What is the refugee crisis today?
The refugee crises in Asia and Africa during the latter half of the 20th century reveal that many governments and global institutions assumed that poor, non-Western, and non-white populations belonged in marginalized or unstable regions. These assumptions were rooted in colonial-era thinking, where racial and economic hierarchies shaped who was seen as deserving of safe, prosperous spaces.. In this case, the United Nations reports that most refugees are housed in camps in underdeveloped African nations.
When people in a nation try to flee to another, safer country or even seek refuge in another country, the country is said to be experiencing a crisis.[1] A massive influx of people sought asylum in 20th-century Asia and Africa. The crisis exposed some of humanity’s preconceived notions about where certain types of people need to reside on earth. Since unveiling these assumptions during the crisis is crucial to comprehend, the paper strives to look at what the current refugee crisis in Asia and Africa has revealed about people’s beliefs, including how the study of their history might help us make sense of it.
Refugees Crisis
Assumptions humans have established about who deserves to dwell in certain parts of the world were exposed by the refugee crises in Asia and Africa in the second half of the twentieth century. The crises have shown that many people in the world think that individuals who are not white, are not affluent, and do not reside in the Global North do not have the right to a life of security and respect. The Biafran War of 1968 is illustrative of the impact of such ideas. The Biafran people were starved to death by Nigerian forces protecting the territory throughout the war.[2]
Two million people in Biafra were said to have starved to death due to the blockade’s operation. The Biafrans had no value in the eyes of the Nigerian government since they were poor, black, and not white. These disasters show that many individuals believe those who are not white, well-off, or from the Global North do not have the right to a life of security and respect. These ideas have influenced human behavior toward refugees ever since.
The Country’s Refugee Problem
People’s assumptions about who qualifies to reside in what sorts of regions on earth may be seen in refugee crises today, and this can be better understood through a historical knowledge of these things. For instance, the Assads’ view that their country’s citizens do not deserve to live there contributes to the country’s refugee problem. The Assads have controlled Syria since 1970.[3] In this case, the Assads consist of a rich Arab family that practices Sunni Islam. As the Assad family has exploited their position of power to enrich themselves and their associates, most Syrian individuals have been forced to survive on low incomes.
The Syrian people demanded democracy and the end of the Assads’ tyranny in 2011, and they rose in opposition to the family that was then in power. The Assads’ view that Syrian citizens do not qualify to live in their nation is based on the same prejudices in society. The Assad family considers the Syrian people expendable due to their race, socioeconomic status, and geographical location in the Middle East. Because of this, the Assad family has perpetrated many acts of violence against the Syrian people, including massacres, rapes, and the destruction of whole towns.
Conclusion
Understanding the historical context of the current refugee crisis is crucial. As many nations have faced the refugee crisis as a direct result of wars, developing peaceful means of resolving disagreements is imperative. Using Lebanon as an example, the influx of Syrian refugees has triggered significant economic crises. Products’ pricing and unemployment rates have skyrocketed. Countries must devise systems to prevent future refugee crises and avoid dealing with similar situations.
Bibliography
Banko, L., K. Nowak, and P. Gatrell. “What is Refugee History, Now?” Cambridge Core. Last modified August 2, 2021. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-global-history/article/what-is-refugee-history-now/2DEC4ECFF6FB76389A6F5C734E7DB741.
Gulmez, Recep. “The securitization of the Syrian refugee crisis through political party discourses.” Journal of International Migration and Integration 20, no. 3 (2019): 887-906.
Ibhawoh, Bonny. “Refugees, Evacuees, and Repatriates: Biafran Children, UNHCR, and the Politics of International Humanitarianism in the Nigerian Civil War.” African Studies Review 63, no. 3 (2020): 568-592.
