Caring through sharing refugee protection responsibility

By Katelin van Zyl

On 1 June 2023, the UN announced further food ration cuts for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh due to a $56 million funding shortfall. It was previously cut on 1 March from $12 monthly per person to $10, with the recent cut bringing it down further to $8 (27 cents per day). Almost one million Rohingya now live in Bangladeshi refugee camps, and the UN is urgently appealing for international support to address the second reduction in three months. In the absence of provision for refugees to work, there are concerns that the food cuts may contribute to serious health issues, since malnutrition, anaemia and stunted growth are already widespread in the camps. There are also fears that decreased food aid will lead to a greater prevalence of crime, adding to a series of deadly drug-related clashes in recent months and the murder of several Rohingya community leaders.

These announcements have again drawn attention to the situation of the Rohingya refugees who have fled ongoing violence and persecution in Myanmar, where they are not considered to be citizens of the nation. We know that Bangladesh is one of a handful of developing countries hosting the majority of the world’s displaced populations. According to the UNHCR, by mid-2022, 74% of refugees and other people in need of international protection were hosted in low- and middle-income countries.

Therefore, it is not surprising that a major issue frequently highlighted in the refugee and forced migration field is the lack of mechanisms to guarantee global responsibility-sharing. The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees acknowledges in its preamble that:

[The] grant of asylum may place unduly heavy burdens on certain countries, and that a satisfactory solution of a problem of which the United Nations has recognised the international scope and nature cannot therefore be achieved without international co-operation.

However, there are no specific measures stipulated in this foundational treaty between states and its 1967 Protocol to ensure that responsibility is fairly shared in practice. Subsequent to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Global Compact on Refugees (Part II) was adopted in December 2018 as a resolution by the UN General Assembly to particularly address burden- and responsibility-sharing:

The resolution underscores the importance of the global compact on refugees as a representation of political will and the ambition to operationalise the principle of burden- and responsibility-sharing, to mobilise the international community as a whole, and to galvanise action for an improved response to refugee situations.

Unfortunately, this too has been criticised by some for not doing enough to guarantee meaningful global responsibility-sharing and robust solutions for refugees or host communities.?

Of course, international responsibility-sharing not only entails donating aid to hosting countries, but also being part of providing sustainable solutions for displaced people. The main widely recognised ‘durable’ solutions are voluntary return to and reintegration into one’s country of origin (Country A), local integration into the host country (Country B), and resettlement to another country or location (Country C). Another solution linked to resettlement is ‘complementary pathways for admission to third countries’, which involves finding regulated avenues providing lawful stay in a ‘Country C’, where their protection needs can be met for a certain period of time. Such avenues include being a beneficiary of private/community sponsorship programmes, a humanitarian visa or a student visa.

Camps are generally not an encouraged solution, especially as a long-term solution to the protection of refugees. However, in the case of the Rohingya refugees – who want to return especially following the food aid cuts – safe repatriation has not been viable for many years due to the vulnerable position of Rohingya in Myanmar as well as the country’s current political instability and internal conflict. The recent pilot repatriation project (where an initial group of 1140 refugees will be returned to Myanmar at an unspecified date, and 6000 by the end of the year) has been opposed by many, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, who believes their lives and liberty will be threatened. Local integration is opposed by the Bangladeshi government, and the global statistics of the number of resettled refugees show that this solution is also not welcomed enough (less than 1% of the 20.4 million refugees of concern to UNHCR around the world are resettled).?

The global community is constantly trying to find solutions to problems, some very complex and some even initially thought to be out of reach, such as transitioning to green energy to combat climate change. Yet when it comes to refugees, the international community at large does not seem to display the same degree of determination, mutual pressure to act and aspiration for innovation. The same approach should be applied to finding solutions for the displacement of groups such as the Rohingya, which should not be the responsibility of only some countries. There are some positive examples of global and regional cooperation, but this needs to be significantly expanded upon.

The UNHCR estimates that 117.2 million people will be forcibly displaced or stateless in 2023. Hosting refugees is sadly often considered a burden or threat to the local population, but there are numerous ideas proposed by various people around the world about how to rethink this connotation and rather find sustainable ways to benefit both refugees and the local populations hosting them. Just like finding any working solutions to complex realities, it will require open-mindedness and willingness to make some compromises and endure some growing pains in the process of change and working together. Nonetheless, it is worth it because refugees are not just statistics but individual people, and every person has value, created and loved by God. Each individual also has talents and a special way of approaching situations and, indeed, solving complex problems and filling gaps. Thus, refugees can be part of finding solutions and can have a positive influence in their host countries. There are so many inspiring examples of the incredible agency, resilience, and innovation of refugees as they seek to survive and protect their families.?

Imagine you were displaced; how would you want to be treated? You wouldn’t want to be considered a burden or threat, but rather you would know that although you are reliant upon others, you also have something useful to offer. This can be of economic benefit to another country, but just think of how much can be learnt from one another in so many other areas (such as culture and education) if host communities and refugees are open to that kind of exchange too.

There is so much one can unpack on this topic, but I will leave it to you to think about and discuss with those around you. We must certainly acknowledge that these situations are often extremely complex and challenging, but let us also imagine the possibilities, and together display a deep care for refugees, caring enough to desire to be part of solutions. We can all improve the way we view refugee situations, the way we talk about them, and the importance we place on finding ways to better share responsibility and collectively seek solutions.

Reference list:

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