REFUGEES AND MIGRATION

Assessing your views and prior knowledge of refugees Complete the circle-square diagram to identify your existing knowledge and understanding of the topic. Use these questions to help set you off. What are refugees? Where are most refugees found? What is your opinion about refugees? Where do you get most of your information from?

History Providing a place of safety to people fleeing persecution has been part of our civilisation for the past 3,500 years. As World War II ended, millions of people were displaced in Europe. The International Refugee Organisation, the precursor to the UNHCR, was set up to assist them. It was expected that it would complete its work within three years. More than sixty years later its work continues. During the 1990s, new types of internal conflicts erupted. Millions of people were displaced within their own countries. Millions more fled abroad. But perhaps the biggest confusing factor is the rise of the economic migrant and the increasing difficulty in differentiating between genuine refugees fleeing persecution and those seeking a better life abroad.

In 2003 there were an estimated 15 million refugees and internally displaced persons.

How do people become refugees? THE STORY OF ATUU WAONAJE One afternoon my little brother and I were playing on the shores of Lake Tanganyika near our home. Suddenly we saw hundreds of people fleeing for their lives. They were crowding onto a boat, pushing and shoving to get on. We’d heard stories of torture and killing in our country, Zaire – which we now call the Democratic Republic of Congo. War was raging there. I feared for our lives, so I grabbed my brother’s hand and ran onto the boat. We crossed the lake and landed in Tanzania, with only the clothes on our backs. This was in I was 15 years old and my little brother Msimbe was 11. We were all alone. Trace the journey of a refugee - ney/map.stm

Why do people become refugees? There are many reasons why people become refugees. Use the following link to Geography at the Movies to watch and find out about different places in the world where people become refugees. There are four videos to view – Darfur Zimbabwe: Migration Sudan: Religious Genocide Iraq: The Geography of War

Universal declaration of Human rights Atuu and Aisha’s stories are not uncommon. To protect the rights of all people, the United Nations produced the universal declaration of human rights in Check it out at Refugees are people who move because of their “fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion” (UNHCR, 1951). Refugees don’t move through choice, they often have no other option These people are entitled to apply for asylum in the UK and other countries. These means they ask the Government for permission to stay because they need a place to live safely. As asylum seekers in the UK, they are not allowed to work.

By January 1 st 2007 the UNHCR estimated that over 21 million people worldwide fell under its protective mandate because they were refugees or internally displaced persons. (This does not include the Palestinian refugees who became refugees before the UNHCR existed (pre 1950) and their children who are also considered refugees.)

Internally displaced persons Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are people forced to flee their homes but who, unlike refugees, remain within their country's borders. At the end of 2006 estimates of the world IDP population rose to 24.5 million in some 52 countries. The region with the largest IDP population is Africa with some 11.8 million in 21 countries. A tailor in Lebuje IDP Camp, Uganda

Where do refugees come from? This map shows the number of refugees each country has. The size of the country on the map reflects the number of refugees.

Where do most refugees move to? Compare the two maps – Which continents or areas are barely represented? Use the link below to find out more...

Views of refugees “It is awful to leave your country… …family and friends, your job – everything – all of your memories of life is there – you have to leave everything.” Akram, 2005 “I miss my country, the sunshine of my country, its soil, my friends, my [family], the way of life and its incredible simplicity” My one goal in life is to go home, I wish it with all my heart. Habib Souaidia, 2006 Prossy, now 23, was born two years before civil war broke out in Uganda. The youngest of nine children, she was in primary school when her father was abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Most of what she remembers is fear. Walking to and from school, or even in their classrooms, children were at risk of abduction. “I remember at the point [in 1996] that the rebels came to our school…and then we got really scared,” Prossy recalls. A young asylum seeker awaits a decision on her future in a Central European country. Balthazar, a former civil engineer from DR Congo, walked 4000 miles to reach safety. He misses going to the library, theatres and the cinema.

Map Task – show the following information on a blank world map using any method with pictures. TOP 10 COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN Afghanistan 2,108,000 Iraq* 1,451,000 Sudan 686,000 Somalia 464,000 DR Congo 402,000 Burundi 397,000 Viet Nam 374,000 Turkey 227,000 Angola 207,000 Myanmar 203,000 UNHC 1 January 2007 TOP 10 ASYLUM COUNTRIES Pakistan* 1,044,000 Iran 968,000 United States 844,000 Syria 702,000 Germany 605,000 Jordan 500,000 Tanzania 485,000 United Kingdom 301,000 China 301,000 Chad 287,000

Further research The United Nations refugee agency - UNHCR booklet - frequently asked questions ge/default.stm BBC The Road to Refuge – pictures/stories from refugees The UN refugee agency – UNHCR videos on youtube. The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children