Block 4 (Causes, Consequences + Management Of Refugee Movements) Flashcards
Define refugees
People who have been forced to leave their home country
Define asylum seekers
Refugees (people who have been forced to leave their home country) before they have been given official refugee status
Define Internally Displaced People (IDPs)
People who have been forced to leave their homes, but remain in their home country
What is the difference between refugees + IDPs?
Refugees - Forced to leave home country
IDPs - Forced to leave home, but stay in same country
What is the total number of displaced people (2017)? How many are refugees? How many are IDPs?
Over 60 million
- Refugees: approx 20 mill
- IDPs: approx 40 mill
What is the year which saw most people displaced than any other year since WW2?
2014
What are the top source countries of refugees (2017)?
- Syria (approx 5.5 mill)
- Afghanistan
- South Sudan
What are the top host countries of refugees (2017)?
- Turkey (approx 3 mill)
- Pakistan
- Lebanon
What model dictates the location of host countries of refugees?
Distance-decay model
Other LICs that are nearby are often the hosts
What are the two categories of refugee movement causes?
- Human (Geopolitical + Economic)
- Physical (Natural disasters + Climate change)
How can Human Geopolitical factors cause refugee movements?
- After colonial pasts, many countries in Africa + the Middle East had their borders drawn up by HICs
- Borders had little relation to ethnic groups
- This has led to conflicts, as multiple groups fight for power
Refugees flee from: this unsafe conflict + persecution of losing ethnic groups that often occurs post-conflict
Give an example of how Human Geopolitical factors have caused refugee movements in Africa?
Rwanda
- Two ethnic groups exist (Hutu + Tutsi)
- Conflict for supremacy
- Has prompted 2 mill Hutu (less dominant group) to flee as refugees
Give an example of how Human Geopolitical factors have caused refugee movements in the Middle East?
- Sykes-Picot line drawn by Britain + France divided the Sunni + Shia Muslims into several unstable Middle Eastern states
- Many states have fallen into civil war for supremacy
- E.g. Syria (over 5.5 mill refugees + 6 mill IDPs)
How can Human Economic factors cause refugee movements?
Land grabbing
Define land grabbing
Land is forcibly seized (by MNCs/gov,/individuals) - forcing individuals living there out as refugees
Why is land ‘grabbed’?
So it can be used for economic benefit
E.g. MNCs growing + selling cash crops
Give an example of how Human Economic factors have caused refugee movements
Amazon Basin
- Land grabbing by MNCs for profitable activity e.g. logging
- Many indigenous tribes forced out as refugees
How can Physical Factors of natural disasters + climate change cause refugee movements?
Natural disasters (becoming more prevalent + intense because of climate change) can displace people as areas become unsafe or uninhabitable
Give an example of how the Physical Factors of natural disasters + climate change can cause refugee movements
African countries of Somalia, S.Sudan, Nigeria
- Extreme drought making area uninhabitable due to food shortages
- Over 20 mill people displaced as refugees
How many people could be displaced as climate change refugees from coastal areas in the future due to rising sea levels?
13 million
We look at the consequences of refugee movements in 3 categories - what are they?
- Impact on refugees
- Impact on neighbouring states
- Impact on developed economies
How may refugees be positively impacted by refugee movements?
If they reach a HIC + become integrated into society…
- Chance for improved long term living conditions
- Chance for improved long term employment opportunities
How may refugees be negatively impacted by refugee movements?
Negative consequences on way…
- May die (illegal + dangerous routes)
- May have poor living conditions in overstretched refugee camps
Negative consequences possible even if they reach a HIC…
- Long term psychological trauma
- Social exclusion (due to social + cultural barriers)
- Hard to access employment as often under qualified
Since 1993 how many illegal migrants + refugees have died trying to reach Europe?
Over 35,000
Give an example of a negative outcome from living in a refugee camp
Abuse (particularly of the young + vulnerable)
What percentage of Syrian refugees have PTSD (psychological trauma)?
Over 75%
Give an example of a cause of social exclusion for refugees in their new country
Language barrier (reported by 84% of Syrian refugees)
What percentage of Syrian refugees have a uni education?
Less than 40%
Is the impact of refugees on neighbouring states usually more positive or more negative?
More negative
What is the negative impact of refugee movements on neighbouring states?
States become very overstretched trying to provide services for refugees temporarily or permanently staying in the country
Why are all EU states + some other states forced to accept some refugees?
UN Declaration of Human Rights makes it essential to provide refugees the ‘right to seek + enjoy asylum’
What negative impacts can refugee movements have on developed countries?
- Financial burden
- Perceived threat to country’s safety
- Perceived threat to country’s nationality/culture
- Burden on EU coastguards patrolling borders
How much does each refugee approx cost a developed country?
£15,000 per yr
Why may the inhabitants of developed countries view refugees as a threat to their country’s safety?
After terror attacks (e.g. 9/11) which are often associated with foreigners
What positive impacts may refugee movements have on developed countries?
- Refugees can fill labour shortages
- Refugees can fill skilled professions if qualified
Give an example of refugees filling skilled professions in developed countries
1,200 medically qualified refugees work in UK
Training a new doctor costs 10x price of supporting a refugee doctor to work in UK
Who helps to manage refugee movements?
- International institutions
- National governments
- NGOs
Give an example of an international institution that manages refugee movements
UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Enforces the Refugee Convention (1951)
- Works with WHO to provide short term aid: food, medicine, etc.
- Works to provide long term help to resettling refugees (e.g. training + income-generating projects)
How much does the US pay to the UNHCR per yr?
Approx $5 bill
What is the UN Refugee Convention (1951)?
- Defines what it means to be a refugee
- Aims to project refugees + enforce non-refoulement
- Enforced by the UNHCR
Define non-refoulement
Not returning refugees to a country where there is a serious threat to their life
Are national gov policies for managing refugee movements the same?
No - each country has their own policy
What is the general trend about how national gov policies in the EU are changing?
Management becoming harsher
How are national governments in the EU making policies towards refugees harsher?
- Reducing financial benefits
- Reducing social services
- Reducing accepting policies towards foreigners (e.g. France banned hijab + burqa in 2011)
In 2016, what percentage of asylum applications by refugees were accepted by the EU? Which country accepted most + least?
45%
- Most: Bulgaria 94%
- Least: Hungary 9%
Distribution of refugees in Europe is uneven - where is it concentrated?
Italy + Greece (located in the south)
Technically where should asylum requests be processed?
In the country the refugee first arrives in
Give an example of an NGO’s policy to manage refugee movements
Refugee Action
- Works in UK
- Provides support + advice for settling refugees
What are the 2 main reasons why a state may be powerless in managing refugee movements across their borders?
1) Country may have long, poorly marked borders that are hard to police
2) Country may not have the economic ability/resources to protect + control its borders
Give an example of a country that is powerless in managing refugee movements across its borders
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- Flow of militia groups into country
- Flow of fearful refugees out of country
- Unable to manage because: inadequate economy, borders 9 counties with some of these borders being remote and vague
