Tag: Migrants and refugees

UNHCR urges solidarity with Burkina Faso’s victims of extremist violence — Global Issues

“We’re urgently appealing for all States to refrain from forcibly returning any individuals originating from the regions in Burkina Faso where there is an ongoing crisis,” said Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR Director of International Protection.

Speaking in Geneva, Ms. Tan highlighted “killings, forced disappearances, torture and kidnappings”, while in several instances, civilians had been targeted and killed, resulting in mass civilian casualties.

Spike in needs

Humanitarians have warned about mass internal displacement in Burkina Faso caused by non-state armed groups since 2015, “but it’s in 2022 that we’ve really seen large increase in the number of displaced in the country, and that is due to the increased activities by extremist, violent, violent extremist groups as well as increasing humanitarian needs”, the UNHCR official explained.

Latest UN estimates indicate that 4.7 million people across the country are now in need of humanitarian assistance in the west African nation, which is more than 20 per cent of the country’s entire population.

Violence and conflict have also destroyed critical infrastructure and impacted state services and institutions, including in conflict-affected areas.

The humanitarian situation is especially severe for people living in towns that have been blockaded by violent extremist groups, including large numbers of internally displaced people.

© UNHCR/Fidélia Bohissou

Refugees from Burkina Faso arrive in Togo after fleeing their country due to violence.

Youngsters targeted

Children have not been spared serious human rights violations, including forced recruitment by armed groups, child labour “as well as other types of violence, abuse, exploitation and gender-based violence”, Ms. Tan told journalists at a scheduled briefing.

The number of school closures has increased from approximately 3,000 in November 2021 to 6,334 schools as of 31 March 2023.

The majority of displaced children are unable to attend classes at all. Early and child marriage is prevalent and forced marriages continue to be reported. Half of all children in Burkina Faso are estimated to be exposed to gender-based violence or mistreatment, with the estimate as high as 82 per cent for girls.

Ongoing violence and displacement have also left many women vulnerable to sexual violence and have restricted services available to survivors.

Border refuge

In addition to the more than two million people internally displaced in Burkina Faso, as of June this year – “making this one of the worst internal displacement crises on the African continent” – the UNHCR official added that 67,000 people from Burkina Faso have sought refuge in neighbouring countries including Mali, Niger, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Ghana.

Fighting is believed to have killed thousands and placed vast numbers at risk of abuse by armed groups, including reportedly being whipped and raped while fleeing their villages.

“The principle of non-refoulement must be respected and upheld. That means that no-one should be forcibly returned to places where their lives, freedom or human rights are at risk. So, UNHCR calls on all countries to allow civilians fleeing Burkina Faso to access their territories.”

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Child deaths rise, concern intensifies for refugees after 100 days of battle — Global Issues

The UN agency added that there have been more than 2,500 severe violations of children’s rights – an average of more than one an hour – in a country where 14 million youngsters need aid relief.

“As we reach more than 100 days since the conflict in Sudan escalated, we know that it is taking an absolutely horrific toll on children and on families,” UNICEF spokesperson Joe English told UN News.

Deadly health concerns

Echoing those concerns, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that nearly 300 displaced children have died from measles and malnutrition in White Nile State.

“It is time for all parties to this conflict to immediately end this tragic war,” said High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, amid rising concern for the more than 740,000 refugees who have now fled Sudan to neighbouring countries.

According to UNHCR, conditions are “harrowing” for those reaching shelter in neighbouring countries, where displacement camps are overcrowded and the rainy season has made relocation and aid deliveries harder.

Children fend for themselves

To date, more than 3.3 million people have been displaced within Sudan and across its borders, including to Egypt, where UNHCR said that most children continue to arrive without their parents.

“For every child killed or injured we know that many more have been displaced from their homes, their lacking access to essential services,” UNICEF said in a statement, which underscored the need for safe, unimpeded access to children and families so that they can receive the support they need.

Despite intense diplomatic efforts to end the fighting – notably by the African Union, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) regional body, the League of Arab States and the UN – clashes involving the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) milita have continued across multiple fronts.

