Forced Displacement: Extent, Distinctions, and Response

This document discusses the extent of forced displacement in 2018, including the reasons behind it and the countries most affected. It also explores the distinctions between refugees, internally displaced persons, and migrants, and the rights and protections they are entitled to. Additionally, it examines the response of Middle Eastern countries to the Syrian refugee crisis and the role of Amnesty International in advocating for the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons.

Politics
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Table of Contents
The extent of forced displacement.............................................................................................3
Distinctions between ‘refugee’, ‘internally displaced person’ and ‘migrant’ matter.................4
Middle Eastern countries responded to the Syrian refugee crisis..............................................5
Amnesty International supports the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons..........6
References..................................................................................................................................9
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The extent of forced displacement in 2018
A migratory movement that is influenced by force, coercion, and compulsion is termed as
forced migration. In international legal concept, the term forced migration is used to describe
the displaced population, refugee and victims of human trafficking. The United Nations
convention has expressed the view that refugees are those people who had abandoned their
country and is unwilling to return to their own country because of some well-established fear
that could be due to the threat to their race, religion, nationality, and membership of a
particular political unit or social group. In 2018, 3 million more people have taken refuge
than the year 2016 that is the biggest increase seen in a year by UNHCR (IDMC, 2018).
In every two seconds, one person is displaced on an average. The developing countries are
most affected by migration. The displacement in the year 2018 was mostly due to the crisis in
Congo, the war of South Sudan and the migratory movement from Myanmar to Bangladesh.
The Rohingya refugees while sharing their hardships have stated that they have survived on
leaves and herbs as there was no food with them. Most of the refugees took shelter in
countries next to their own country. A refugee from South Sudan has stated that Sudan is not
a good country to stay in as there is always fighting, shooting, kidnapping and destruction of
houses (Arda, 2019).
New sites are opened every year to meet the rate of influx. More than two-thirds of the influx
is from countries like Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar. Turkey is the
world's leading refugee-hosting country in terms of number. The people of Syria mainly take
shelter in Turkey. Turkey has 3.5 million refugees in its shelter. In terms of national
population, Lebanon has hosted the largest number of refugees (Bilak and Shai, 2018). 63
percent of the total refugees under UNHCR were in 10 countries. Most of the refugees want
to return back to their homes if peace and safety are assured to them. Forced displacement
causes sufferings to the vulnerable section of the society like women and children. People
below 18 years of age constitute 51% of the total refugee. Low-income countries that host
refugees face challenges in pursuing their development goals. The international development
association has made additional funds available to low-income host countries to support
refugees (Borgna and Contini, 2014). The world refugee day of 2018 was marked with 69
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million refugees those who have fled and sought shelter fearing war, persecution, and
violence.
Distinctions between ‘refugee’, ‘internally displaced person’ and ‘migrant’ matter
There exists a difference between ‘refugee', ‘internally displaced person' and ‘migrant'. A
refugee is one who had fled away from their country because of violence, conflict or fear of
persecution. They do not expect any protection from their own country and neither wished to
return to their own country because of the discriminations faced by them earlier. Migrants are
those who have left their home to work or live in another place. Migration can be voluntary
or forced. Migrants can return home safely whenever they wish to but refugees cannot return
home according to their will. Refugees can only return to their home country when it is
politically stable. Internally displaced persons are those have left their home and are
displaced within their own country because of any disaster, violence or persecution.
Internally displaced persons do not cross the internationally recognized country border. It is
important to recognize refugee and migrants as refugees are entitled to get special protections
and enjoy special rights under international law (Buck, 2017). According to UNHCR, there
are more than 19.5 million refugees at the end of the year 2014.
