Islamabad (PR) – Pak Institute for Peace Studies has established Displacement & Migration Studies Centre (DMSC) at the Institute’s premises with an aim to build a knowledge base and understanding – as well as a comprehensive database – of forced displacement, its causes and consequences. Other areas of the Centre’s focus are migration and human trafficking.
The Center was borne out of a realization of acute lack of an independent, dedicated and credible research organization focused on forced displacement and migration despite a near omnipresent context of internal and cross-border forced displacement at least over the past four decades. For one, Pakistan has been home to millions of refugees, almost exclusively from Afghanistan. Nevertheless, over the last two decades, Pakistan has also faced extensive internal displacement, mainly on account of armed conflict and natural disasters. Similarly, Pakistan is a country of source, transit and destination not only in terms of forced displacement, but also migration and human trafficking.
The Center came into being at a time of great uncertainty for the large existing refugee population in Pakistan—which was bound to impact voluntary repatriation choices—as well as serious apprehensions of a fresh exodus of population from Afghanistan amid deteriorating security in that country.
Through in-depth research, the Centre examines areas as diverse as anticipating the impact of arrival on both dislocated and host communities, safety and treatment issues, considerations for destination decisions and coping strategies of refugees and the internally displaced. Similarly, the Centre strives to push for introduction of appropriate policies as well as inform existing ones to prevent involuntary dislocations as well as improve management of affected populations to ensure their access to human rights. The Centre’s research also focuses on assessment of risks for repatriated individuals as well as their situation post-repatriation. The Centre publishes an annual report (Forced Displacement and Trafficking Monitor or forced displacement and migration monitor).