Lending his support for much-needed peaceful dialogue, UNHCR chief Grandi said that people must be allowed to leave conflict areas to find safety, whether within or outside the country, and be protected “from all forms of violence”.

To date, the UN response inside Sudan is only 23 per cent funded. Both UNHCR and UNICEF have urgently appealed for more donor support to assist vulnerable populations who have endured three months of fighting, concentrated around the capital Khartoum, but spreading far into restive Darfur and other regions.

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UNHCR, IOM outline new approach to assist growing number of migrants — Global Issues

The International Conference on Development and Migration, held on Monday, brought together several UN agencies and representatives from multiple countries involved in managing migration flows to address challenges such as irregular migration and forced international displacement.

‘Complex challenges’

“Forced displacement and mixed movements are complex challenges for all: countries of origin, countries of transit and countries of destination,” said UNHCR High Commissioner, Filippo Grandi.

“Addressing them requires international cooperation, resources, and patient work because there are many and overlapping reasons people move – violence, conflict, persecution for some; climate change, bad governance, lack of economic opportunities for others.”

UNHCR advocated for an updated “whole-of-route” approach to address mixed flows of refugees and migrants, taking into account the entire spectrum of situations people find themselves in.

The first point of the new approach is to ensure that access to territory for asylum seekers must be respected as a fundamental human right and an obligation of States everywhere.

“Pushbacks and collective expulsions, especially to places and situations that are unsafe, are never acceptable,” said Mr. Grandi

For those not in need of international protection, safe, sustainable, and dignified returns to countries of origin are critical.

The new approach also stipulates that saving lives must remain the top priority for governments everywhere, both at sea and on land.

Increasing investment

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) emphasised the importance of continued investment in managing the growing numbers.

“Last year, natural disasters displaced 32.6 million people: 7.5 million in sub-Saharan Africa alone. But this is just the beginning. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) estimates that more than 300 million people live in communities that are extremely vulnerable to climate change,” said IOM incoming chief, Amy Pope.

“No government or international organisation can do this work alone. We need to invest in partnerships in all sectors of society, we need the private sector to invest, recognising that they benefit from good migration management, and we need the support of civil society,” she added.

Economic incentives

Migration, if properly managed, can contribute to the development of all countries – whether host, source, or transit – involved in this phenomenon, and societies at all levels, say the lead UN agencies on the issue.

“Evidence shows that well-managed migration spurs economic development. Considering the demographic trends and the changing global labour market, we must start now to create more comprehensive, inclusive, and strategic migration solutions and integrate more strategic and humane mobility policies into regional and national adaptation plans,” said Ms. Pope.

Safer alternatives

The new approach also highlights how expanding legal migration channels like family reunification, resettlement, scholarships, and other mechanisms that provide opportunities, will be crucial to providing safer alternatives to migrants.

Addressing the root causes of displacement is the final piece of the puzzle to ending the refugee crisis, as outlined in the new approach.

“All must do much more to address the climate emergency, promote good governance, invest in development, end conflict and persecution, and protect human rights,” said Grandi.

“These efforts can only be strategic if they are collective, on the part of all States and institutions concerned. I hope this conference will – finally – encourage all to work together in this direction,” he added.

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Hip hop artist K’naan’s new track hails refugees — Global Issues

“I wanted to write a song that felt like a home for those of us made homeless by conflict,” Mr. Warsame wrote on social media when launching the single, now on YouTube. The lyrics reflect his childhood experience escaping war in Somalia and those of others whose “every suitcase held their home”.

More than 110 million people are now forcibly displaced around the world, including over 670,000 Somalis, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.

Having performed in nearly 100 countries, made Rolling Stone magazine’s 200 Greatest Hip Hop Albums of All Time, and recently completed a fellowship at Harvard’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, Mr. Warsame is now developing a musical at the Public Theater in New York.

Find out more from UNHCR here.

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UK Bill ‘significantly erodes’ human rights and refugee protections, UN agencies warn — Global Issues

Concerns over legislation

The Illegal Immigration Bill eliminates access to asylum for anyone who arrives “irregularly” in the UK, meaning they passed through a country – however briefly – where they did not face persecution.

