USCR Launches the World Refugee Survey 2001

On June 19, 2001, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace International Migration Policy Program hosted the launch for the United States Committee for Refugees' World Refugee Survey 2001. The Survey, published annually, is the premier resource for information on refugees worldwide. U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR) Policy Analyst Jeff Drumtra and Policy Director Bill Frelick spoke about the book and trends in refugee movements and policy in 2000. William Majak Deng spoke about his experiences as a refugee from Sudan. Alex Aleinikoff from the International Migration Policy Program chaired the event.

The publication of the volume took place the same week as United Nations World Refugee Day. It was also noted that this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which provides the basis for international refugee protection law.

Frelick said the book has three essential parts. The first part consists of thematic articles addressing the "issues of the day," such as the relevance of the 1951 Refugee Convention, humanitarian response to crises, and conflict prevention. The second part is the heart of the Survey: the country reports. The majority of USCR's work involves site visits and research on over 131 countries and territories which produce or host refugees. The third part contains statistics. (The country reports and statistics are also available on USCR's website). Frelick emphasized that each number is an individual person. The book tells some of their stories. He introduced William Majak Deng, one of Sudan's "lost boys" who has been resettled in the U.S., whose story is included in the Survey.

Deng recounted his life as a refugee in an essay titled, "Only Grass Suffers When Two Bulls Fight." He was born in southern Sudan into the Dinka community. Civil war broke out in 1983, and the Sudanese government attacked Deng's community. Deng's father and many other relatives were killed, and in 1987 he was separated from the rest of his family except for one cousin. Along with many other children and refugees, he began wandering, looking for safety. Many on the journey died, and Deng described it as "a long journey through hell." In 1988, he arrived in Ethiopia. After more hardship, life improved physically. However, Deng was emotionally traumatized, particularly from lack of parental care. In 1991, the Ethiopian government forced the refugees to return to Sudan, and many children died crossing the border river. Finally, in 1992, Deng arrived in Kenya and found assistance through the International Rescue Committee and later the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). However, life in Kakuma camp was miserable, and Deng desperately wanted to leave. In late February 2001, Deng was resettled in Houston, Texas. Upon arrival in Texas, Deng thought, "Yesterday in the darkness, today in the light." He expressed his gratitude to USCR, the Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc. (ECDC -- his sponsoring agency), and Shirin Herman, his case-worker and Director of Multilingual Programs for the Houston Independent School District.

Jeff Drumtra addressed the broad picture of refugee events over the last year. Significant upheavals occurred in the Middle East and Afghanistan. For most of the U.S. media, one of the year's largest stories was the Middle East peace process, and the issue of Palestinian refugees' right of return was a major aspect of the negotiations. Their situation raises the question of what is an acceptable duration of the refugee condition. Do refugees have an absolute right of return or not?

Drumtra highlighted some of the major refugee crises:

Congo-Kinshasa: There are nearly two million internally displaced persons (IDPs). The media seldom covers this story, although the region is the source of more newly uprooted people than anywhere else in the last year.

Afghanistan: At the end of 2000, there were around 3,600,000 Afghan refugees and 375,000 internally displaced in Afghanistan. Pakistan and Tajikistan closed their borders to the refugees, and Iran returned many. Donor fatigue set in, partly due to difficulties working with the Taliban.

Colombia: Over 2 million people are uprooted in the country, partly due to U.S. drug policies.

Sudan: The government intensified bombings against civilians and humanitarian aid. Sudan is the single largest source of total (old and new) uprooted people in the world (both refugees and internally displaced).

East Timor: 110,000 East Timorese remain refugees in West Timor. Some of the refugee camps experienced intimidation from anti-independence militia, including the murder of three UNHCR staff. East Timor raises the problem of how to protect refugees in camps.

Eritrea-Ethiopia: The three year border war climaxed in 2000, and three-quarters of a million Eritreans fled from their homes. After a major Ethiopian offensive and the signing of a peace treaty, questions remain as to whether the war is permanently over or not.

Chechnya: There have been many cases of rape, executions, and torture. 8000 people fled their homes in the last two years. There is no UN relief due to sovereignty issues with Russia, and this case raises the question, to what degree should the international community allow a ruling government to defend its sovereignty when it is causing mass displacements of people?

Sierra Leone: Many refugees fled to Guinea, but the war spilled across the border, and they fled again. It is another example which raises the question of how to protect refugees in areas where there is little safe flight option.

At the end of 2000 and beginning of 2001, there were 14.5 million refugees and asylum-seekers worldwide. That number is down from 1994 but up from 1996 through 1999. There are at least 20 million internally displaced persons worldwide. All together (refugees plus internally displaced), there were at least 34.5 million uprooted people at the end of 2000. That is more than the population of 158 countries and larger than the population of any U.S. state. Over half of the newly uprooted live in Africa. Drumtra sees the number of uprooted as the ultimate measurement of the world's political and social problems.

The top three countries with the highest number of uprooted persons are 1) Sudan (4.4 million), 2) Afghanistan (4 million), 3) Palestinians (4 million). Fifty-seven countries were a source of a significant number of uprooted people, and 94 countries host a significant number.

Drumtra highlighted several concerns that the year's trends raise.

• The response of the world's major countries. Despite the increasing numbers of people in need, the major countries cut donations to UNHCR in 2000. Last year, UNHCR suffered a $115 million funding shortfall -- the worst funding crisis in over ten years. The Bush administration proposed to cut funding for refugees by $5 million.
• Debate over reforming international refugee law. Many analysts agree there is a need to update the 1951 Convention, but there is great concern that if the Convention is opened to revision, many countries will take the opportunity to add restrictions to refugee protection.
• Barriers to asylum. Many destination countries increasingly use methods such as interdictions of asylum-seekers and criminalizing asylum-seeking.
• Unsafe havens. Many refugee camps and other areas meant for protection are actually unsafe havens, especially in Africa. Nearly two million refugees in Africa fled to countries that are also stricken with violence.
• Humanitarian workers as targets of violence. In the past nine years, 198 UN aid workers were killed, and aid workers for other organizations have also been killed. The international community is sending workers into dangerous areas without the required resources to do their job.

Frelick addressed the issue of access to asylum. The 1951 Convention is limited and modest; it only tells governments what they cannot do and does not require them to open their doors to asylum-seekers. Governments are increasingly finding ways to close their doors; they must respect the right to seek asylum and due process.

A discussion period followed.

Summary by Kerry Boyd, Junior Fellow in the International Migration Policy Program