HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION AGAINST REFUGEES

BY NANDINI SURESH & ARYA V MENON (DEPT. OF ECONOMICS)

UNHRCThe United Nations Human Rights

Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations System inter-governmental body whose 47 member states are responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world.

The UNHRC is the successor to the UN Commission on Human Rights  and is a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly. The council works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and engages the United Nations' .

DON’T GET CONFUSED.............REFUGEES: a person who has been

forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

MIGRANTS: a person who moves from one place to another in order to find work or better living conditions.

ASYLUM SEEKERS: a person who has left their home country and is seeking asylum in another. Only asylum seekers who are granted refugee status are allowed to work in the country"

Who can be considered as a refugee???

According to UNHRC 1951 Convention a refugee is “Any person who is outside his/her Country of Origin and is unable or unwilling to return to, and is unable or unwilling to avail himself /herself of the protection of that country because of a well founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, sex, ethnic identity, membership of a particular social group or political opinion

Types of Refugees Political Refugees : People who flee their countries due to persecution

for political reasons Eg: Rwandan refugees after the 1994 Rwandian Genocide

Religious Refugees : Absent themselves from their country due to persecution because of their religious beliefs

Eg: In 1947 ,refugees from Pakistan as they were Hindus War Refugees :People who leave their countries of origin because of war

guilt. Eg: Syrian Refugees due to war b/w govt. and ISIS Ethnic Refugees :They leave their countries because they are persecuted

by rival ethnic group from another because of their different ethnicity . Eg: Srilankan refugees in India Environmental Refugees : The result of natural disasters like

flood ,drought etc ... population is forced to flee . Eg: Bangladesh refugees in India

Rights of a Refugee• Right to safe asylum• Shall enjoy the same rights and same basic

aids than any other foreigner who resides legally in the country.

• Have basic civil ,social and economic rights similar to any other individual.

• Access to medical care and right to work.• Refugee child have right to study.• Refugees have obligation to respect the laws

of the hosting country.

NO MORE FORGOTTEN LIVES, TAKE ACTION

A CASE STUDY ON SYRIAN REFUGEES

THE SYRIAN REFUGEESMore than four million refugees of the Syrian Civil War have

left the country during the course of the war. Most of them fled to neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq,  the Persian Gulf, North Africa and Europe.

As of February 2015, Turkey has become the world's biggest refugee hosting country with 2.1 million Syrian refugees and had spent more than US$6 billion on direct assistance to refugees.

The refugee crisis began in 2011, when thousands of Syrian citizens fled across the border to neighbouring Turkey and Lebanon.

On 21 September 2015 ,the European Union approved a plan committing itself to taking in 120,000 refugees.

SYRIANS IN 2015During the first half of 2015, large numbers of Syrian

refugees crossed into European Union  member states, reaching 313,000 UNHCR applications across Europe.

 The largest numbers were recorded in Germany with over 89,000 and Sweden with over 62,000.

More than 100,000 refugees crossed the European Union's borders in July . Syrians formed the largest group of refugees to Europe. 

As of September 2015, it was reported that more than 8,000 refugees crossed into Europe on a daily basis. 5,000 of those refugees were received by Greece the majority of whom came from Syria.

SOME COUNTRIES THAT : LEND THEIR HANDS

GERMANY SWEDEN BRAZIL

AUSTRALIA ..................

NEVER LEND HUNGARY ROMANIA SLOVAKIA ISRAEL

..................

REFUGEE CRISIS IN CURRENT SCENARIO The year has seen continuing dramatic growth in

mass displacement from wars and conflict. One year ago, UNHCR announced that worldwide forced displacement numbers had reached 51.2 million. Months later, this figure has grown to a staggering 59.5 million, roughly equalling the population of Italy or the United Kingdom. Persecution, conflict, generalized violence, and human rights violations have formed a ‘nation of the displaced’ that, if they were a country, would make up the 24th largest in the world.

Refugees in India

India is neither party to the 1951 Convention on Refugees . The lack of specific refugee legislation in India has led the government to adopt an ad hoc approach to different refugee influxes. The ad hoc nature of the Government’s approach has led to varying treatment of different refugee groups. Some groups are granted a full range of benefits including legal residence and the ability to be legally employed, whilst others are criminalized and denied access to basic social resources.

The legal status of refugees in India is governed mainly by the Foreigners Act 1946 and the Citizenship Act 1955. These Acts do not distinguish refugees fleeing persecution from other foreigners; they apply to all non-citizens equally The largest refugee populations in India do not fall under the UNHCR’s mandate, but are nonetheless considered refugees by the government.

REFUGEES FROM PAKISTAN: During the Partiton of India in 1947 ,many people were exchanged between the countries on the basis of their religion. In 1990s,during the eruption of militancy many people from PoK region flee to India.

REFUGEES FROM SRILANKA: Sri Lanka has been embroiled in conflict between the Sri

Lankan army & LTTE. Refugees living within the government camps are housed in

warehouses or in temporary shelters . Each adult refugee receives a small monthly stipend. Though

not officially permitted to work in India, the refugees worked as unskilled labour in the informal sector to supplement their incomes.

The Indian Government provides basic medical care and education for school-age Sri Lankan children as well as subsidized food grain for the camps’ inhabitants.

Despite these provisions, conditions in the camps are generally poor with insufficient health and sanitary facilities available for the refugee population.

TIBETAN REFUGEES: Tibetans who arrived in India in the late 1950s were accorded refugee status by the Indian government Tibetans are given more rights than most other refugee groups in India. They are provided with residence permits, which enable them to seek formal employment. They are the only refugee group to receive travel permits from the Indian government .

BANGLADESH REFUGEES: who came to India during the 1971 Liberation War stays as refugees in different parts of India.

AND MANY MORE........................

SOME OF THE MAJOR ATROCITIES

FACED BY REFUGEES IN INDIA :

Difficulties In Coping Up With Language: Difficulties in communication which in effect leads to difficulties in finding a job , making friends , or even complete the tasks like buying food and filling forms.

Finding Difficulties In Educating Children :

One of the biggest obstacles refugee parents facing is of raising their children in a new and unfamiliar culture . Example: With regard to schools , parents often feel disappointed to see their children struggling to keep up in class and many parents reports bullying and discrimination from students as well as teachers as a result of cultural differences .

Problems In Movement :

 Trouble with movement is an issue that affects nearly every aspect of life for refugees and immigrants. Example : No proper commutation from Pakistan to India. Even after reaching the Host country they find it difficult to cop up with the transportation facilities .

Housing Problem :

The refugees finds it difficult to find proper housing facilities because affordable housing is always expensive. For this reason , large families often choose to leave together creating stressful , noisy and clumsy environments that are hardly conducive to studying or resting.

Difficulties In Securing A Job :

Refugees who are educated and who formerly had strong jobs finds it frustrating that they can’t obtain the same jobs. They are easy victims of discrimination and exploitation in the workplace.

What Is To Be Done : Provide them with residence permits. Provide public services such as healthcare , educational opportunities and job opportunities etc ,. Take action against discriminations done towards refugees. Naturalisation: It is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen( here , the refugees) in a country may acquire citizenship of the host country . Revival of the various refugee certificates ( like the Non convention travel documents ,certificate of ID , etc...) AND ......................

INDIA AS A REFUGEE DESTINATIONIndia’s geopolitical position in the

subcontinent makes it a preferred destination for asylum seekers and refugees.

India’s economic resurgence and status as the only stable democracy in the region makes it an attractive destination for refugees.

India being the second most populous nation in the world and also being a developing country is doing the best it can do to protect the refugees .

THANK YOU