The bill bars migrants from presenting refugee protection or other human rights claims, regardless of their circumstances. It has passed through the Commons, but has yet to clear the Upper House, the House of Lords.

The law as it stands requires their removal to another country without a guarantee that they will necessarily be able to access protections there. The bill also creates sweeping new detention powers with limited judicial oversight.

“UNHCR shares the UK Government’s concern regarding the number of asylum-seekers resorting to dangerous journeys across the [English] Channel.

“We welcome current efforts to make the existing asylum system work more effectively through fast, fair, and efficient case processing, that allows the integration of those found to be in need of international protection and the swift return home of those who have no legal basis to stay,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

“Regrettably, this progress will be significantly undermined by the new legislation. Cooperation with European and other partners along the routes through which refugees and migrants are moving, is also key,” he continued.

Contrary to human rights

The Bill denies access to refugee protections for anyone falling within its scope – including unaccompanied and separated children – regardless of whether they are at risk of persecution, have suffered human rights violations, or whether they are survivors of human trafficking or modern-day slavery.

“Carrying out removals under these circumstances is contrary to prohibitions of refoulement and collective expulsions, rights to due process, to family and private life, and the principle of best interests of children concerned,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

The 1951 Refugee Convention, to which the UK was one of the original signatories, explicitly recognises that refugees may be compelled to enter a country of asylum irregularly.

Most people fleeing war and persecution do not have or are unable to access formal travel documents such as passports and visas. Safe and “legal” routes to immigration are therefore oftentimes not available to them.

Without the adequate operational capacity to remove large numbers of asylum-seekers or create viable removal arrangements with third countries, thousands of migrants can be expected to remain in the UK indefinitely in precarious legal situations, the agencies said.

‘Grave risks’

“For decades, the UK has provided refuge to those in need, in line with its international obligations – a tradition of which it has been rightly proud. This new legislation significantly erodes the legal framework that has protected so many, exposing refugees to grave risks in breach of international law,” said Mr. Grandi.

UN refugee and human rights experts say the legislation will also exacerbate the already vulnerable situation of refugees in the UK, drastically limiting their enjoyment of human rights and putting many at risk of detention and destitution.

Their rights to health, an adequate standard of living, and employment are all at risk, exposing them to potential exploitation and abuse.

History of compassion

“The UK has long had a commitment to upholding international human rights and refugee law. Such steadfast commitment is needed today more than ever,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk.

“I urge the UK Government to renew this commitment to human rights by reversing this law and ensuring that the rights of all migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers are respected, protected, and fulfilled, without discrimination.

“This should include efforts to guarantee expeditious and fair processing of asylum and human rights claims, improve reception conditions, and increase the availability and accessibility of safe pathways for regular migration,” he added.

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World ‘wilfully ignoring’ child deaths during dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossings — Global Issues

The figure is equivalent to about 11 children dying each week, “far beyond what we hear in news headlines,” Vera Knaus, the agency’s Global Lead on Migration and Displacement, told journalists attending the biweekly UN humanitarian briefing in Geneva.

“We cannot continue to ignore what is happening – stand by silently when nearly 300 children – an entire plane full of children – are dying in the waters between Europe and Africa in just six months,” she said.

Preventable deaths

Conflict and climate change are forcing increasing numbers of children to embark on the dangerous sea journey from North Africa to Europe.

UNICEF estimated that 11,600 children have made the crossing during the first six months of the year – again nearly twice as many as in the same period in 2022.

However, the agency warned that the true number of child casualties is likely to be higher as many shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean leave no survivors or go unrecorded.

Ms. Knaus said it appears the world is “willfully ignoring what is happening”, given the numbers and the silence surrounding many of these preventable deaths.

‘Drowning in the world’s inaction’

“Children are dying not just in front of our eyes; they are dying while we seem to keep our eyes closed. Hundreds of girls and boys are drowning in the world’s inaction,” she said, noting that the Central Mediterranean is among the deadliest migration routes for children.

UNICEF further estimated that many children are making the crossing without their parents or guardians, with girls travelling alone especially vulnerable to violence throughout the journey.

During the first three months of the year, 3,300 unaccompanied or separated children arrived in Europe via the Central Mediterranean Sea route, or more than 70 per cent of the total.

