Protracted Displacement: Human Security and Policy Challenges in Forced Migration Crises across South and Southeast Asia

This Research Topic examines the structural, legal, and socio-economic dimensions of protracted displacement across South and Southeast Asia, regions characterized by enduring crises such as the Afghan and Rohingya displacements, the protracted exile of Myanmar's ethnic minorities, and cyclical internal displacement in Mindanao. By shifting the analytical lens from short-term humanitarian relief to long-term human security, this theme seeks to explore how systemic policy failures and geopolitical sensitivities exacerbate the vulnerability of displaced populations. The collection aims to bridge the gap between international legal frameworks and the lived realities of millions who remain in a liminal condition, unable to return home and excluded from full integration into host societies, sometimes for generations.

The theme specifically addresses the unique policy challenges inherent to these regions, where many host nations are not signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention. This fragmented legal architecture often results in ad hoc responses, restricted access to formal labor markets, and limited educational opportunities, which undermine the human security of both the displaced and the host communities. We invite contributions that analyze the socio-economic impacts of long-term encampment versus the precarious nature of urban displacement, the role of regional bodies in navigating non-interference and migration governance, and the specific gendered vulnerabilities and protection gaps of protracted exile.

Furthermore, this topic encourages interdisciplinary research into how climate change and environmental degradation act as threat multipliers in South and Southeast Asian migration corridors. By integrating perspectives from sociology, political science, and development studies, this collection aims to identify sustainable policy pathways that move beyond "warehousing," the long-term containment of refugees in camps without durable solutions. Ultimately, the goal is to foster a rights-centred discourse that moves from crisis management toward lasting, dignified solutions that centre the agency of displaced persons within the migration governance landscapes of South and Southeast Asia.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Registered Report
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: protracted displacement, human security, migration governance, refugee protection, South and Southeast Asia, durable solutions

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.