Tag: refugee

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-Top News Europe

UN refugee agency says needs $400m by end of Dec

Among them, nearly 36.5 million have fled across borders and are living as refugees, according to UNHCR — a number that has doubled in the past seven years and looks set to rise…reports Asian Lite News

Humanitarian agencies are facing dire funding shortages to address a multitude of global crises, the United Nations refugee agency warned Wednesday, saying it alone needed $400 million by the end of the year.

Addressing the opening of the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi called on donors to strengthen their support.

“Many humanitarian organizations are facing severe funding challenges,” he said, pointing out that “UNHCR alone is lacking $400 million to end the year with the minimum of needed resources.”

That, he said, was “a shortfall we have not experienced in years, and we are all looking with much concern at 2024.” From Russia’s war in Ukraine, the civil war in Sudan and a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, conflicts and crises had fueled record displacement even before the Gaza war erupted.

The number of people displaced worldwide passed 114 million by the end of September, an all-time high.

Grandi said that amounts to “114 million shattered dreams, disrupted lives, interrupted hopes. It is a figure that reflects a crisis — many crises — of humanity.”

Among them, nearly 36.5 million have fled across borders and are living as refugees, according to UNHCR — a number that has doubled in the past seven years and looks set to rise.

“A major human catastrophe is unfolding in the Gaza Strip,” Grandi warned, lamenting that “so far the Security Council has failed to stop the violence.” While the war that erupted after Hamas’s unprecedented attack inside Israel on October 7 falls outside of UNHCR’s mandate, Grandi said the agency expects it could spur “more civilian deaths and suffering, and also further displacement that threatens the region.”

While keeping a strong focus on Gaza, he appealed to the international community: “Please do not lose sight of other pressing humanitarian and refugee crises.”

He pointed to the millions displaced by conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan, the plight of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, and the millions who have fled due to conflict and insecurity in Syria, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and across the Sahel.

More than 3,000 people, including heads of state and government and more than 300 refugees, were taking part in the second edition of the forum, which will run through Friday.

Grandi appealed to participants to make the forum “a moment of unity, in which all of us join forces to ensure that those who flee because their life, freedom and security are threatened can find protection, and that everything is done to resolve their exile as soon as possible.”

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-Top News Arab News World News

Israeli Military Raid on Jenin Refugee Camp Leaves 14 Dead

According to the UN Relief Works Agency, the Jenin refugee camp, which borders the Jenin municipality and is the northernmost camp in the West Bank, houses about 23,628 Palestine refugees registered…reports Asian Lite News

At least 14 people were killed following an Israeli military raid at the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, the Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry said.

According to the Ministry, Thursday’s operation which involved armed clashes with Palestinians and airstrikes, was the deadliest such incident that lasted for over 12 hours.

The incident also resulted in extensive infrastructure damage.

It was not immediately clear if the casualties were civilians or militants.

In response to the raids, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it conducted the operation to “thwart terrorist infrastructure” and to demolish the home of a man who allegedly killed an off-duty Israeli soldier in an August 31 ramming attack, CNN reported.

“Engineering forces uncovered explosive devices intended to harm our forces in the Jenin refugee camp. The commander of the Central Command signed a demolition order for the home of the terrorist who carried out the stampede attack at the Maccabim checkpoint and the Hashmonaim checkpoint,” the military said in a statement.

According to the UN Relief Works Agency, the Jenin refugee camp, which borders the Jenin municipality and is the northernmost camp in the West Bank, houses about 23,628 Palestine refugees registered.

The Palestinian Health Ministry also said that another five fatalities were recorded on Thursday during confrontations in the course of search-and-arrest operations in Anin (Jenin), Bethlehem city, Balata Refugee Camp (Nablus), Al Am’ari Refugee Camp (Ramallah) and At Tabaqa (Hebron)

Since Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7, 167 Palestinians, including 45 children, have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank.

While an additional eight people, including a child, were killed by Israeli settlers, three Israelis died in attacks by Palestinians.

ALSO READ-US Senator Says Gaza Civilian Toll ‘Too High’

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Australia Education Iraq

Australian Universities Collaborate to Build Opportunities for Refugee Education

The consortium will represent the 12 participating universities and work with the federal government, businesses and not-for-profit organisations to identify best practice models of refugee education…reports Asian Lite News

 Twelve Australian universities have established a new consortium to help build pathways to higher education for refugees, it was announced on Monday.