Strengthen child protection

In response to the escalating crisis, UNICEF is supporting countries in strengthening child protection, social protection and migration and asylum systems. Staff are also working with governments to provide support and inclusive services to all children, regardless of their legal status, or that of their parents.

“These deaths are preventable,” Ms. Knaus said. “They are as much driven by the complex emergencies, conflicts and climate risks that drive children from their homes as by the lack of political and practical action to do what it takes to enable safe access to asylum and to protect the rights and lives of children wherever they come from and whatever their mode of travel.”

Save lives at sea

Meanwhile, countries in the region, and the European Union (EU), must do more to protect vulnerable children at sea but also in countries of origin, transit and destination, she said.

She also stressed the need for safe, legal and accessible pathways for children to seek protection and reunite with their families, through expanding access to family reunification, refugee resettlement or other humanitarian visas.

Additionally, countries must step up coordination on search and rescue operations at sea and ensure prompt disembarkation to safe locations.

Ms. Knaus said the duty to rescue a boat in distress is a fundamental rule in international maritime law, and pushbacks at sea or land borders are violations of national, EU and international law.

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Rights experts denounce mass deportation of Eritreans — Global Issues

According to the experts, hundreds of Eritreans were also subjected to summary deportations at the end of June.

“Collective expulsions are prohibited under international law,” the experts, including Mohamed Babiker, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, said in a news release issued by the UN human rights office (OHCHR).

“Deporting migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers without conducting an individual and objective risk assessment of their exposure to human rights violations, including torture and enforced disappearance upon return, is refoulement.”

The principle of non-refoulement, enshrined in the Convention against Torture and other international human rights treaties, guarantees specific protection against all forms of expulsion, regardless of nationality or migration status.

“Immigration detention should be an exceptional measure of last resort, used only for adults, for the shortest period of time and for a legitimate purpose,” the experts said. “It also appears that the authorities are specifically targeting Eritreans, a practice that constitutes discrimination.”

According to data from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), as of the end of May, there were around 165,000 Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in Ethiopia, having fled violence and hardship in their country.

Children separated from parents

The human rights experts said that several cases of separation were reported following the mass deportations, with parents forced back to Eritrea and children left behind in Ethiopia.

The Human Rights Council-appointed experts also called on Eritrean officials to ensure those forcibly deported are protected, amid report of serious rights violations against them, including torture, ill-treatment, enforced disappearance, trafficking and arbitrary detention.

“We urge the Eritrean authorities to provide information on their fate and whereabouts and to ensure that they can have access to their relatives, lawyers or anyone of their choice,” the experts said, calling on refugee protection organizations in Ethiopia to engage with the Ethiopian authorities to support access to the asylum system and relevant documentation for those on the move.

In addition to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, the experts joining the call included the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances; and the Working Group on arbitrary detention.

Independent experts

The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts, and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.

The experts are mandated to monitor and report on specific thematic issues or country situations and work on a voluntary basis. They serve in their individual capacity; are not UN staff and do not receive a salary.

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UN expert — Global Issues

“The effects of climate change are becoming more severe, and the number of people displaced across international borders is rapidly increasing,” said Ian Fry, independent human rights expert on climate change, who took up the new post last year.

“In 2020 alone, 30.7 million people were displaced from their homes due to weather-related events. Droughts were the main factor,” Mr. Fry said in his latest thematic report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. “We must take immediate steps to give legal protection to these people.”

Multiple rights violations

The independent expert said that people displaced by climate change face multiple human rights violations including of their rights to food, water, sanitation, housing, health, education and, for some, their basic right to life.

“The human rights implications of climate change displacement, in particular across international borders, are significant and truly disturbing,” the expert said.

He called it “profoundly worrying” that large numbers of people displaced across borders, die or go missing every year on both land and sea.

More than 50,000 lost their lives during migratory movements between 2014 and 2022. “It is equally shocking to note that more than half of those deaths occurred on routes to and within Europe, including in the Mediterranean Sea,” he said.

Displacement and natural disasters

According to the independent expert, displacement due to climate change can take many different forms.

