refugee movements

Question 1

causes of refugee movements and internal displacement - geopolitical

Answer 1

• as a result of their colonial past, many countries in Africa and the Middle East have borders that bear little relation to ethnic groups and this has resulted in conflicts over power
• powerful countries (eg Russia, USA, uk, France) each with their own agenda have become involved in supporting different sides, prolonging conflict
• people flee form conflict and war, for example a multi sided armed conflict in Syria began in 2011, with factions fighting against the president and each other
• by April 2018, 5.6 million Syrians had become refugees, along with 6 million IDPs
• people flee from persecution, which often curing during and as a result of war
• as well as politics factors, there may be religious, ethnic, racial or national persecution
• eg in the Central African Republic (2013), the Muslim group overthrew the Christian president and many Christians were persecuted, who in turn retaliated and persecuted Muslims
• the ongoing conflict has resulted in millions of displaced people

Question 2

land grabbing

Answer 2

• land grabbing occurs when individuals lose access to land they previously used, threatening their livelihood
• the acquisition of large areas of land in low income countries by domestic industries and MNCs, foreign governments and individuals
• in some instances, land is simply seized from vulnerable groups by powerful forces and not paid for, eg west bank (Palestine) and areas of Uganda
• the process is considered an economic injustice
• indigenous groups, such as subsistence farming communities, may have a lack of education needed to defend their rights in a court of law
• there are many instances of unjust land grabs globally, resulting in social displacements and refugee flows, egg amazonian rainforest tribes losing their land to logging companies
• much of the farm land brought by western investors in recent years has been left idle or given over to bio fuel for motorists in rich nations instead of being used to grow food and reduce malnutrition among the poorest countries

Question 3

Cambodia (land grabbing)

Answer 3

• around 60% of Cambodia’s arable land has been handed to private companies, displacing many people
• thousands of Cambodian farmers claim they are losing their land and livelihoods to big sugar plantations, some of which are directly supplying the EU through companies, such as Tate & Lyle sugars
• nearly 100,000 hectares have been cleared to make way for sugar plantations since 2006, most of the land has been argued that it has been stolen from subsistence farmers
• sugar is a big business in Cambodia, thanks to a preferential EU trade scheme which allows Cambodian sugar to be sold duty free on the EU market at a minimum price

Question 4

natural disasters and climate change
(causes of refugees)

Answer 4

• climate change intensifies rural poverty and conflict in some countries
• movers who might previously have been classed as economic migrants become refugees because of an increasingly hostile environment
• competition over land is exacerbated by drought, desertification and shrinking water supplies
• over 20 million people in Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and Yemen are facing extreme drought and are moving to avoid starvation
• since 1990, millions of refugees have moved from Somalia and Ethiopia into neighbouring kenya
• Syria’s refugee crisis has in part been attributed to desertification
• natural hazards (and other hazards such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes) can cause short and long term refugee issues

Question 5

impacts on the lives of the refugee
(the consequences of refugee movements)

Answer 5

• refugees flee homes leaving possessions, jobs, social networks and sometimes family members, often risking their lives to reach the destination
• a lack of money, citizenship and the possibility of not speaking the language can make integration in the host region difficult
• many refugees are held in refugee camps where conditions are often overcrowded and basic
• refugees are unable to work and rely on aid organisations for many basic needs
• children may receive no education
• in the UK, a refugee given permission to stay has 28 days to find accommodation and apply for benefits before they are evicted from asylum accommodation, many then become homeless

Question 6

impact of neighbouring states
(the consequences of refugee movements)

Answer 6

• most refugees travel the shortest distance until they feel safe
• this can result in countries surrounding an area where people are fleeing receiving large numbers of refugees
• large numbers can put pressure on surrounding areas to provide refugee camps, humanitarian aid and support for refugees
• refugees many never return home, integrating into the host country

Question 7

impact on developed countries
(consequences of refugee movement)

Answer 7

countries agreeing to the UDoHR are obliged to provide refugees the ‘right to seek and enjoy asylum’
disadvantages:
- the cost of supporting refugees is high - the UK government estimates costs of £12,700 in benefits, local authorities estimate an additional cost of £8,520 to cover housing and £2,000 in medical costs
- refugees tend to assimilate slowly into the host countries, often because they have been traumatised
- refugees are often mistaken for illegal immigrants or economic migrants, which can influence perceptions
benefits:
- refugees can fill labour shortages or create jobs
- they may have skills that can be used, saving the cost of training new workers

