Missing Boundaries: Refugees, Migrants, Stateless and Internally Displaced Persons in South Asia

South Asia has 14 percent of the world’s refugee population and is the principal source and host of refugees. The causes behind the displacement? political instability, armed conflict, lack of resources and so on in South Asia and its immediate neighborhood have not declined but, in fact, have been increasing; and the security threats posed by the refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) is set to increase given the lack of resources and poor governance prevalent in the region. Yet, none of the countries in South Asia have signed any major convention or treaty at the international level in regard to refugees; nor have they any national legislation or regional framework to deal with these issues. A comprehensive study focusing on the various dimensions of displacement in South Asia including refugees, migrants, stateless persons and internally displaced persons (IDPs) was felt imperative by the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. Acknowledging non-traditional sources of insecurity as being the cornerstone of human insecurity, the IPCS had commenced to focus on a range of non-military threats to security including Drug Trafficking, Terrorism, Refugees, Organized Crime, Governance and Environmental Issues. The current volume with specific focus on migration and displacement is a small step in that direction