Between refugee protection and migration management: the quest for coordination between UNHCR and IOM in the Asia-Pacific region

This article discusses the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the context of significant changes in global migration governance. Drawing more specifically on examples from the Asia-Pacific region, it sheds light on the way UNHCR and IOM cooperate in situations where both organisations might claim to have legitimacy to intervene based on their mandate, eg in situations of ‘mixed flows’ of people and in the context of large-scale movements, especially when people may not be recognised as refugees but may still be in need of international protection. The recent changes in global migration governance, including the entry of IOM into the UN system, have arguably failed to bring clarity on the respective roles and responsibilities of UNHCR and IOM in such situations. While ad hoc arrangements have been established in various contexts, the lack of clear and predictable arrangements to allocate responsibilities and accountability between the two organisations in situations where both are involved is likely to fuel further tensions between them.