Led by Canberra’s Australian National University (ANU) , the Australian Refugee Welcome University Sponsorship Consortium (ARWUSC) will offer refugees in the country who were displaced by conflict the opportunity to restart their education, reports Xinhua news agency.

Bronwyn Parry, a leading global health and social medicine researcher from ANU and co-lead of ARWUSC, said in a media release that the formation of the new organisation marks the start of a new chapter in Australia’s refugee history.

“Refugees have historically made a very important contribution to modern Australia, building the successful, harmonious multicultural society we have today. They have also made significant inputs to our economy and can play a key role in driving our future prosperity and social wellbeing,” she said.

The consortium will represent the 12 participating universities and work with the federal government, businesses and not-for-profit organisations to identify best practice models of refugee education.

The government has committed to increasing Australia’s humanitarian refugee intake to 20,000 places in the financial year 2023-24, an increase of 2,125 from 2022-23.

Brian Schmidt, the Vice-Chancellor of ANU, said the consortium would deliver long-term benefits to Australia by offering opportunities to “extremely talented” young people who have had their educational journey disrupted.

“We need to do something to address this, and this team of higher education experts, led by ANU, is leading the charge with the help of the Australian government,” he said. 

ALSO READ-Australian Prime Minister Meets Xi Jinping

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-Top News UK News

‘Define A Refugee’

Home Secretary Suella Braverman set to tell the UN that politicians need to question if the 1951 Refugee Convention was “fit for the modern age”…reports Asian Lite News

Politicians need to question if the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention is “fit for our modern age”, Suella Braverman is expected to say in a speech. Addressing a think tank in Washington DC, the home secretary will describe the convention as an “incredible achievement of its age”.

But she will also argue that shifts in interpretation has led to increased numbers being defined as refugees. Labour accused her of having “given up on fixing” the asylum system.

“Now she’s resorting to grandstanding abroad and looking for anyone else to blame,” said shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper. The Refugee Convention was drawn up following World War Two which saw millions displaced from their homes.

Its main principle states that refugees should not be returned to countries where they face threats to life or freedom. The home secretary will tell an audience at the American Enterprises Institute that it is 70 years since the convention was agreed and “we now live in a completely different time.”

“Let me be clear, there are vast swathes of the world where it is extremely difficult to be gay, or to be a woman. Where individuals are being persecuted, it is right that we offer sanctuary. “But we will not be able to sustain an asylum system if in effect, simply being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin is sufficient to qualify for protection. The status quo, where people are able to travel through multiple safe countries, and even reside in safe countries for years, while they pick their preferred destination to claim asylum, is absurd and unsustainable.”

The home secretary’s speech comes as the government prepares for a Supreme Court hearing on whether its plan for tackling small boat crossings is legal.

The government wants to send those who come into the UK illegally to Rwanda or a third country – however the scheme has been blocked by legal challenges.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has strongly criticised the plan arguing it would “deny protection” to genuine refugees and was a “clear breach” of the Refugee Convention.

Responding to Braverman’s speech, the Refugee Council charity said the UK should be “addressing the real issues in the asylum system, such as the record backlog, and providing safe routes for those in need of protection” rather than tearing up agreements.

However, Alp Mehmet from the Migration Watch UK campaign group said the home secretary was right to “call out the conventions” and said the UK should withdraw from the Refugee Convention if reforms were not made.

Barrister and campaigner for refugee rights Colin Yeo said, “It took decades for various countries to sign up to the convention – negotiating a replacement with international buy-in just isn’t going to happen.”

Previously, Braverman clarified that she would do “whatever it takes” to transfer the asylum seekers to Rwanda, a plan which has been blocked by the courts.

Her trip to the US and the speech delivered will be seen as evidence of her positioning herself as a potential leadership candidate in the Tory party.

Chief executive of the Refugee Council Enver Solomon has said that the attacks on the ECHR went against the historic support of Britain for such treaties. “Our nation has long demonstrated a deep commitment to providing sanctuary to those fleeing persecution and conflict,” he said.

“This proud legacy is a testament to our values of compassion, empathy and solidarity. Abandoning these principles is not an option; we must stand firm in our commitment to refugees and to the international frameworks that were created to protect them,” he added.

“What we need is a fair process for people who come here in search of safety and protection. Instead of threatening to abandon the frameworks and conventions that protect refugees’ rights, we should be addressing the real issues in the asylum system, such as the record backlog, and providing safe routes for those in need of protection, including refugee visas, resettlement and family reunion schemes,” he further stated.