Question 8

national governments actions to tackle refugee crises

Answer 8

• the policy on refugees adopted by national governments varies greatly, resulting in a large variation in the number of refugee applications for asylum being accepted
• in 2016, the EU accepted 45% of all asylum applications (94% in Bulgaria, 9% in Hungary)
• of the 25,750 asylum applications accepted by Australia in 2016, 12,000 were from Syria and Iran
• military vessels patrol Australian waters and tow asylum seekers back to Indonesia
• refugees reaching Australia are held in an offshore processing centre on the pacific island of Nauru

Question 9

global compact on refugees

Answer 9

in 2018, the UNHCR proposed the ‘global compact on refugees, its aims are:
- ease the pressures on host countries
- enhance refugee self reliance
- expand access to third-country solutions
- support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity

Question 10

UNHCR

Answer 10

• office of the united nations high commissioner of refugees
• this is an intergovernmental institution supported by many countries whose role it is to provide international protection and seek permanent solutions to the problem of refugees
• UNHCR services include:
• emergency assistance, such as clean water, sanitation, healthcare, shelter, blankets and household goods
• transport and assistance for refugees returning home
• training and income generating projects for refugees who resettle
• cash based interventions, cash and vouchers are given to refugees so that they can buy food and access services

Question 11

refugee

Answer 11

• people who have been forced to leave their country
• they are defined and protected under international law and must not be expelled or returned to situations where their lives and freedoms are at risk

Question 12

internally displaced persons (IDPs)

Answer 12

people who have not crossed a border to find safety

Question 13

asylum seeker

Answer 13

• a person who has left their home country as a political refugee and is seeking asylum in another
• those judged not to be refugees, do not require international protection can be sent back to their home country

Question 14

of all refugees,

Answer 14

87.2% live in the global south (10.2 million in Asia)

Question 15

the refugee convention (1951)
(how the un offers protection to refugees)

Answer 15

• the 1951 refugee convention is the key legal document that forms the basis of all UN work in support of refugees
• it defines the term ‘refugee’ and outlines the right of refugees, as well as the legal obligations of states to protect them
• the core principle is non refoulment
• this means that refugees should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom
• this is now a core rule of international law

Question 16

convention relating to stateless persons (1954)
(how the un offer protection to refugees)

Answer 16

• it was designed to ensure that stateless persons have a minimum set of human rights
• it established human rights and minimum standards of treatment for stateless people, including the right to education, employment and housing

Question 17

the office of the united nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR)
(how the un offers protection to refugees)

Answer 17

• the UNHCR serves as the ‘guardian’ of the 1951 refugee convention and other associated international laws and agreements
• it has a mandate to protect refugees, stateless people and IDPs
• on a daily basis, it helps millions of people worldwide at a cost of around US$5 billion annually
• UNHCR often works with the WHO to provide camps, shelter, food and medicine to people who have fled conflict
• UNHCR also monitors compliance with the international refugee system
• faced with record displacement from conflict in 2016, UNHCR reinforced the global refugee protection regime by reminding all UN member states of their obligations under international law

Question 18

peacekeeping mission and troops
(how the un offers protection to refugees)

Answer 18

• UN troops are drawn from the armed forces of many different member states, including the UK, Germany, India and China
• peacekeeping troops sometimes have an important role in protecting people in refugee camps from further violence
• since 1999, up to 30,000 UN peacekeepers have been stationed in DRC (largest ever deployment of UN troops)

Question 19

the work NGOs

Answer 19

• the NGO, amnesty international plays an important supporting role by identifying where human rights abuses are taking place
• amnesty lobbies in the UN and its security council to interview and offer assistance to groups such as the persecuted Rohingya muslims who fled persecution from the Rakhine state

Question 20

national government policies

Answer 20

• EU states have struggled to reach a political agreement on where refugees arriving in Greece or Italy should be allowed to settle once their asylum claim has been accepted
• under EU rules, any asylum claims must be processed in the country where refugees arrive
• however, neither the greek nor italian governments want large numbers of refugees to settle there permanently
• both countries want to see the burden of resettlement shared with other EU members
• consequently, EU states have struggled to reach an agreement on how best to distribute refugees among themselves
• in recent years, Germany has taken in more refugees than any other state whilst Ireland the least

Question 21

Germany’s refugee policy

Answer 21

• source country of refugees: Syria (23%), Serbia and Kosovo (14%)
• 42% accepted
• 3 month minimum wait before permitted to work
• £325/month state benefits

