By Omar Hamed
Where should we go after the last frontiers,
where should the birds fly after the last sky?
Mahmoud Darwish, poet
There are 12.8 million refugees in the world!* That is about three times the population of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Refugees are people fleeing dire circumstances of war, oppression and starvation, and more recently the devastating effects of climate change which compel them to travel across the face of the globe in search of a safe home.
The number of refugees is always changing, reflecting the changing global situation; as some refugees return home, others flee new conflicts and troubles.
Who are they and where do they come from?
Some of the biggest populations of refugees globally today are from Palestine, Sudan and Afghanistan.
Palestinians
Palestinians comprise the largest single population of refugees at 4.4 million people.* These refugees were displaced in the wars and conflicts that have troubled the region since 1948 and the continued Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Prevented by the Israeli state from returning to their homes in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, these Palestinians now live in a myriad of refugee camps in neighbouring countries, primarily Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt, and in migrant communities across the world including the United States and Argentina.
Sudanese
The central African state of Sudan has in recent years experienced genocide and severe famine which has displaced more than 8 million people and forced 700 000 people into neighbouring countries. In Darfur, since early 2003, the Sudanese government and the government-sponsored Janjaweed militia have used violence and organised starvation to forcibly displace an entire region.
Afghanis
Fleeing from the Taliban, famine and drought, murderous warlords and the United States-led aerial bombing campaign in the wake of September 11, Afghanis now make up the third largest population of refugees in the world, with a combined population of nearly 2 million. Afghani refugees made headlines in 2001 when the New Zealand government decided to accept hundreds who had been stranded, after the boat they were travelling in started to sink off the Australian coast.
Aotearoa New Zealand’s role
More than 20,000 refugees have arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand since 1944, when official statistics were first collected.
As part of the Government’s commitment to fulfilling its international humanitarian responsibilities, we take up to 750 refugees each year under the Refugee Quota Programme, which includes up to 300 places for family members of refugees already here. Hundreds of other refugees are also accepted who claim refugee status upon reaching New Zealand. It sounds like a pretty small number, but in proportion to our population it’s one of the highest rates of acceptance in the world!
Resettlement can be difficult. 16 year old Afghani migrant Amina Lafaraie recalled it can be quite tough to fit in. In the first years after arriving in Aotearoa New Zealand, Amina found school life hard where people, “were quite awful and cruel — saying things like Fly away home!’” However attitudes towards refugees are slowly changing and refugees are increasingly being accepted as an integral part of Aotearoa New Zealand.
While some struggle with resettlement, others do not fit our criteria for asylum and are denied status and deported. In 2005, 78% of refugee status appeal applications were declined. Many New Zealanders campaign against the deportation of such people. There is currently a campaign to free five Iranian asylum seekers who have been denied refugee status by the New Zealand Immigration Service, and have been detained because they refuse to sign a form that would allow them to be deported to Iran. Amir Mohebbi is one of the five and has been detained for three years, despite having three kiwi children.
Solving the crisis
It all sounds a bit grim, but these challenges are not unsolvable. People across the world are working to end the root causes of displacement and to create fairer and freer refugee policies in the countries that refugees flee to. They range from the aid workers in Sudan and Lebanon who work to improve the conditions of refugees, to Palestinians, Israelis and international activists who challenge the day-to-day oppression of Palestinians. Then there are the many volunteers who resettle refugees in places like Aotearoa New Zealand and the radical global “No Borders” movement that is challenging the ever-tightening systems of border control, through campaigns against deportation centres and criminalisation of refugees.
Together these local groups and global movements are capable of creating a world that is more supportive of refugees and the challenges they face.
(*Statistics taken from Refugees by numbers, 2006, UNCHR. Total number of refugees is 8.4 million plus 4.4 Palestinian refugees who are not covered by UNCHR, but by UNRWA)
Learn More & Take Action
Five Facts
- Albert Einstein was a refugee
- It is World Refugee Day every year on June 20
- Pakistan and Iran currently host the largest refugee populations in the world
- 1 in every 3 refugees is Palestinian
- The International Red Cross reported that already up to 25 million people have been displaced by the impacts of climate change
A version of this article was originally published in JET magazine.
Created during a series of writing workshops, these vibrant stories provide an insight into the lives of young New Zealanders - individuals who came to New Zealand seeking security and freedom.