Braverman, who belongs to an Indian immigrant family, will be in the US at a time when the Biden administration witnesses a spike in border crossings. Scores of people have poured into cities like New York, leaving services overwhelmed. Her visit also comes amid British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s goal of “stopping the boats”, i.e. the arrival of migrants from Europe through small and often unsafe vessels.

ALSO READ-Over 1200 Afghan Refugees Return To Kabul From Pakistan

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-Top News Africa News

Zambian cabinet approves introduction of refugee policy

Mike Mposha, the acting chief government spokesperson, said the cabinet’s decision comes on the premise that the country has been hosting persons of concerns from neighboring countries since the 1940s…reports Asian Lite News

The Zambian cabinet has approved the introduction of the country’s first-ever national policy on refugees aimed at ensuring effective management of matters related to refugees, a government spokesperson said on Saturday.

Mike Mposha, the acting chief government spokesperson, said the cabinet’s decision comes on the premise that the country has been hosting persons of concerns from neighboring countries since the 1940s.

He said despite the country hosting refugees, there has been no national policy on refugees to guide the proper management of the affairs of refugees.

“The absence of the refugee policy in the past made it difficult to provide effective protection of refugees as well as provision of social services, livelihood opportunities and lasting solutions,” he said in a statement released following a cabinet meeting.

According to the government spokesperson, the decision was also in line with the country’s constitution as well as international requirements such as the 1951 convention relating to status of refugees and the 1969 convention governing the specific aspects of refugees problems in Africa, among others.

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-Top News Europe UK News

UK charities call for safe routes for asylum seekers

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the latest “preventable deaths” underlined the need for the Home Office to act…reports Asian Lite News

The government’s controversial asylum policy faced renewed criticism when at least six people died after a small boat crossing the Channel capsized and sank.

Another two people are still believed to be missing after the sinking, prompting fresh calls for the government to urgently introduce safe routes for asylum seekers to prevent further tragedies.

As the search for survivors continued, anger quickly switched to the Home Office’s reluctance to introduce measures that would deter migrants from risking their lives crossing the world’s busiest shipping lane.

The tragedy also created a dreadful ending for Rishi Sunak’s “small boats week”, which was meant to reinvigorate his stuttering strategy to tackle Channel crossings, but has been repeatedly marred by blunders and humiliation, including the forced evacuation of the Bibby Stockholm barge and record small boat arrivals.

In the hours that followed, British and French coastguards rescued about 65 people from the vessel. France’s Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said it believed two were possibly still missing at sea. Of those rescued, six were recovered in serious condition, one of whom was flown by helicopter to a Calais hospital and later declared dead. The remaining five were taken on to a boat, but subsequently died.

Reports from the French lifeboats arriving at the scene described numerous people in the sea, many screaming for help.

The Dover lifeboat quickly joined the rescue operation, with 10 survivors later seen being brought off the vessel as it returned to Kent, some on stretchers, though the extent of injuries and exact numbers remained unclear.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the latest “preventable deaths” underlined the need for the Home Office to act.

“These tragic incidents can and must be prevented. We know that people risk their lives to cross the Channel as a direct consequence of safe routes being so limited and ineffective.

“But instead of putting in place these routes and treating those seeking refuge with compassion and fairness, the government has introduced draconian and unworkable new laws that slams our door in the face of vulnerable men, women and children.”

Steve Smith, chief executive of refugee charity Care4Calais, said the “terrible loss of life demonstrates yet again the need for a system of safe passage to the UK for refugees”.

Later, the charity Freedom from Torture released a statement accusing ministers of “hostile” attitudes towards refugees.

The current Home Office position pledges to bring in new routes, yet it is unclear when and in what form it would do so.

“We are committed to providing routes, including exploring new routes, to safety for vulnerable people across the globe, but we must first grip the rise in illegal migration and stop the boats,” says the Home Office website.

Following Saturday’s tragedy, a statement from the Home Office focused on tackling people smugglers rather than reviewing its current approach. “This incident is sadly another reminder of the extreme dangers of crossing the Channel in small boats and how vital it is that we break the people smugglers’ business model and stop the boats,” it said.

Home secretary Suella Braverman chaired a meeting with Border Force officials on Saturday morning, and described the incident as a “tragic loss of life”.

In France, an investigation has been opened by the Boulogne prosecutor’s office.