Question 22

Sweden’s refugee policy

Answer 22

• source country of refugees: Syria (40%), stateless (10%)
• 77% accepted
• no minimum wait before work, also without restrictions
• £197/month state benefits

Question 23

Hungary’s refugee policy

Answer 23

• source country of refugees: Serbia and Kosovo (51%), Afghanistan (21%)
• 9% accepted
• 9 month minimum wait before work, can only work in a reception centre
• £75/month state benefits

Question 24

powerlessness of some states to prevent cross border militia and refugee movements

Answer 24

• many ethnic groups (eg Tutsi and Hutu of central Africa) have a ‘transnational’ identity
• this is an ongoing cause of cross border movements of people, refugees, militias and armies
• there has been little growth in economic development or infrastructure along parts of DRC’s northern and eastern borders (in practice, you would not be able to tell where the state boundary lies in many places)
• consequently, the DRC, Ugandan and Rwandan governments are powerless to prevent cross border flows of people
• armies and militia groups from DRC’s nine neighbour states repeatedly entered DRC on the grounds that ethnic groups with whom they claim kinship require support
• human greed over DRC’s rich natural resources (eg diamonds), has attracted unwanted militia groups from other countries
• between the mid 1990s and 2010, millions of people fled their homes in DRC
• they were trying to escape attacks by Uganda’s invading LRA militia and many fled across DRC’s unmarked borders into central african republic

Question 25

facts and figures on south Sudanese refugees in Uganda

Answer 25

• 272,000 refugees in the Bidi Bidi settlement; it was declared full and now new arrivals go to the Imvepi settlement
• in some cases there are 200 children in a class
• the Bidi Bidi settlement is an area of 250sqkm
• 1.9m IDP in south Sudan

Question 26

positives on the south Sudanese refugees in Uganda

Answer 26

• Ugandan people seem at ease with the sudden influx of refugees
• Uganda has a generous ‘open door’ policy
• supplies to build a house and a 30m x 30m plot of land are given to each refugee (promotes social cohesion as everyone lives together)
• no fences around Bidi Bidi
• vibrant green landscapes and playgrounds
• refugee children have the same access to healthcare and education as Ugandan children
• have introduced an accelerated leaning programme with no fees
• speak the same language
• well organised reception centre where new arrivals are registered, vaccinated, given a medical check up and a hot meal by NGOs and other international agencies
• jobs can be secured, eg a job with save the children as a supervisor at the early learning centre

Question 27

negatives on the south Sudanese refugees in Uganda

Answer 27

• Africa’s biggest human exodus since 1994 (the Rwandan genocide)
• schools are few and far between, leaving half a million children without education
• over crowding in schools
• poor infrastructure
• South Sudan is in a viscous and violent civil war
• war spread to Equatoria and famine was declared; the worst humanitarian disaster since 1945
• Equatoria experiences rapes, killings and burning
• firewood is running out
• only receive 6kg of food a month
• kleptocratic elite

Question 28

the potential future for the south Sudanese refugees in Uganda

Answer 28

• Uganda are already struggling and may continue to do so with population increase
• tensions may arise between the refugees and the members of the host country
• may face considerable strain on the country’s resources (eg water, food, electricity)
• unsustainable rate of growth
• lack/less education = less skills impacting the future workforce

Question 29

total syrian refugees globally

Answer 29

6.8 million

Question 30

causes of syrian refugees

Answer 30

• since the arab spring (2011), the syrian president, Bashar Al-Assad, has attempted to gain control all of Syria’s political and religious groups by force, resulting in the killing of syrian civilians
• the conflict developed into a civil war
• currently, poverty and unemployment is widespread in Syria - high levels of inflation and an increase in prices of more than 800% means that basic goods and services are unaffordable
• furthermore, there is little access to clean water and electricity
• approx. 5.5 million syrian refugees live in the five neighbouring countries (Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt)

Question 31

effects of syrian refugee movement

Answer 31

• many Syrian children have fallen victim to child labour in both the host country and syria itself
• many syrian refugees in Jordan are not in camps and fled to urban areas, making them beyond the reach of the UN and other donors’ direct assistance
• sudden influx of people puts strain on the host country’s resources and services, this is especially prominent in smaller countries, such as Lebanon (where nearly 1 in 3 people is a refugee)
• food has become more expensive
• rents have increased significantly (tripled in some cases) - in Lebanon, some are being evicted due to the high prices and Syrian refugees are more likely to share housing with lots people are therefore can afford the rising rents
• all the negative effects have caused tensions
• syrian refugees are willing to work for less, and the competition for jobs has become exacerbated and he unemployment rate has gone up, with many saying that they have lost their jobs to syrian refugees