Refugees have a right to seek asylum and cannot be forced to return back to their home
country. Every refugee was initially an asylum-seeker but all asylum-seeker cannot be
recognized as refugees. Refugee status determination is a legal process that is used to
determine whether a person seeking international protection is to be considered as a refugee
or not under regional, national or international law. When registered with an official agency
the refugees gain quick access to international aids and assistance. The most important right
is the right of “non-refoulement” under this right the refugee is entitled to receive protection
from the country in which they seek asylum and the host country could not force them to
return back is bound to give protection to them. The US attorney general has stated that
domestic violence is no longer a reason to seek asylum in the United States. The refugee
convention of 1951 has laid down certain rights they are right to education, healthcare,
employment, freedom of liberty and freedom of movement. However many refugees had to
face discrimination and struggled to find work and housing. Some refugees head towards
other hosting countries because of the economic hardships faced by them in the previous
hosting country. Though the Internally displaced persons face the same hardships as that of
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the refugees the Internally displaced persons are not granted the same rights as that of the
refugees under international law (Canefe, 2018).
The Internally displaced persons do not have the means or ability to leave their home country
and are one of the world's most vulnerable populations. Other than conflict natural disaster is
also responsible for displacing persons internally. Government is unwilling to provide
protection to the internally displaced persons. The guiding principles of the 1951 Convention
and 1967 Protocol are not binding on the internally displaced persons. The Internally
displaced persons have certain rights like the right to receive humanitarian assistance, to get
protection from physical violence and the freedom of movement. The Internally displaced
persons also have the right to return home safely and resettle. Internally displaced persons are
prosecuted by their own government. Migrants traveling with proper documents enjoy many
legal rights while those without documents are vulnerable. Article 14 of the universal
declaration of human rights has stated that every person has the right to seek asylum in
another country. The migrant worker's convention of 1990 protects the migrants and their
family members (Friedrich, 2018).
Middle Eastern countries responded to the Syrian refugee crisis
After the outbreak of conflict in Syria in 2011 nearly 5 million refugees have settled in other
countries. One of the major consequences of political crises in the Middle East is the refugee
movement. The Middle East is holding the largest refugee population in the entire world.
Turkey and Israel are not signatories of Geneva Convention. Turkey and Israel do not have
specific asylum legislation. The distribution of Syrian refugees is shaped by pre-existing ties
and labor migration. The mass migration of Syrian refugee in countries like Lebanon and
Jordan has socio-political consequences. The Palestinian refugees should be given special
attention as they are facing double displacement. The Jordan settlement policy was shifted
due to the Syrian crisis. In 2012 Zaatari camp was opened in Northern Jordan for Palestinians
(Friedrich, 2018).
The Middle East migration system was deeply changed by forced migration from Syria. Syria
was hosting a large number of refugees from Palestine, Iraq, Sudan, and Somalia. Thousands
of laborers from Syria had migrated to Lebanon and other Gulf countries to work. After the
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conflict of 2011, mostly refugees are originating from Syria. The United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees has stated that Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq are the main
countries hosting refugees from Syria. A large number of Syrian refugees in the Middle East
are due to historical and other migratory links. The Middle East acted as an open door for
accepting Syrian influx during the period of conflict (Green, 2018). European countries have
restrictive migratory policies and that is why the Middle East is receiving the maximum
influx from Syria. The Syrians are mostly confirmed to the informal sector and therefore
receives competition from Egyptian workers. The Syrian refugee in the Middle East countries
put pressure on the market and caused deterioration of security. The Syrian has to go through
many camps in order to get a proper place for asylum.
Amnesty International supports the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons
Amnesty International has been a champion of the human rights of the refugees, asylum-
seekers, and migrants. Amnesty International makes sure that the government fulfills the
responsibility towards the refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants. Amnesty International
condemns any practice that undermines the rights of the refugees, asylum-seekers, and
migrants. Amnesty International puts pressure on the government to recognize the right of
every single individual. Amnesty International makes sure that the refugees, asylum-seekers,
and migrants are not tortured and are safe. The refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants are
not discriminated and are not left to live in poverty. Amnesty International takes notice of the
fact that the asylum claims are properly processed. Amnesty International looks after the fact
that the refugees or asylum-seekers are not detained in the other country (MacKenzie and
Sesay, 2012).