French National Assembly member for Calais, Pierre-Henri Dumont, said authorities were interviewing the migrants who were able to speak and not too unwell, to establish what happened and where they had come from.

On Saturday night, rescuers were still scouring the water for survivors and bodies. A French Navy aircraft and a helicopter had been deployed to help the search.

On Thursday, 755 people crossed the English Channel in small boats, the highest daily number so far this year, taking the total since 2018 past 100,000.

Rescue crews said it was the seventh time last week that they had had to pull people from the water.

People boarding the Bibby Stockholm barge last week before they were later evacuated due to the discovery of Legionella bacteria.

Although the incident happened in French territory, it is normal for British and French rescue teams to work together to save as many people as possible.

The sinking came a day after fresh Home Office humiliation when asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge were evacuated following the discovery of legionella bacteria in the water supply.

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-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

Afghan refugees stage protest in front of UNHRC office in Pakistan

Expressing concern over his uncertain future, Faizullah Turk, another Afghan refugee in Pakistan, said that they have been waiting for their cases to proceed for the past two to three years…reports Asian Lite News

Afghan refugees held a protest in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) office in Pakistan’s federal capital Islamabad, claiming that no practical action has been taken to address their problems, ToloNews reported.

Afghan refugees also sent a letter to the UN and called for their problems to be addressed. “The main problem of the Afghans is unemployment. The Afghans who are coming from Afghanistan to Pakistan are without work,” said Hedayatullah Ahadi, a Afghan refugee in Pakistan.

Expressing concern over his uncertain future, Faizullah Turk, another Afghan refugee in Pakistan, said that they have been waiting for their cases to proceed for the past two to three years.

The Taliban called for the Afghan refugees to return to the country.

“The Afghan refugees should return to their country and the Afghans who have recently gone and lack documents, they should return to their country,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.

Based on official statistics, more than 1.6 million Afghans have migrated to neighbouring countries within the past nearly two years.

Pakistan is one of the primary destinations where Afghan refugees have travelled to after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. After the Taliban’s return to power, new waves of Afghan refugees shifted to Iran and Pakistan due to various reasons, including fearing death threats and persecution by the Taliban.

In spite of the refugees having the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) certificate, Pakistani police and other relevant agencies continue detaining and incarcerating Afghan refugees in various parts of the country, including Islamabad, Khaama Press reported.

Earlier in the month, 26 Afghan detainees were released from Pakistan’s jail in Quetta and returned to Afghanistan.

The Department of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan said that these Afghan nationals were detained after failing to provide legal residence permits. The detainees were returned to the country through the Spin Boldak crossing point after being released, reported Khaama Press. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Iran sends back at least 4,000 Afghan refugees in one day

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-Top News Sri Lanka

Eight more Lankan refugees land at Dhanushkodi

They informed police that they had to wait for five to six days to get cooking gas or kerosene and there were no medicines in government hospitals for the sick…reports Asian Lite News

With the arrival of eight more Sri Lankan nationals at Tamil Nadu’s Dhanushkodi on Tuesday, the number of refugees who have fled from the island nation after the economic crisis erupted there has crossed 100.

Kamalarani 43, from Jaffna’s Velvettithurai, and her two sons and a daughter, Lavendran (25) of Velvettithurai, his wife Sasikala (24), their one and half year old child, and Vijayakanth (33) of Chettikulam in Vavuniya district reached Dhanushkodi in an illegal boat ride from Arichalmunai.

Police from Mandapam station reached the spot after local fishermen informed them of the illegal immigrants and took them to the police station. The refugees informed the police that skyrocketing inflation in the island nation has resulted in their fleeing from that country as they were not in a position to sustain themselves there.

They informed police that they had to wait for five to six days to get cooking gas or kerosene and there were no medicines in government hospitals for the sick.

All were later lodged in the Mandapam camp. With the arrival of these eight people, the number of refugees who have touched the Indian shores has reached 104.

Of those who arrived by illegal ferry, 73-year-old Parameswari died in the Rajaji Hospital, Madurai on Saturday night due to medical issues and exhaustion. Her final rites were carried out in Tiruchi refugee camp on Sunday.

ALSO READ-Monsoon fury rocks Mumbai

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Afghanistan

5,159 Afghan refugees return home

A total of 5,159 Afghan refugees have returned from neighbouring Pakistan and Iran, the Taliban government’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs said on Thursday…reports Asian Lite News

Up to 4,986 Afghans returned via border crossing points in the western Nimroz and Herat provinces from Iran, and 173 undocumented refugees arrived in the southern Kandahar province from Pakistan, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

The ministry noted that 1,880 of the returnees were introduced to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), to receive assistance and support.

