why are refugees treated differently

Data from a project of Stanfords Immigration Policy Lab (IPL) has shown that the longer applicants wait for resolution of their case, the less likely they are to secure a steady job once approved in large part due to loss of motivation. The Ukraine crisis may serve as a reminder that migration policy should be based on more careful collection of data. Khoury, the researcher, says race plays a part in all of this but also proximity and geopolitics, too. Author Kate Zernike dissects the years-long fight for gender equality at MIT, NASA made history by knocking an asteroid off course. Several studies suggest the increase of an active work force will benefit the EUs GDP. By giving all asylum seekers temporary work permits and cracking down on labor discrimination, member states with surplus capacity could gain a much-needed workforce and secure long-term influence in the region. deported back to their home countries, where they are at great risk of torture or prosecution. Among those were27.1 million refugees, half under the age of 18 (21.3 million refugees under . EU leaders who focus on migration have mostly been concerned with arrivals from Africa, and they have pursued policies to deter these migrants. Snohomish County couple providing relief to Ukraine amid Russia conflict. What explains the difference? Since anger and hostility toward refugees might be related to the perception of injustice as well, we need to address feelings of injustice related to the obligation of accepting refugees and foreigners. The United Nations refugee agency has expressed concern over these expulsion flights, noting that those impacted are being sent back to the very dangers they have fled in their countries of origin. Indeed, these asylum-seekers should instead be welcomed just like Afghans are being welcomed all refugees deserve protection, not just our allies. Examining these six threat types, researchers tried to determine if only one or two of them might explain hostility toward refugees just as well or even better than all six factors combined. Compared to college students in previous samples, these participants reported perceiving even stronger threats and experiencing more hostility toward refugees. The other hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of girls and young women who survived the journey are still in Kakuma Refugee Camp. Moreover, they were not permitted to work until their asylum application was approved. That convention requires the country that first registered an asylum seeker to administer the application and provide housing. Accuracy and availability may vary. At the end of March 2022, the Biden administration announced a commitment to resettle up to. For example, people are not eligible to make a claim if they have: been convicted of serious criminal . Work permits alone do not guarantee refugees employment, though. There are several interconnecting reasons behind this sudden change in the way European citizens and states are responding to refugees. According to DR's calculations, the distance from Denmark's border with Germany to the Ukraine-Poland border is 1,270 kilometres, and to the Syria-Turkey border 3,760 . Staying Single: What Most People Do If They Divorce After 50, A Psychological Diagnosis for People Who Lie About Everything. Tens of thousands of people have already crossed into. LIMBONG: The Nigerian statehouse issued a statement today denouncing reports of Nigerians being denied entry to the Polish border. The Detail asks why they are treated differently to refugees coming in through the quota system? Notwithstanding, numerous other treaties - dealing with human rights, refugees, stateless people and the protection of political, civil and economic rights -indirectly afford protection for migrants; unfortunately, all too often, receiving countries flout these obligations. Iraq is reclaiming territory and yet faces internal conflict and a long road to recovery. Shooting, detaining, torturing, and executing protestors, Assad forcefully crushed pro-democracy protests during the Arab Spring. RANA KHOURY: We certainly do see it play out in terms of the politics of refugee reception in the idea of whose burden should it be to take refugees who are from the global South, the Middle East, Africa, versus, you know, who is welcome and who can be brought in here. But they may be misguided to see migration from Africa as their foremost challenge. Syrian Palestinians have always been treated differently to their Syrian counterparts; whereas Turkish authorities have given Syrian refugees a "temporary protection" status using a specific regulation (which has become increasingly precarious over time), Palestinians (including Syrian Palestinians) have had to apply for visas to enter and stay . As Al-Younes noted, who wants to hire an asylum seeker still at risk of deportation, since their application hasnt been accepted yet? Why are some refugees treated differently than others? Not so today in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A myriad of factors overlap and contribute to the exceptionalism of Ukrainian refugees in the EUIslamophobia; Europeans perceived similarities and fraternity with Ukrainians; racism, which also perpetuates inequality among refugees leaving Ukraine; media coverage; and geopolitics, especially the post-Cold War fear of Russian aggression and the EUs concern for its international reputation. For the West, the line between right and wrong is simply the border between Ukraine and Russia. Central American and Mexican refugees ask why they aren't being treated at the same level as . Similarly, right-wing European officials used the recent sexual harassment scandal in Cologne to fuel cultural bias and collective punishment against all asylum seekers. But we need to remember that Europeans were impressively generous to the first wave of Syrian refugees, but as the numbers increased, attitudes quickly became exclusive. Meanwhile, Poland erected a border fence, started to build a wall, passed legislation to make entry more difficult, and only accepted about 5.7 percent of asylum applications in 2020. The Guardian, 2 set. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Why Are So Many Young Men Single And Sexless? Watch on. "Many nations today are spending much more money and energy on finding ways to prevent refugees and asylum seekers from ever crossing their border than they are in protecting people who have been. It is not enough for them simply to stay alive. Assistant Professor Farzana Saleem on how to mitigate the toll racial stressors take on kids mental health. The European Commission is considering reforms that ensure fair sharing of responsibility, including ending the Dublin Convention, but progress has been slow. Border patrol agent seen holding whip during encounter with Haitian migrants, the Biden administration has been quietly engaged in another series of evacuation flights, more than 1 million migrants and asylum-seekers, Biden immigration hypocrisy on full display as he tells Haitians fleeing chaos not to come, The United Nations refugee agency has expressed concern, Thousands of Afghan refugees await new homes in U.S. airbases, has 14 days to implement the court ruling, arrive without visas as humanitarian parolees, more than 123,000 people were safely flown out of Afghanistan, received medical screenings and access to vaccinations. Every threat type was correlated with unfavorable views of migration and refugees and with favoring more restrictive control of migration. Unfortunately, extremists and right-wing politicians alike have used the sensitive political climate to strike fear and tensions. Does a Dog's Head Shape Predict How Smart It Is? Andrew Limbong, NPR News. The Century Foundation While not able to help everyone, the U.S. ensured that more than 123,000 people were safely flown out of Afghanistan and has already accepted 64,000 evacuees. The U.S. has an opportunity to build off of its strong response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Instead. As anthropologist Miriam Ticktin has documented, some even infect themselves with deadly diseases to gain protection as HIV-positive patients and thereby gain residence. What is threatening about refugees? Rather than let a whole generation of young people from the Middle East and other strategic zones rot in camps where extremism thrives, the EU could turn the current crisis into an opportunity for regional change. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. The death of Alan Kurdi: one year on, compassion towards refugees fades: Toddler's death opened European hearts and policy towards refugees, but 12 months on those changes have proved temporary. Fortunately for the Ukrainians, Ukraines westward neighbors are working assiduously to register and take initial responsibility for this unprecedented flow, which is likely to add another 5 million refugees from Ukraine within a year from the Russian invasion, nearly five times as fast as the flow from Syria and North Africa. LIMBONG: Keshavarz points to Poland accepting Ukrainian refugees when not that long ago, the country was telling scores of Afghans, Syrians and Iraqis, no, the country's full. Refugee Health: From the Public Health Perspective. They often have no or very limited access to services, material assistance, adequate housing, health . It is not enough for them simply to stay alive. Early refugees from Ukraine often had relatives outside the country and the means to reach them. For more information, see our full Privacy Policy. Many asylum applicants who technically fall under the refugee-protection category have been deported back to their home countries, where they are at great risk of torture or prosecution. They met a woman from Guatemala traveling with her two daughters. The EU report challenges her statement by showing that, rather than signifying asylum seekers lack of desire to work, the slow inclusion of asylum seekers into the labor market is a result of poor implementation: Many employers in Sweden are simply not aware that asylum seekers are allowed to work. Not everyone is eligible to seek asylum. Why refugees from Ukraine have been treated differently European countries haven't seen such a large number of displaced people in this short period of time in recent history. Rather than bringing people to safety via transit centers and, ultimately, to countries including the United States, these flights are sending vulnerable migrants and asylum-seekers back to danger. That's less likely to be true for people who decide to leave in the coming weeks, said Steve. Data collected from three IPL projects shows that Muslim immigrants and refugees face higher levels of discrimination in Europe than those with a Christian