Question 32

responses to the syrian refugee movement

Answer 32

• the direct cost of Syrian refugees on Jordan since 2011 is calculated to be USD 11,032 billion approximately
• the UK has excepted more than 1,000 syrian refugees under the vulnerable persons resettlement programme

Question 33

causes of rohingya refugees

Answer 33

• the largest exodus began in August 2017
• the Rohingya are a muslim ethnic minority group from the Rakhine state in Myanmar
• Myanmar don’t recognise the Rohingya as citizens, making them the largest stateless group in the world
• being stateless means that they don’t have any legal rights or protection and therefore are susceptible to exploitation and abuse
• the Rohingya have faced continuous systematic discrimination and violence due to polices of exclusion and marginalisation
• armed conflict escalated in August 2017, forcing them to flee to the neighbouring Bangladesh, where the refugee camps are in areas prone to natural disasters

Question 34

effects of Rohingya refugees

Answer 34

• children face outbreaks of communicable disease, such as diarrhea in refugee camps (e.g. cox’s bazar)
• older children are deprived of educational opportunities and therefore at risk of becoming a ‘lost generation’
• face discrimination and social exclusion from those in the host country
• as the Rohingya are still stateless as they do not have citizenship, they area often denied refugee status
• unexpected influx of people can cause strain on infrastructure and basic services
• annual cycles of heavy monsoon season poses a risk to everyone in Bangladesh, the Rohingya have made shelters which would not withstand heavy winds and rain and it also increases the risk of disease

Question 35

responses to Rohingya refugees

Answer 35

• Bangladesh has lifted restrictions on education for Rohingya refugees (11-13 years old) which will equip them with skills for the future
• UNICEF has provided basic aid, although most of this is in response to monsoon
• IRC are providing healthcare, hygiene services and clean water

Question 36

land grabs

Answer 36

• taking an area of land by force, or for military or economic reasons
• throughout the world, it is estimated that 445 million hectares of land are uncultivated and available for farming, 1.5 billion hectares are already under cultivation
• about 201million hectares are in sub saharan africa, only 10% of africa’s rural land is registered
• the vast majority of land deals are for agricultural projects, forestry is the second largest sector
• of agricultural deals, less than 30% are for food crops, almost 20% are for non food crops (e.g. bio fuels, livestock feed)

Question 37

arguments in favour of land grabs

Answer 37

• the buying of land by transnational investors/companies is viewed favourably by some economists
• they see it as an opportunity to reverse under investment in developing countries’ agricultural sectors to create new jobs and to bring improved technology to local farming industries that will boost productivity, raise farm incomes and reduce extreme poverty

Question 38

criticisms of land grabs

Answer 38

• transnational land buyers neglect local rights and do not pay a fair price for the land
• they seek to extract short term profits at the cost of long term environmental sustainability
• land grabs are closely connected to corruption on a large scale
• selling thousands of hectares to large scale investors hurts small scale farmers
• mechanised farming reduces employment in labour intensive farming and can accelerate forced migration into urban areas
• a 2011 report by oxfam claimed that much of the farm land bought by western investors has been left idle or given over to bio fuel production for motorists in rich nations instead of being used to grow food and reduce malnutrition among the poorest communities

Question 39

the two types of land grab

Answer 39

• pioneer commercial investment: buying unused land at low prices to see if its viable for production - risky but high gain, increases factor productivity, if successful draws others - as such, it should be encouraged because there is a net benefit
• speculative acquisition of large areas of useless land: may not stay useless - it has an option value; the investor hopes that the land will become useful in the long run, causing the market value to rise

Question 40

Tanzania and land grabs

Answer 40

• from 2013, Tanzania is restricting the size of land that single large scale foreign and local investors can lease for agricultural use
• the vast majority of Tanzanian small scale farmers do not have legal protection for their property
• only 0.02% of its citizens have traditional land ownership titles

Question 41

Cambodian farmers and land grabs

Answer 41

• thousands of Cambodian farmers claim they are losing their land and livelihoods to big sugar plantations, some of which are directly supplying the EU though companies such as Tate & Lyle sugars
• nearly 100,00 hectares have been cleared to make way for sugar plantations since 2006, many argue that most of that land has been stolen from subsistence farmers
• thanks to a preferential EU trade scheme, Cambodian sugar is sold duty free on the EU market at a minimum price

Question 42

the causes of south sudanese refugees in uganda

Answer 42

a combination of political conflict and drought has caused migration