Solidarity with Refugees
Every year, World Refugee Day is observed on 20 June. The day is to appreciate the courage of the people forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution and the determination they carry. End of 2023, the world has seen ~117 million people displaced worldwide. 40% of them are children.  Prolonged wars, drought, and insecurity are a few of the several reasons why people seek refuge. The process of fleeing to find a refugee has been harrowing. Several thousand lost their lives while fleeing their countries. While the refugees deserve all the support and empathy, there is a darker side to it, resulting in the misuse of refugee status.  Economic migrants dominate the list. The world must come together, in the first place, to avoid conflicts and prolonged wars. Organisations must work to ensure the safety of the refugees and build the process for their economic upliftment and social inclusion. The support is needed more than ever.Â
No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.
Warsan Shire
Every year, World Refugee Day is observed on 20 June. It is a UN-designated day observed in 2001 for the first time. Refugees are persons who leave the country of their origin due to the impact of war, persecution, and violence that they have faced within their home country. The day is to appreciate the courage of the people forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution and the determination they carry. 20 June was chosen to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees. It was known initially as Africa Refugee Day.
The world has seen more than 117 million people displaced worldwide (end of 2023). 40% of them are children. Prolonged wars, drought, and insecurity are a few of the several reasons why people seek refuge. Some examples include prolonged conflicts in Sudan, Congo, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. Ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Gaza conflicts are adding to the burden of refugees.
There is the additional problem of internal displacement, which is estimated to be 68.3 million. Nearly three-quarters of people seeking refugee due to reasons of protection come from Afghanistan, Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Sudan. It is alarming to note that as many as 0.34 million children have been born as refugees in the last five years. There are ~50 thousand refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in India. Most of them come from Myanmar and Afghanistan. There are ~ 60 thousand Sri Lankan Tamils residing for several years in India (mainly in Tamil Nadu) as refugees. A good number of Tibetan refugees have been living in India. Iran and Turkey are the countries that have the distinction of hosting many refugees. Â
The process of fleeing to find a refugee has been harrowing. Several thousand lost their lives while fleeing their countries. Over half of the fatalities resulted from drowning during sea voyages in the Mediterranean or travel in the Sahara Desert in Africa. Solidarity with people forced to flee also means finding solutions to their plight – ending conflicts so they can return home safely. Promoting refugee-sensitive health systems is another priority. WHO strives to create a world where everyone enjoys universal access to quality health care regardless of migratory status. Addressing the health needs of refugees demands a collective, cross-border commitment to solidarity and inclusivity.
While the refugees deserve all the support and empathy, there is a darker side to it, resulting in the misuse of refugee status. Economic migrants dominate the list. When the number of refugees increases, the host countries have to increase healthcare and education costs. Such measures strain the resources and sometimes lead to discontent among the residents of the host countries. Another subtle problem impacting societies is the cultural diversity the refugees bring and the challenge of absorbing it into the native cultures. While in many cases, refugees come with experience and can contribute to the adopted countries’ growth, some are doing very well, resulting in discontent among the natives. One should remember that the refugees have come leaving the country of their birth, the culture and the memories with which they have grown.
Refugees did not just escape a place. They had to escape a thousand memories until they would put enough time and distance between them and their misery
to wake to a better day.
Nadia Hashimi
The world must come together, in the first place, to avoid conflicts and prolonged wars. Organisations must work to ensure the safety of the refugees and build the process for their economic upliftment and social inclusion. The support is needed more than ever.
Toons: Reema
Logs: M Sai Baba
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