Challenges Faced by Refugees in Host Countries
The state of refugees differs due to the country’s policies on refugees. However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has stepped up to ensure that refugees receive proper care. They safeguard the rights and the well-being of refugees. They ensure that everyone away from home has the right to request asylum or go back home voluntarily. When refugees flee their home countries due to fear of harm or persecution, they often seek refuge and support in neighboring countries for a period.
Many are fortunate to obtain refugee status and be allowed into the host country. However, some countries have implemented barriers to regulate the number of refugees admitted to their country. Every refugee is eligible for help from the host country they seek from. It is also fair for a country to have a strong refugee intake system. However, it should not leave anyone who needs legitimate help out.
The number of refugees in a particular country can be used to conclude that the country has lost control of its borders. In a world where politicians work and respond to matters according to public opinion, they order the borders to be sealed. They also dismiss cases of asylum seekers, regarding them as economic migrants. They become disadvantaged because they cannot access the country without proper documentation.
The central conflict between refugee policy and political affiliations lies in public opinion regarding the accommodation of refugees in the host country. The public also views them as individuals who come to their country to compete in the job market. The common people in the host country treat them with hostility and discrimination.
With the borders sealed and externalized, asylum seekers cannot access asylum in the first place. Many border camps await permission or luck to enter the host country. Some countries, such as those in Europe and Libya, make arrangements with others to reduce migration arrivals. The immigrants are subjected to torture, detention, forced labor, and health risks at the borders. The United States has used detention to prevent undocumented border crossers, including refugees and asylum seekers. The refugees are exposed to very unwelcoming conditions when they pack and leave.
Countries have witnessed massive returns of refugees only because the conditions were worse than those at home. The minimal chances that refugees get access to the host country or asylum do not improve. The living conditions in the asylum are deplorable due to a lack of hygiene and proper sanitation, overcrowding, and ill-treatment. There is a shortage of necessities, including food, shelter, clothing, and healthcare. When food is transported from the capital, it gets to the spoiled camps, which are useless.
The same applies to medical supplies. Some countries allocate a small budget towards refugees, which depletes before it can serve its full purpose. Some refugees flee to poorer countries with no single allocations or policies in place to favor their rights. They are let into the country, but the survival conditions are harsh; therefore, they decide to return to their home country.
Refugees are targets of violence and discrimination in the host countries. The public perception of citizens towards migrants, especially refugees, is one of contempt and violence. Many are subjected to forced labor, with minimal payment or none. They argue that refugees are vulnerable to violence due to physical violence because of terrorist attacks in their hometowns.
Political leaders use refugees as scapegoats during attacks, providing them with cover when violating refugee rights. In some countries, they have banned asylum and closed them up permanently. Refugees, therefore, have nowhere to stay but to make camps at the country’s borders. It is the state of refugees in different countries politically, economically, and socially.
Criticisms of Refugee Policies and Public Perceptions
There are systematic criticisms of refugee systems in countries, which raises some questions. First, caring about humanity is a fundamental aspect of human behavior. It could be from a position of power or strength or by default. Ordinary people working to make ends meet participate in donations and charity to help refugees. Therefore, the government they work for is expected to lead from the frontline.
On the contrary, the same governments close and seal borders to prevent refugees from taking refuge in their country. This could be due to public opinion or influence. On the brighter side, refugees could make more economic progress once they become working citizens of the country. Therefore, people are inclined to think that there is more to why refugees are denied entry to host countries.
Secondly, the notion that refugees are a source of violence in the host countries is wrong. They escape their countries due to violence and fear. They believe that they flee their country due to violence, and they start it somewhere else is twisted. They are naive, scared, and looking for a safe space for themselves and their children. Therefore, people are inclined to think that the government uses that as an excuse to justify violence toward refugees and the denial of entry into the country.
Although the United Nations High Commissioner has established specific rules and policies for Refugees to protect them, a loophole remains. They face violations such as forced labor, sexual assaults, and untimely deaths. They are openly discriminated against and treated like outsiders in the countries they seek help.
Refugees often lack necessary documentation, such as passports and visas. If they elope in their country with barely any food or clothing, the possibility that they have the necessary visas or passports to enter another country is zero. Many are always on the move, unsure of which country to visit. It is fair that governments should put powerful refugee systems in place. However, in many cases, refugees are termed undocumented migrants and kept out of the country. It does not take a lot of effort to realize that it is a way for the government to keep them out, which is cruel.
In the United States, political polarization over refugee resettlement is at an all-time high. Unfortunately, it prevents people from implementing reforms that would garner widespread support, reduce security risks, and maintain the program’s viability. To them, the refugee system endangers American citizens and undermines democracy. However, settling refugees is a moral obligation and good for the nation’s reputation. It is purely humanitarian, which is termed as a compromise to national security and economic growth. However, this could be controlled by making citizens contribute to the above.
Many refugees indeed run to America in search of freedom and peace. Freedom encompasses all aspects, including religion, race, and involvement in a particular group. However, America chooses to use religion as the basis of these. Donald Trump suggests that they should have a religious litmus test for people coming into the country seeking asylum.
Religion or expression of people’s faith does not threaten the democrats. It is because everyone in America, including all migrants, is allowed to engage in a faith or religion. The citizens do, but that does not mean they are a threat to themselves. People choose to make an issue out of others having different religious affiliations. That does not mean that they should blame it on the refugees.
Possible Solutions
The only possible solution for refugees to claim their freedom is to gain citizenship. It could be in the host country or back in their home country. Reclaiming rights is always associated with being a citizen of a country. It can be attained in three ways: Repatriation, local integration, and resettlement. In repatriation, the host country provides suitable conditions for the voluntary repatriation of refugees. They make sure that the conditions in their home countries are suitable for them to return.
Some tactics are used; for example, they should organize the Go-and-see visits. It would help them confirm whether it is safe before they return to their home countries. From time to time, host countries should compile information about the status quo in the country of origin and organize peace treaties to help refugees feel safe.
Local integration occurs when refugees seek to be granted the rights that citizens of the host country enjoy. It is highly dependent on the willingness of the host countries to grant them citizenship. Most countries are often reluctant to do this, or only do so for a few refugees. Many countries have resettlement programs that are executed at specific times of the year. The US is known to take many resettled refugees and give them permanent residency in the United States. It helps refugees relocate from countries that cannot sustain them. The main factors influencing this are that some countries cannot cater for permanent refugees or lack facilities such as asylums.
Policy Recommendations
Countries must provide asylum for those whose primary reason for their arrival is fear in their jurisdiction. They should not be forced to return to their home countries, where they face harm. All asylum seekers should be accommodated while their evaluation is ongoing. The country’s borders should open to people fleeing their country for safety. The asylum seekers and refugees should not be detained and forced into labor and torture.
Fundamental human rights, such as the right to life, should also apply to them. They should be free to access facilities such as healthcare and educational institutions. Their appeal for citizenship should be taken into consideration by the host government. Under any circumstances, they should not be subjected to any form of violation, whether physical or emotional. They should be integrated into the workforce and other economic activities.
Humanitarian assistance to the refugees is part of this, but many misconceptions prevent it from happening in host countries. Refugees belong to the mainstream; therefore, they should be accorded the basic human rights like any other migrant. They flee unspeakable violence and seek help in host countries, hoping for a new future. They contribute more to the economy than they cost. For example, refugees or their descendants own many of the top 500 companies in America. Therefore, they deserve a chance to reinvent themselves in peace and progress.