Category: Migrants and Refugees

Hundreds of young people stormed a building basement where scores of Rohingya refugees were sheltered, according to media reports.

The Rohingya are a mainly Muslim community who have fled waves of persecution in Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country. 

Nearly one million are living in camps in Bangladesh and more than 1,000 have arrived in Indonesia by boat in recent months.

Call for protection

UNHCR issued a statement saying it was “deeply disturbed to see a mob attack on a site sheltering vulnerable refugee families.”

The mob broke a police cordon and forcibly put 137 refugees on two trucks and moved them to another location in the city, the agency said, noting that the incident has left refugees shocked and traumatized.

 “UNHCR remains deeply worried about the safety of refugees and calls on local law enforcement authorities for urgent action to ensure protection of all desperate individuals and humanitarian staff,” the statement said.

Anti-refugee campaign

The attack was “not an isolated act but the result of a coordinated online campaign of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech against refugees and an attempt to malign Indonesia’s efforts to save desperate lives in distress at sea.” 

UNHCR appealed for the public “to be aware of the coordinated and well-choreographed online campaign on social media platforms, attacking authorities, local communities, refugees and humanitarian workers alike, inciting hate and putting lives in danger.”

People are urged to cross-check information posted online, much of which is “false or twisted, with AI generated images and hate speech being sent from bot accounts.”

Agreement in Brussels on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum reportedly followed three years of intense negotiations, and it should start taking effect in 2024.

The deal will attempt to distribute migrants more evenly across the bloc, providing enhanced support and coordination for processing claims away from frontier states such as Italy and Greece, through a so-called “solidarity mechanism”.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, High Commissioner Filippo Grandi congratulated Member States for reaching a deal.

UNHCR ready to advise and support

He congratulated both the EU and European Commission “for reaching a political agreement on the European pact on migration and asylum,” thanking especially the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson “for her persistence and leadership.”

“It is a very positive step. Now to its implementation! UNHCR stands ready to advise and support,” Mr. Gandi added.

Migration has long been a divisive issue within Europe, with some countries forced to bear a disproportionate share of the challenges of managing irregular migration, they have argued, at a cost to national border protection.

The New Pact

According to European Commission (EC), the New Pact on Migration and Asylum is a set of regulations and policies to create a fairer, more efficient and more sustainable migration and asylum process.

The agreement covers five key areas, including regulations concerning identification of non-EU nationals upon their arrival; developing common databases; making asylum, return and border procedures more efficient; establishing the new solidarity mechanism; and ensuring the bloc is prepared to deal with future migration crises.

Prior to the agreement, the Pact had already delivered various outcomes recommendations and guidance on search and rescue, as well as a voluntary solidarity mechanism among EU members.

‘A European challenge that requires European solutions’

Welcoming the agreement, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, noted migration management as “a European challenge that requires European solutions.”

“Every year, hundreds of thousands of irregular migrants undertake perilous journeys to reach our borders. They are often the victims of criminals, smugglers and traffickers who lure them with false promises of safe passage and extort money from them,” she said in a statement.

She said the pact would ensure Member States “share the effort responsibly, showing solidarity with those that protect our external borders while preventing illegal migration to the EU”.

In a message marking International Migrants Day, the UN chief emphasized that migration promotes the exchange of knowledge and contributes to economic growth, but at the same time, “poorly governed migration is a cause of great suffering.”

“It forces people into the cruel realm of traffickers, where they face exploitation, abuse, and even death. It undermines trust in governance and institutions, inflames social tensions, and corrodes our common humanity,” he added.

Recalling the Global Compact

Mr. Guterres recalled the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, adopted by scores of countries five years ago, as an “important reference point and resource” to enhance cooperation among countries and expand rights-based pathways for migration.

“Yet such measures remain the exception, not the norm,” he said, urging everyone to work towards a more humane and orderly management of migration for the benefit of all, including communities of origin, transit, and destination.

“Together, let us secure a safer and more prosperous future for all,” he said.

Contributing nearly $650 billion

According to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 3.6 per cent of the world’s population are migrants – defined as those who move away from their place of usual residence, within the country or internationally, temporarily or permanently.

Many among them move for better opportunities and in doing so, sustain their families and communities back home. 

For instance, migrants remitted some $647 billion back to their homelands, according to 2022 data.

‘As old as humanity itself’

Amy Pope, Director-General of IOM, highlighted that migration “is as old as humanity itself”, with people often seeking to flee conflict and escape persecution.

“Yet today, migration is getting more complex,” she said, noting that 2023 saw “historic increases” in the number of people on the move.

“Because of climate change and pronounced economic disparity, many people have little choice but to find livelihoods elsewhere by moving,” she added.

For people on the move now, for those who will be on the move in the future and for those who want to stay, the IOM head urged solutions rooted in evidence and centered on people.

“Solutions that will work for people to stay in their communities, and for those who want to or must move,” she said.

The International Day

In 2000, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 18 December as International Migrants Day, recognizing the contributions made by migrants to societies globally.

The choice of date marks the day on which the Assembly adopted, in 1990, the treaty known as the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

Recognize their rights, protect them

The UN independent Committee on Migrant Workers called on nations to better address the effects of climate change and environmental disasters as drivers of migration.

