MIGRATION

Refugees and Children in Our World
Handout 1

Basic Facts about Refugees

Who is a refugee?

Refugees are people who have left their homeland because they fear that they will lose their lives or their freedom if they stay. People become refugees because one or more of their basic human rights has been violated or threatened.

International law defines a "refugee" as a person who has fled from and/or cannot return to his/her country due to a well-founded fear of persecution, including war or civil conflict. Article I of The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees says, "A refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country."

The most important parts of the refugee definition are:

·      Refugees have to be outside their country of origin;

·      The reason for their flight has to be a fear of persecution;

·      The fear of persecution has to be well-founded, i.e. they have to have experienced persecution or be likely to experience it if they return;

·      The persecution has to result from one or more of the five grounds listed in the definition;

·      They have to be unwilling or unable to seek the protection of their country.

What is the UNHCR?

Protecting refugees is the core mandate of UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Refugees are people who have fled their countries, while internally displaced persons (IDPs) are those who are still in their country’s territory but are not living in their home area.

How are refugees protected?

Using the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention as its major tool, UNHCR ensures the basic human rights of vulnerable persons and ensures that refugees will not be returned involuntarily to a country where they face persecution. Longer term, the organization helps civilians return to their homeland, integrate in countries of asylum or resettle in third countries. It also seeks to provide at least a minimum of shelter, food, water and medical care in the immediate aftermath of any refugee exodus.

Governments normally guarantee the basic human rights and physical security of their citizens. But when civilians become refugees this safety net disappears. UNHCR’s main role is to ensure that countries are aware of, and act on, their obligations to protect refugees and persons seeking asylum. Countries may not forcibly return refugees to a territory where they face danger or discriminate between groups of refugees.

A refugee has the right to safe asylum. Refugees should receive the same rights and basic help as any other foreigner who is a legal resident, including freedom of thought, of movement and freedom from torture and degrading treatment. Refugees should have access to medical care, schooling and the right to work.

Are persons fleeing war or war-related conditions such as famine and ethnic violence refugees?

The 1951 Geneva Convention, the main international instrument of refugee law, does not specifically address the issue of civilians fleeing conflict, though in recent years major refugee movements have resulted from civil wars, ethnic, tribal and religious violence. However, UNHCR considers that persons fleeing such conditions, and whose state is unwilling or unable to protect them, should be considered refugees.

How does UNHCR distinguish between a refugee and an economic migrant?

An economic migrant normally leaves a country voluntarily to seek a better life. Should he or she elect to return home, he or she would continue to receive the protection of his or her government. Refugees flee because of the threat of persecution and cannot return safely to their homes in the prevailing circumstances.

How is the term "refugee" misused?

The term has slipped into common usage to cover a range of people, including those displaced by natural disaster or environmental change. Refugees are often confused with other migrants.

In international law, the term "refugee" has a specific meaning and is NOT to be confused with:

o    Economic Migrant
The accurate description of people who leave their country or place of residence because they want to seek a better life is "economic migrant." Migrants make a conscious choice to leave their country of origin and can return there without a problem. If things do not work out as they had hoped or if they get homesick, it is safe for them to return home.

o    Illegal Immigrant
Under Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum. In addition, Article 13 of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees states that countries should not impose penalties on individuals coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom is threatened on account of their illegal entry. Often governments refuse to issue passports to known political dissidents or imprison them if they apply. Refugees may not be able to obtain the necessary documents when trying to escape and may have no choice but to resort to illegal means of escape. Therefore although the only means of escape for some may be illegal entry and/or the use of false documentation, if the person has a well-founded fear of persecution they should be viewed as a refugee and not labeled an "illegal immigrant.

o    Environmental Migrant
There are currently 12 million refugees around the world. There are approximately double that number of people who have fled because of floods, famine and other environmental disasters. Although there are similarities between the two groups, the most obvious being the forced nature of their flight and then their need for material assistance and permission to live elsewhere, there are also important differences too. Refugees cannot turn to their own governments for protection because states are often the source of persecution and they therefore need international assistance, whereas those fleeing natural disasters continue to enjoy national protection whatever the state of the landscape. Therefore, those fleeing for environmental reasons should be considered "environmental migrants."

