According to the UNHCR 43.3 million persons were forcibly displaced in 2009, the highest number since the mid-1990s.
According to the U.S. Committee of Refugees and Immigrants (Refugees.org), the ten worst places for refugees presently are these countries. Their website gives fuller reasons for this appraisal.
Bangladesh (oppression of 178,000 Rohingya refugees)
China (treatment of North Korean refugees denied refugee status)
Europe (because of harsh policies toward asylum seekers)
India (different policies toward different groups; ethnic Chin worst)
Iraq (for killing of Palestinian refugees)
Kenya (for conditions in refugee camps)
Malaysia (favoritism to some Muslims; others indirectly sold into slavery)
Russia (expulsion without hearings; returning opposition Uzbeks)
Sudan (Eritrean refugees warehoused for 40 yrs.; Darfur)
Thailand (forcible return of thousands of Myanmarese… Hmongs)
Behind these cold statistics lie untold stories of beatings, mutilations, rape, and killings on land and sea. When one human being suffers, all, in some way or another, suffer-and should somehow become aware of it.
The Encarta World English Dictionary defines refugee as “somebody who is seeking refuge, especially from war or persecution, by going to another country.” The idea is an ancient and holy concept. Ancient Egyptian, Hebrew and Greek literature refer to the provision of asylum or sanctuary to those who flee to a holy place. In the Hebrew scripture there is reference particularly to “the horns of the altar.”
The Hebrew Torah (Christian Pentateuch) commands charity and hospitality to aliens and sojourners among them because of the nature of God and Jewish experience in Egypt (in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy).
From 1951 the United Nations has sought to protect refugees as those who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.”
By 2006 the largest source of immigrants were the countries Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar, Sudan and the Palestinian Territories. Sudan has the largest number of IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons), at some 800,000.
The tragedy of the refugee crisis are refugee camps, whose conditions can be horribly squalid and oppressive-and which can become permanent. The challenge of the refugee crisis is relocation or resettlement. While resettlement has typically been seen as a last resort to solving refugee situations, it is often times the only solution available.
Ideally, refugees would be able to return to their homes in “post conflict” environments, yet this is never a simple process. The principles of the United Nations in this regard are, according to the Wikipedia article on this topic, “guided by the idea that not only do people have the right to return home, but also to the same property.” the UN thus seeks to return refugees to the “pre-conflict status-quo.” Yet, as one can probably well imagine, this is never a simple process, and every situation in every country is different.
There is a branch of international law which deals specifically with protecting the rights of refugees, but again, the issues are as diverse and complex as the people themselves. This is quite obviously a complicated issue which affects all of us, regardless of where we live.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Many of us know, or know people who know, refugees who have fled war-torn countries seeking a better life elsewhere. Do you, and if so, has this article changed your perception of them? In what ways?
How can we work to raise awareness of the plight of refugees around the world?
If your country were at war and you were forced to flee to somewhere else, where would you go and why?
Why do you think that the suffering and plight of refugees is so untold in the media? Should the news media be more proactive in reporting on human suffering such as the suffering of those considered to be refugees?
International law has done much to protect the rights of refugees, but so much more needs to be done.
Returning people to their homes after wars is often a dangerous and complicated task, as mentioned, yet one would think it an important part of the rebuilding process of nations torn asunder by war and violence.