The message comes against the backdrop that the changing climate could force as many as 216 million people to move, according to estimates by the World Bank, exacerbating migrants’ vulnerability and exposing them to human rights abuses.

“[We] recommend that States address climate change, environmental degradation, and natural catastrophes as drivers of migration, ensuring they do not impair the human rights of migrants and their families, among other recommendations,” the Committee said.

Similarly, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of migrants, Gehad Madi called for addressing prejudice, racism and xenophobia against migrants and their families.

“We must empower and recognize the role of migrants in positive interaction, particularly their social, economic, and cultural contributions to transit and receiving societies as well as their communities of origin,” he highlighted.

The members of the Committee and the Special Rapporteur are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to serve in an individual capacity. They are not UN staff and draw no salary.

The world’s largest gathering dedicated to refugee issues, the Forum is co-hosted by UNHCR and Switzerland and convened by Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan and Uganda.

It brings together Member States, civil society, financial institutions, private companies and more than 300 refugee advocates.

Shattered dreams, disrupted lives

Setting the tone for the discussion, Mr. Grandi said that 114 million “represents the number of refugees and displaced people whom persecution, human rights violations, violence, armed conflict, serious public disorder have forced from their homes: 114 million shattered dreams, disrupted lives, interrupted hopes.”

© UNHCR/Pierre Albouy

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi delivers his keynote remarks during the orientation session at the Global Refugee Forum 2023.

He stressed the need to tackle the root causes of displacement and highlighted the humanitarian obligation to assist people uprooted by “protracted crises” in places like Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Other hotspots include growing insecurity in the Sahel, he said, “the dramatic population flows across the Americas, the Mediterranean and the Bay of Bengal, and many others” largely fuelled by the lack of political solutions to conflicts.

Makings of success

Contemplating what has been achieved since the first ever global forum on the issue in 2019, the High Commissioner said back then “we had the makings of a success. Today, those makings have turned into an engine which can bring us much further”. 

That potential has evolved into a powerful force, he said, thanks to the collaborative efforts of many, including states, NGOs, local and refugee-led organizations, sports bodies, financial institutions, faith leaders, academia, private companies, and engaged citizens.

He noted the same positive “whole-of-society” spirit evident in the Global Compact on Refugees.

But he also warned UNHCR is $400 million short of its fundraising goal “to end the year with the minimum of needed resources”, adding that he was greatly concerned over next year’s outlook.

Gaza: ‘A major human catastrophe’

Calling the situation in Gaza ‘a major human catastrophe’ that reflected failure in the Security Council, Mr. Grandi expressed his fear of more civilian death and suffering, and displacement that could threaten the whole region.

He reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s appeal for an immediate and sustained humanitarian ceasefire, the release of hostages and a genuine resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, the UN agency that aids Palestinian refugees, came to the forum directly for the ailing region.

He told delegates the people of Gaza were “running out of time and options, as they face bombardment, deprivation, and disease in an ever-ever-shrinking space. They are facing the darkest chapter of their history since 1948”. 

The UNRWA chief added that “there is absolutely no alternative to a genuine political process to end the cycle of violence”, which would see both sides enjoying statehood, peace, and stability. 

Days of intensive work

Concluding his address, the High Commissioner called for the forum to be “a moment of unity, in which all of us join forces to ensure that those who flee because their life, freedom and security are threatened can find protection; and that everything is done to resolve their exile as soon as possible”.

With its extensive programme spanning three days, the forum will focus on a wide range of issues, including the need for gender equality, the scourge of gender-based violence, health, education, rights of refugee children, employment, housing and much more. 

The opening day will conclude with a ceremony celebrating the winners of the Nansen Refugee Award 2023. 

That figure is more than double the crossings made in all of 2022.

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, underscored the scale of the crisis.

“The challenges that the unprecedented population movements in the Americas pose are formidable…no country on its own is equipped to address them,” he said.

“Only by coming together with all relevant stakeholders in a collaborative route-based approach and looking at what we can do at each step of the journey can we tackle them effectively,” he added.

Filled with peril

The Darién Gap is a dense and challenging tropical forest region that spans over 575,000 hectares along the border between Panama and Colombia. It has become a treacherous route for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers attempting to travel from South America to North America.

Those attempting the crossing must brave grave dangers, including disease, natural hazards, sexual and gender-based violence, robbery and kidnapping.

Many also fall prey to people traffickers who exploit the desperation of migrants, forcing them to exorbitant sums of money.

Most on the move come from Venezuela, Haiti and Ecuador, as well as from other countries in South America and the Caribbean. Others come from further afield, including Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Find safe pathways

The UN agencies highlighted the importance of expanding refugee resettlement and regular migration pathways for saving lives and harnessing the potential for development that refugees and migrants bring.  

“Migrants and refugees are powerful drivers for development and for stronger and more diverse communities and societies,” said Amy Pope, IOM Director-General.

“Host countries require greater support from the international community to strengthen national services and provide integration opportunities for people to find stability and avoid embarking on dangerous journeys,” she added.

Hampering pathways for regular migration would only lead to people taking more dangerous routes which make trafficking more profitable, and restrictive policies that create barriers to asylum, the agencies warned.