heritage. It took a heroic act at great political cost by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for Germany to take responsibility for many of these asylum seekers. Black asylum-seekers from Africa face unique challenges in the U.S. African immigrants arriving in Texas are finding a litany of unique racial, cultural and practical challenges to becoming legal . Although the Refugee Act of 1980 set an annual limit on refugee admissions, the law also authorized the President of the United . As such, refugees are generally asylum seekers who have been granted the right to asylum in another country (refugee status). But, as Katy Long argued in a policy brief for The Century Foundation, in the case of the United States, which accepted 69,900 refugees including a mere 2,192 Syrians last year, Western countries may be shooting themselves in the foot by outsourcing their migrant problem. Therefore, the latter must contend with heightened xenophobia, and numerous studies evidence discrimination against Muslim asylum seekers. A third study, a replication of the second study, included a sample of 23 male and 108 female students (average age of 33 years) and concluded that, aside from the prejudice threat, every threat type was associated with unfavorable attitudes toward migrants. Given the risk of deportation, many also avoid the system altogether and work informally instead. They are unable to return home unless and until conditions in their native lands are safe for them again. An anchor for Al-Jazeera English called Ukrainian refugees, quote, "middle-class people," in comparison to refugees from the Middle East and North Africa. But we could see White people going through. A Nigerian student added, Theyre pushing us back just because were Black!Were all humanThey should not discriminate against us because of the colour of our skin. Racism against POC fleeing Ukraine exposes differential treatment even among refugees fleeing the same conflict, suggesting that European solidarity is skin-deep. She holds an MA in Near Eastern Studies from New York University and will be a PhD candidate in social anthropology at Columbia University in the fall. The Century Foundation And if you zoom way, way out when talking about refugees and displacement, countries in the Middle East, Africa and the global South have taken in more than their fair share of refugees. The United States has been consumed with the mass evacuation and resettlement effort for vulnerable Afghans in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Since the media expose Europeans more to the conflict in Ukraine, they are more aware of the atrocities and trauma necessitating Ukrainians flight to nearby countries; therefore, refugees need for asylum seems more legitimate. Many Central and Eastern Europeans are empathising with. The Century Foundation. March 3, 2022. A recent report by Human Rights First documented at least 6,356 reports of kidnappings and attacks on asylum-seekers and migrants after they were turned away from the U.S. under Title 42. She told us that she shared the name of a family member in California, and then boarded a plane, believing she would be safe and with her family in the U.S. soon. Work permits are a contested issue in the EU, since many native workers fear that the new labor force will steal jobs from them. Second, under the EUs temporary protection directive, any Ukrainian national who flees as a result of the invasion, plus his or her partners and children of any nationality, may receive permission to stay in any EU country for one year; previously, a Ukrainian passport permitted visa-free entry into the EU for only up to 90 days. To receive Stanford news daily, The Refugee Act of 1980 amended the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 and the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, standardizing the process for admitting refugees into the United States. Unlike Ukrainians, they must apply for asylum and wait for approval before seeking jobs. Saif Khalid of Al Jazeera attributes this disparate language to primarily white media outlets that [lack] diversity and perspective and enforce racial stereotypes. That's what makes it so shocking. For example, Ukrainians and Poles are fast-tracked across the border near Medyka, Poland, while everyone else must wait 14 to 50 hours to cross. The arrival of Afghan refugees, including some whose status is not materially different from asylum-seekers, proves this. The Russian incursion has sparked the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II, forcing more than 2 . Here, Laitin discusses how the experience of Ukrainian refugees compares to those fleeing other conflicts and difficulties, such as those escaping civil war in Syria and economic hardship in North Africa. Businesses and civil society groups are busy developing training programs and job centers for asylum seekers to integrate into the system. Arash Emamzadeh attended the University of British Columbia in Canada, where he studied genetics and psychology. The 1953 Refugee Relief Act defined "refugee" (someone in a non-Communist country fleeing persecution), "escapee" (someone fleeing communism), and "expellee" (an ethnic German forced out of Eastern Europe). In other words, the choice presented to the Lebanese people by . All refugees deserve protection, not just our allies. Asylum applicants in northern