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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

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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

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The report will be posted here once published. 

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Country Guidance Case 

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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: 

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  1. 1957 document 

  2. Registration numbers 

  3. The availability of the CSID 

  4. The availability of the INID 

  5. Electronic registration documents 

  6. Laisser Passer and support letters 

  7. Checkpoints

  8. Repatriation

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The Country Guidance Case is available to view here

Home Office CPIN Review - Iran

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

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To view the revised report, please follow this link

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

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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: 

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               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. 

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To view the paper, please follow this link

Participation at the Gulf Research Meeting 2019

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                                                                            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?".

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Country Guidance Case 

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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: 

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  1. Background to insecurity in the Disputed Territories 

  2. Political overview of Iraq, the IKR, and Disputed Territories

  3. Sources of insecurity 

  4. The security situation in the IKR and Disputed Territories 

  5. The security situation in Iraq-proper

  6. Security forces in Iraq

  7. Risk profiles in the IKR and Iraq-proper

  8. Risk profiles in the Disputed Territoies 

  9. International interests in the Kurdish independence referendum

  10. Iranian interest in Iraq

  11. Turkish interest in Iraq

  12. Sufficiency of protection 

  13. Documentation 

  14. Mobility 

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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

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Country Guidance Case 

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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: 

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  1. Overview of socio-political situration of the IKR

  2. Socio-political situation of the "disputed territories"

  3. Travel and entry to the IKR 

  4. Important documents used in the IKR

  5. Access to documentation in the UK 

  6. Access to documentation in Iraq 

  7. Sponsorship and other pre-requisites

  8. Non-transferability of civil registers and PDS rations

  9. Family support

  10. The humanitarian and security situation for IDPs

  11. The security situation in the IKR and "disputed territories"

  12. The economic situation of the IKR 

  13. The provision of healthcare

  14. Profiles and family status 

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The Country Guidance Case is available to view here

Publication of Report on Iran with the Danish Immigration Service 

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

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  1. Iran: Judicial issues

  2. Iran: Relations outside of marriage in Iran and marriages without the accept  of the family

  3. Iran: Issues concerning persons of ethnic minorities , including Kurds and Ahwazi Arabs

  4. Iran: House Churches and Converts

  5. Iran: Recruitment of Iranian nationals to the war in Syria

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To view the reports please consult this link

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

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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:

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  1. Iraqi migrants: the problems of definition 

  2. A brief background of migration from Iraq

  3. Ethno-national networks of migration 

  4. Facts about Iraq-Kurdish migrants in the UK

  5. Irregular Iraqi-Kurdish migrants in the EU

  6. Returnees

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

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