Millions of people around the world have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict and violence. They are either refugees seeking protection or internally displaced people (IDPs). The global refugee crisis has reached a twenty-year high and is the worst since World War II.
The causes of displacement are complex. While war and conflict are the most common, other human-made calamities like severe socio-economic deprivation can also drive large numbers of people to flee. So can natural disasters and the adverse effects of climate change. And these calamities can be exacerbated by the lack of security, justice and economic opportunity in some countries.
Refugees face a range of challenges as they try to rebuild their lives, including insecurity and poverty, especially when host states are prone to political instability. Policies aimed at increasing state security often infringe refugee rights and impoverish them by isolating them in far-flung camps or preventing them from finding legal employment, for example. Ultimately these measures backfire, creating resentment and increasing insecurity.
The best way to end this crisis is to tackle the root causes of displacement by ending the conflicts and persecution that force people to flee. Those who have no other choice but to leave home deserve our respect and humanity. We must protect them and support their efforts to build a better future. But most importantly, we must all combat xenophobia, racism and discrimination against refugees and migrants. This is wrong and dangerous; it stokes tensions, creates fear and fuels anti-foreigner sentiment that can lead to human rights abuses.
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