Europe receive welfare benefits including free education and health care while their applications are being processed, which presents a considerable cost to society. Ukrainian nationals are oftentimes allowed to board evacuation transportation ahead of foreign nationals, who also face more difficulties entering countries like Poland and acquiring suitable accommodations. For example, a person who fears he might catch a deadly disease from refugees is reacting to a direct threat, but a person who fears negative changes in politics of the country, such as a significant increase in popular support for extremist right-wing and far-right parties, is reacting to an indirect or extended threat. By Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, a lecturer in digital. Approximately 18,000 Europeans from 15 countries were given profiles and asked whom they would grant asylum; the study found a consistent bias against Muslim asylum-seekers, who were 11 percentage points less likely to be accepted than otherwise similar Christians. Corroborating this anti-Muslim bias among Europeans, another experiment in France concluded that increasing numbers of Muslims in France resulted in increased xenophobia. Al Jazeera journalist Virginia Pietromarchi notes, Bloody conflicts in Syria, Somalia, and other places have not received the wide-reaching international media coverageor urgent international government actionthat the invasion of Ukraine has inspired." Andrew Limbong is a reporter for NPR's Arts Desk, where he does pieces on anything remotely related to arts or culture, from streamers looking for mental health on Twitch to Britney Spears' fight over her conservatorship. The way we talk about conflicts can impact those who are already most directly affected by war, refugees. In line with these recommendations, countries with high migration rate such as Germany, Sweden, and Italy offer asylum seekers temporary work permits while their applications are being processed. Religion is a key factor influencing attitudes toward refugees. Is it a vague feeling of hostility or does it stem from specific unpleasant experiences or future worries? Since 9/11, far-right terrorists have killed more people in the United States than Islamic jihadists. This led to a disorganized and desperate re-migration throughout Europe, with refugees under continued fear of being repatriated. the population growth among the working age has increased while unemployment has decreased. By welcoming Ukrainian refugees and imposing economic sanctions on Russia, the EU has demonstrated its support for Ukrainian sovereignty and opposition to Russian aggression without direct military intervention. Stanford, California 94305. IPL researchers analyzed survey data collected at transit hubs across West and Central Africa, and they found that only a small share of the migrants there expressed an interest in reaching Europe. Please submit a letter to the editor. In fixating on distinguishing the two, politicians tend to miss the benefits that integrating both refugees and migrants into the labor market could have on the national economy. You know, looking and seeing why African migrants aren't allowed to cross into Hungary is just as valid as just asking why Ukrainians are. For example, Orbn seeks to establish a Christian democracy in Hungary, and he has stated that Christian and Muslim society will never unite. This potent anti-Muslim, Christian supremacy rhetoric explains why Hungary welcomes Christian Ukrainians and rejects Muslim refugees from Africa and the Middle East. Media outlets therefore play a decisive role in how Europeans view asylum seekers. As of March 4, Canada has only resettled 8,580 of . As political scientist Lamis Abdelaaty describes, Europeans see Ukrainians as White and Christian, similar to the way that many in European countries see themselves. Eastern Europeans are especially welcoming of Ukrainians, with whom they share a sense of fraternity; many people move around within Eastern Europe, so nationalities expand beyond each nations borders. foreigners). A further 133,000 have gone to Hungary, 72,000 to Slovakia, 51,260 to Romania, and nearly 98,000 . It especially from Asia and Africa, to understand that Lebanon has a racism problem that goes beyond the discrimination of refugees. We need to demystify refugees cultural practices so they appear less threatening. In contrast, non-Ukrainian refugees have been physically assaulted by Polish and Belarussian patrolmen; left to freeze in the winter; detained in unhygienic camps in Greece; trapped in limbo between Poland and Belarus; assaulted with tear gas and water cannons near the Greece-Turkey border; and bombarded with xenophobic and anti-migrant rhetoric, especially in Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. To counter this trend, employers and NGOs in Sweden and Germany offer asylum seekers apprenticeships, training courses and special-track employment to help them adapt to the national labor requirements and enter the labor market faster. Ukrainians enjoy more lenient entry requirements, refugee reception centers offering essentials, easier travel within the EU, and free public transportation and phone services. Job insecurity, poverty, and hunger can leave people with no other choice but to risk everything on a boat across the Mediterranean. 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