Who are Internally Displaced Persons?
An Internally Displaced Person (IDP) may have been forced to flee his home for the same reasons as a refugee, but has not crossed an internationally recognized border. Many IDPs are in refugee-like situations and face the same problems as refugees. There are more IDPs in the world than refugees. Globally, there are an estimated 20-25 million so-called internally displaced persons (IDPs) and UNHCR helps 6.3 million of these.

Migration (human) is the movement of people from one place in the

Migration occurs at a variety of scales: intercontinental (between continents),

intracontinental (between countries on a given continent), and interregional (within

countries). One of the most significant migration patterns has been rural to urban

migration—the movement of people from the countryside to cities in search of opportunities.

Internal Migration: Moving to a new home within a state, country, or continent.

External Migration: Moving to a new home in a different state, country, or continent.

Emigration: Leaving one country to move to another (e.g., the Pilgrims emigrated from

Immigration: Moving into a new country (e.g., the Pilgrims immigrated to America).

Population Transfer: When a government forces a large group of people out of a region,

usually based on ethnicity or religion. This is also known as an involuntary or forced

Impelled Migration (also called "reluctant" or "imposed" migration): Individuals are

Step Migration: A series of shorter, less extreme migrations from a person's place of origin

Chain Migration: A series of migrations within a family or defined group of people. A chain

members to the new location. Chain migration results in migration fields—the clustering of

Return Migration: The voluntary movements of immigrants back to their place of origin.

This is also known as circular migration.

Seasonal Migration: The process of moving for a period of time in response to labor or

Emigrant: A person who is leaving a country to reside in another.

Immigrant: A person who is entering a country from another to take up new residence.

Refugee: A person who is residing outside the country of his or her origin due to fear of

Internally Displaced Person (IDP): A person who is forced to leave his or her home region

Migration Stream: A group migration from a particular country, region, or city to a certain

Push Factors: Reasons for emigrating (leaving a place) because of a difficulty (such as a

Pull Factors: Reasons for immigrating (moving into a place) because of something desirable

1. Environmental (e.g., climate, natural disasters)

2. Political (e.g., war)

3. Economic (e.g., work)

4. Cultural (e.g., religious freedom, education)

Place Utility: The desirability of a place based on its social, economic, or environmental

Intervening Opportunities: Opportunities nearby are usually considered more attractive

Distance Decay: As distance from a given location increases, understanding of that location

• Most migrants travel only a short distance.

• Migrants traveling long distances usually settle in urban areas.

• Most migration occurs in steps.

• Most migration is rural to urban.

• Each migration flow produces a movement in the opposite direction ("counterflow").

• Most migrants are adults.

• Most international migrants are young males, while more internal migrants are female.

and ideas diffuse along with them, creating and modifying cultural landscapes.

Diffusion: The process through which certain characteristics (e.g., cultural traits, ideas,

Relocation Diffusion: Ideas, cultural traits, etc. that move with people from one place to

Expansion Diffusion: Ideas, cultural traits, etc., that move with people from one place to

Cultural markers: Structures or artifacts (e.g., buildings, spiritual places, architectural

In-migration: people moving into one place from another place within a nation (internal

Out-migration: people moving out of one place to another place within a nation (internal

Gross migration: total number of in-migrants and out-migrants (internal migration).

Net internal migration: the difference between in-migration and out-migration.

Movers from abroad: people coming into a nation from another country or part of the

Net migration: the difference between net internal migration and movers from abroad.

Key Vocabulary

cultural identity: a sense of personal connection with a particular culture group

Chloropleth Map Acitvity

You will given a region and will fill in the current number of refugees found in the countries of that region up to the latest numbers.  You will then create a chloropleth mapping the countries of your region and the number of refugees found in each.  You will then prepare a 3 minute presentation to the class.  Use the following chart to fill out.

Refugees and Children in Our World
Handout 3

World Refugee Survey, 2001

Refugees in Africa: 3,346,000

Refugees in Europe: 1,153,000

Refugees in The Americas and the Caribbean: 562,000

Refugees in East Asia and the Pacific: 792,000

Refugees in Middle East: 6,035,000

Refugees in South and Central Asia: 2,656,000

Source: U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants found at
http://www.refugees.org