WWW.READMETRO.COM MARCH 2017
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Racial discrimination against refugees is on the rise Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, celebrated on March 21, Metro investigates how refugees are facing this problem.
Q&A JEFF CRISP
Expert on refugee, migration and humanitarian issues and member of The Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford, UK
Is refugee crisis still a major problem? The refugee crisis is not going away. The UN and international community seem incapable of stopping new armed conflicts from erupting and are equally unable to bring protracted crises to and end. Drought, famine, natural disasters and the process of climate change seem certain to displace even more people in the months and years to come. If people cannot live peaceful and productive lives in their own communities and countries, they will inevitably look for a safe refuge and a sustainable future elsewhere.
DANIEL CASILLAS
Metro World News
Since the beginning of this year, several international human rights organizations have reported a growth in the number of racism cases against people who have fled armed conflict and are seeking asylum in Europe. Data revealed by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) indicates that violence, harassment, threats and xenophobic speeches targeting refugees remain pervasive and grave across the European Union, whether committed by state authorities, private companies or individuals. Even the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that it has received deeply worrying reports of kidnapping, tortures, extortions by smugglers, sexual and physical abuses refugees are suffering along the key routes. Experts also agree that there is a widespread growth in xenophobia and racism against this vulnerable group and that attacks come from both governments and political parties and have even reached society in general. “Throughout the Western world we have seen a notable increase in xenophobic attacks and forms of racial discrimination. The rhetoric of fear and xenophobia has real effects on the ground. The overall political climate directly affects the way in which refugees are percei-
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ways refugees are attacked |GETTY
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ved and treated. The anger that populist parties direct at refugees and migrants becomes manifest in acts of discrimination if not open violence towards this group,” Oliver Schmidtke, expert on migration and director of the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria, Canada, told to Metro. International agencies also warn that violence against asylum seekers in other countries is not only physical, but also presented through hate messages in popular media such as the internet and social networks. “There is evidence of growing hate speech targeting asylum seekers and migrants on the internet, with
investigation remaining difficult,” states the FRA report published at the end of 2016. It also notes that there is a lack of information on incidents of violence against refugees, because most Europe member states do not collect or publish statistical data on such incidents. The refugee crisis in Europe does not seem to have a ready solution and the UNHCR expects it to continue during 2017. And that’s why this organization has demanded the member states to halt border practices that are made not in accordance with international and European law, including push-backs, denial of access to asylum
procedures, and use of violence by authorities. Experts also believe that governments play an important role in combating violence and racism towards refugees: “Governments have an important role to play in setting the tone and norms for how refugees should be viewed and treated. When government leaders officially support the admittance and provision of help to refugees, this positive behavior comes to be seen as system sanctioned, and community members’ attitudes and behavior become more positive as a result,” Victoria Esses, director of the Centre for Research on Migration and
Violence
Push-backs by border authorities
Kidnapping and sexual assaults
According to the UNHCR study, tens of thousands of people have been reportedly pushed back by border authorities in Europe, including countries as Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Serbia, Spain, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Many of those cases involved alleged violence and abuses to lower the flow of refugees.
UNHCR has received reports of refugees being kidnapped, held against their will, tortured, extorted by smugglers and criminal gangs along the key key routes. Other data suggest that they also become victims of sexual and physical abuse.
Violent acts targeting asylum seekers, migrants and people with ethnic minority backgrounds – including killings, threats and intimidation – are committed in a number of countries around the globe.
Are refugees becoming victims of racial discrimination? Yes, xenophobia is a powerful and increasingly potent force in many parts of the world, and refugees are frequently discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion, nationality, ethnicity and gender. Young males from Muslim countries such as Afghanistan find it particularly difficult to have their asylum claims assessed in a fair manner and to be accepted as full members of the societies they have joined. Do you consider U.S. President Donald Trump’s veto against
Ethnic Relations at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, explained. Although governments have an important responsibility to end attacks against migrants, society also plays a very important role in the process. And, according to Jeff Crisp, expert on refugee, migration and humanita-
Hate speeches
Refugees are also victims of hate speeches made by governments, political parties, media and those published on social networks.
refugees and migrants an act of discrimination? Yes, there is clearly a discriminatory dimension in President Trump’s Executive Orders of refugee and migrants. During the presidential election campaign, Trump made no secret of his intention to introduce a “total shut down” on the arrival of Muslims in the USA, and that is exactly what he has tried to do. Trump’s decision to reduce the number of refugees who are resettled in the US is especially disappointing, given the growing number of exiles around the world who are unable to find a solution to their plight. What should governments do to combat racism against refugees? Governments have a key responsibility not to demonize or scapegoat refugees, and to make it clear to the electorate that refugees are welcome and trusted members of society. Unfortunately, in too many parts of the world, governments and opposition parties have been engaged in a race to the bottom, trying to outdo each other in terms of the negative language that they use about refugees and asylum seekers, as well as the measures that they use to exclude such people from their societies. Political leaders such as Angela Merkel of Germany and Justin Trudeau of Canada have, however, demonstrated that it is possible strong political leadership on the issue of refugees and racism, and their efforts in that respect should be applauded and replicated elsewhere.
rian issues at the University of Oxford, UK, people can take small actions to contribute in the fight against the racism that this vulnerable group suffers. “There is a great deal of scope for civil society to combat racism against refugees. People should not vote for politicians who run on an anti-refugee platform. They should not buy newspapers that use hate speech and which are biased in their coverage of refugee and migration issues. They should set a personal example by treating foreign nationals with the respect and dignity that they deserve,” he highlighted. Facing the wave of racism and xenophobia against refugees, Mustafa Jano, a Syrian digital artist, who is now living in a refugee camp in Sweden, told Metro that his message for people who discriminate refugees is the following: “Please let us to teach our kids. Respect human beings instead of hating them... And choose love instead of racism”.