Refugees – Also part of society

Refugees – Also part of society
( By Neha Soni ) 

Image By:- Sukriti Singh


A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country to escape unavoidable violent circumstances. People often have little or no warning before they’re forced to leave from their homes because of war or persecution, and lots of refugees have to undertake dangerous journeys to reach safety. They need to leave behind their family, friends, and most or all of their belongings, and that they cannot return unless the situation that forced them to leave improves. 

The world is recording the highest levels of displacement on record. There are innumerable stateless people, who have been denied a nationality and access to basic rights like education, healthcare, employment, and freedom of movement.


Types of refugees:- 

  1. Asylum Seekers- Person who has not officially been recognized as a refugee by the country they have fled to. Its application process is long and hard and a lot of asylum seekers struggle through it, sometimes ending up without an area to sleep or in subpar conditions in refugee camps.

 

  1. Internally Displaced Persons- These are the people who have been pushed out of their homes but remain in their home countries. These conditions affect the person negatively as they struggle to manage necessities like food or shelter.

 

  1. Stateless Persons -These are those that are forced to live without a nationality. This means that they do not belong to any country and thus live without any identifying documentation. This sort of discrimination bars people from rights like healthcare and education.

 

  1. Returnees- These are former refugees and have now returned to their country of origin. Returnees may need some guidance and support in their return and in re-establishing their life in their home country. 

 

  1. Religious or Political Affiliation- Many refugees flee their homes because of discrimination based on things like race, religion, or political affiliation. Religion is one of the main ways people are forced to flee. Political persecution also creates refugees, like Cheng Muyang, and causes them to fight to remain in another country that will guarantee their safety.

 

  1. Escaping War- War is the longest-running producer of refugees, displacing people from countries like Iraq and Afghanistan and more recently Syria.

 

  1. Discrimination based on Gender/Sexual Orientation- Women and members of the LGBTQ community continue to be ostracized and persecuted around the world, forcing them to flee their homes. 

 

  1. Hunger- Changing and unpredictable climates are forcing people to leave their homes in search of secure sources of food.

  2. Climate Change- As natural disasters continue to occur with more frequency more and more people will be forced to leave their homes in search of food, shelter, and safety.


History of World Refugee Day


World Refugee Day came into force in 2000. In December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 55/76 decided that June 20 would be marked as World Refugee Day. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol helped to protect them. 


Significance of World Refugee Day


World Refugee Day is held each and every year on June 20 to lift awareness about the plight of refugees around the world. It is held to show solidarity with those who have been displaced and to honor their resilience and determination to keep their families safe. The day is additionally marked to draw the public’s attention to the countless refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes because of war, conflict, and persecution.


The theme of World Refugee Day 2020


This year’s theme for World Refugee Day 2020 is Steps with Refugees. As per the UN, in an exceeding world where violence force thousands of families to flee for their lives each day, the time is now to show that the worldwide public stands with refugees.

Rights in 1951 Convention includes:

  • The right to not be expelled, except under certain, strictly defined conditions;

  • The right to not be punished for illegal entry into the territory of a contracting State;

  • The right to work;

  • The right to housing;

  • The right to education;

  • The right to public relief and assistance;

  • The right to freedom of religion;

  • The right to access the courts;

  • The right to freedom of movement within the territory;

  • The right to be issued identity and travel documents.

Refugees might flee to save their skin but others were deliberately targeted, expelled, or ‘transferred’ by the state. Humanitarian assistance is also part of this story, but it was often accompanied by misguided assumptions about refugees’ incapacity. Refugees did not hesitate to assert claims to recognition and to participate in fashioning explanations for their displacement. A refugee becomes entitled to other rights as long as they remain in the host country. It is based on the recognition that the longer they remain as refugees, the more rights they have.



Disclaimer:-

The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Light de Literacy and LDL does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.







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