issues:

Overview of socio-political situration of the IKR
Socio-political situation of the "disputed territories"
Travel and entry to the IKR
Important documents used in the IKR
Access to documentation in the UK
Access to documentation in Iraq
Sponsorship and other pre-requisites
Non-transferability of civil registers and PDS rations
Family support
The humanitarian and security situation for IDPs
The security situation in the IKR and "disputed territories"
The economic situation of the IKR
The provision of healthcare
Profiles and family status

The Country Guidance Case is available to view here

Publication of Report on Iran with the Danish Immigration Service

In 2017, MECS collaborated with the Danish Immigration Service and Danish Refugee Council to produce five new country reports on Iran. The reports include:

Iran: Judicial issues
Iran: Relations outside of marriage in Iran and marriages without the accept of the family
Iran: Issues concerning persons of ethnic minorities , including Kurds and Ahwazi Arabs
Iran: House Churches and Converts
Iran: Recruitment of Iranian nationals to the war in Syria

To view the reports please consult this link

Publication of Research Report with the International Organisation for Migration - Iraq

In 2013, MECS was commissioned by the IOM - Iraq to produce a report on the position of Iraqi Kurdish migrants with insecure status in the UK. The report, entitled "Insecurity in an Endless Circle, included the following issues:

Iraqi migrants: the problems of definition
A brief background of migration from Iraq
Ethno-national networks of migration
Facts about Iraq-Kurdish migrants in the UK
Irregular Iraqi-Kurdish migrants in the EU
Returnees

To download a PDF of the report, please click on the icon.