ALSO READ:WHO to distribute monkeypox test kits in Afghanistan

More than 740,000 Afghan refugees have returned or been deported to Afghanistan mainly from neighbouring countries since August 2021 when the Taliban took over the country, according to the latest figures from the Ministry.

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Films Lite Blogs

Real life OTT tales on refugee crisis

These critically acclaimed documentaries, one of which Zee Special Projects is bringing to India, demonstrate that the refugee crisis cannot be defined solely by statistics…reports Asian Lite News

Global forced displacement had surpassed 84 million in mid-2021, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the figure is still rising.

Despite being set in diverse geographies such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Cambodia, the films ‘Flee’, ‘Born in Syria’, ‘Human Flow’, ‘First They Killed My Father’, and ‘For Sama’ remind us that all human beings deserve to be heard, seen, and treated with dignity and compassion.

These critically acclaimed documentaries, one of which Zee Special Projects is bringing to India, demonstrate that the refugee crisis cannot be defined solely by statistics.

Here is an overview of these moving, real-life stories that are available on various OTT platforms.

Flee

‘Flee’ is an animated account of a young Afghan boy named Amin’s perilous journey, and it begins with a powerful question: “What does home mean to you?” It then goes on to describe how Amin, who used to shut out the world with his headphones while listening to pop music, can no longer ignore Afghanistan’s civil unrest. He abandons his beloved home and flees into an unknown future. This journey takes him across continents until he finds a semblance of normalcy decades later. Can he, however, truly forget the horrors he and his family have endured? Can he forget the depravity and cruelty he has witnessed? Can he ever feel secure enough to settle down in one place? Check out this Oscar-nominated Jonas.

Available on Zee5.

Born in Syria

Documentaries by Bernan Zin, such as ‘Born in Gaza’ and ‘Born in Syria,’ have helped to raise awareness of the trauma experienced by children who have been displaced by war. The film begins with images of an unsteady dingy packed with crying children and young and old faces marked by fear, desperation, and exhaustion. They remind us of the horrors that millions of refugees face on a daily basis. The documentary tells the stories of seven children whose lives and families have been shattered. The essence of the film is encapsulated in the words of 13-year-old Marwan, who says, “I thought crossing the sea would be the worst, but having nowhere to go is worse.”

Available on Netflix.

Human Flow

‘Human Flow,’ directed by Ai Weiwei, is a 2017 documentary with a macro and micro perspective on the current global refugee crisis. It takes us on an epic journey to more than 20 countries to document the impact of forced human migration on individuals and communities. This film confronts us with stories that are largely untold, using drones to sweep across the flow of migrants and intimate accounts shot with phone cameras. The film is a call to compassion and empathy for fellow humans who have nothing to do with the geopolitical upheavals in which they are helplessly caught. Ai investigates the causes of mass migrations and seeks long-term solutions that will allow future generations to live without fear.

Available on Prime Video.

First They Killed My Father

Angelina Jolie’s film adaptation of activist Loung Ung’s autobiographical book by Oscar-winning actor, director, and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie allows us to see the Cambodian genocide through the eyes of a young survivor. The film recounts how the young girl and her family endured unspeakable suffering under Pol Pot’s regime. It sensitively addresses the issues confronting internally displaced people (IDPs) who are dehumanised in their home countries. Loung Ung, for example, was made a child soldier at the age of seven during the Communist Khmer Regime. The film, set in 1975, depicts Loung’s training as a child soldier while her siblings were sent to labour camps under the Khmer Rouge regime. It also reveals the tenacity that no human being possesses.

Available on Netflix.

For Sama

‘For Sama,’ a BAFTA-winning documentary directed by Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts in 2019, has been praised for providing a rare account of war from a female perspective. The film follows Waad Al-journey Kateab’s as a mother, wife, journalist, and rebel during the Syrian uprising in Aleppo with startling intimacy. She discovers she is pregnant while married to Hamza Al-Kateab, one of the few doctors left in Aleppo. As the war escalates, she gives birth to her child. On March 11, 2019, the film premiered at the South by Southwest festival, where it won the Grand Jury and Audience Awards in the Documentary Feature Competition. It was nominated for four BAFTA awards, as well as the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Available on Netflix.

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