It can involve sudden events or more slow acting factors such sea level rise or drought. Most people affected by these events feel they have no choice but to move. Women and children are the most impacted by disasters and the effects of climate change, and also account for the majority of displaced people.

“The international community must realise its responsibility to protect people displaced across borders by climate change impacts,” the expert said.

Legal protection

Mr. Fry explained that the world was not operating in a total vacuum in terms of legal protection safeguards, with several options already in place.

“The Human Rights Council should prepare a resolution for submission to the UN General Assembly urging the body to develop an optional protocol under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees to address displacement and legal protection for people all over the world affected by the climate crisis,” the expert said.

“Until then, I urge all nations to develop national legislation to provide humanitarian visas for persons displaced across international borders due to climate change, as an interim measure,” he said.

Independent experts and other UN Human Rights Council-appointed rights experts, work on a voluntary and unpaid basis, are not UN staff, and work independently from any government or organisation.

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UN refugee agency predicts spike in resettlement needs next year — Global Issues

According to the Projected Global Resettlement Needs Assessment for 2024, over 2.4 million refugees will be in need of resettlement, marking a 20 per cent increase compared to 2023.

© UNHCR/Lilly Carlisle

A woman leaves a refugee camp in Rwanda on her way to resettlement in Norway.

Escalating challenges

With a deepening refugee crisis, security breakdowns and conflicts, urgent action is required to address the escalating challenges faced by millions forced on the run worldwide.

“We are witnessing a concerning increase in the number of refugees in need of resettlement in 2024. Resettlement remains a critical lifeline for those most at risk and with specific needs,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The Asia region tops the list, with nearly 730,000 refugees likely requiring resettlement support, representing around 30 per cent of the total.

Urgent assistance

With the Syrian war extending into its 13th year and remaining the world’s largest refugee situation, refugees there continue to need the most resettlement support for the eighth consecutive year, with around 754,000 requiring urgent assistance.

Refugees from Afghanistan are estimated to have the second-highest level of needs, followed by refugees from South Sudan, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

“I ask all States with the means to step up and provide sustainable and multi-year resettlement commitments to offer safety and protection to those in need and to share the international community’s responsibility for refugees”, urged Mr. Grandi.

Resettlement provides a lifeline of hope and protection to those facing extreme risks by offering a durable solution while at the same time playing a pivotal role in relieving the pressure on host countries and strengthening the broader protection framework.

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UN calls for solidarity and inclusion amid record displacement — Global Issues

With forced displacement at a record high of 110 million people around the world, Mr. Guterres called for more solutions to resettle refugees and help them rebuild their lives. He also stressed the need for solidarity with host countries and communities.

More than numbers

“These are not numbers on a page”, said the UN chief. “These are individual women, children and men making difficult journeys – often facing violence, exploitation, discrimination and abuse.

“This Day reminds us of our duty to protect and support refugees – and our obligation to open more avenues of support.”

This year’s theme is “Hope Away From Home”. Mr. Guterres – who led the UN refugee agency UNHCR for a decade, called on the international community to “harness the hope that refugees carry in their hearts.”

Include refugees ‘at all levels’

From Kenya, where he’s been visiting the vast Kakuma refugee camp, the current UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said that the world should step up investment and “commit to including refugees in our communities at all levels – in our schools, workplaces, health-care systems, and beyond.”

In a tweet, Mr. Grandi deplored the fact that this year’s World Refugee Day coincided with the news that more than half a million people have now fled Sudan to neighbouring countries. “Guns must fall silent if we want this exodus to stop,” he said.

Pushed into hunger

The UN migration agency IOM, issued a statement honouring the strength and resilience of those forced to flee from conflict, announcing that since 2001, agency teams have provided orientation training for more than one million on the move.

This includes some 700,000 refugees being resettled.

The head of the World Food Programme Cindy McCain tweeted that conflict and climate shocks were pushing more and more people into hunger and homelessness.

“WFP is working with partners like UNHCR to deliver critical aid to millions of refugees in 40-plus countries. Today and every day, they deserve our continued support.”

© UNICEF/Jiro Ose

South Sudanese refugee children walk home together after school in the Nyumanzi refugee settlement in Uganda. (file)

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