Amnesty International believes that humans are more than identity. Refugees, asylum-seekers
or migrants do not reflect the whole identity of the individual who has left home in search of
a new country where they and their family can live in peace and safety. The refugees,
asylum-seekers or migrants should not be labeled as an identity as they are individuals
entitled to enjoy human rights. The legal status of a person cannot fully express the identity
of an individual who is a refugee. Amnesty International has protected the human rights of
those of the refugees, asylum-seekers or migrants. Amnesty International conducts research
from time to time regarding the condition of the refugees, asylum-seekers or migrants.
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Amnesty International carry out campaign on behalf of the refugees, asylum-seekers and
migrants (Moore and Shellman, 2006).
Amnesty International mobilize the activists on grass root to change policies on refugees,
asylum-seekers or migrants in the United States. Amnesty International is pushing the
countries for a fairer system for protecting the refugees and other people who are in need of
international protection. Amnesty International tirelessly advocates for the rights of the
refugees and asylum-seekers. Amnesty International works for bringing back the refugees
safe from offshore detention. The Amnesty International has directed that the Indian
government should stop expelling the Rohingya asylum-seekers to Myanmar. The Rohingyas'
were facing ill-treatment in Myanmar so they migrated to India to seek asylum. India has
violated the customary international law by expelling the asylum-seekers and refugees.
Amnesty International has played a very important role in diverting the attention towards the
human rights issue. Amnesty International works for the betterment of the refugees, asylum-
seekers or migrants and to protect them from discrimination and ill-treatment(Turculet,
2017).
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References
Amnesty International report (2012). Amnesty International report ... 3rd ed. London:
Amnesty International Publications.
Arda, B. (2019). Contemporary art on the current refugee crisis: the problematic of aesthetics
versus ethics. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 46(2), pp.310-327.
Bilak, A. and Shai, A. (2018). Internal displacement beyond 2018: the road ahead | Forced
Migration Review. [online] Fmreview.org. Available at:
https://www.fmreview.org/GuidingPrinciples20/bilak-shai [Accessed 5 Apr. 2019].
Borgna, C. and Contini, D. (2014). Migrant Achievement Penalties in Western Europe: Do
Educational Systems Matter?. European Sociological Review, 30(5), pp.670-683.
Buck, K. (2017). Displacement and dispossession: redefining forced displacement and
identifying when forced displacement becomes pillage under international humanitarian
law. Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 2(1), p.355.
Canefe, N. (2018). Invisible Lives: Gender, Dispossession, and Precarity amongst Syrian
Refugee Women in the Middle East. Refuge, 34(1), p.525.
Friedrich, M. (2018). High Rates of Violent Death among Rohingya Refugees. JAMA,
319(7), p.648.
Green, J. (2018). To What Extent Does Immigration Lead to Displacement Effects and
Subdued Growth in Earnings for UK Workers?. Atlantic Economic Journal, 46(2), pp.243-
245.
IDMC (2018). 2018 Global Report On Internal Displacement (Grid 2018). [online] Internal-
displacement.org. Available at:
http://www.internal-displacement.org/global-report/grid2018/downloads/misc/2018-GRID-
Highlights-EN.pdf [Accessed 5 Apr. 2019].
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MacKenzie, M. and Sesay, M. (2012). No Amnesty from/for the International: The
Production and Promotion of TRCs as an International Norm in Sierra Leone. International
Studies Perspectives, 13(2), pp.146-163.
Moore, W. and Shellman, S. (2006). Refugee or Internally Displaced Person?. Comparative
Political Studies, 39(5), pp.599-622.
Turculet, G. (2017). Interests over Justice in Policy Recommendations: A Philosophical
Approach on the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Middle East Journal of Refugee Studies, 2(2), p.655.
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