The Issues Of Forced Migration And Illegal Immigration

Statement of the Problem:

The issues of forced migration and illegal immigration, branch across economic instability, environmental problems, political scenarios and geopolitics, to name a few. Purely on the basis of geographical proximity, refugees fleeing from war-torn countries, seek asylum in low and middle-class income countries such as Turkey, Jordan and Pakistan. This results in huge economic burdens falling on financially unstable countries. Simultaneously, refugees face a plethora of challenges in host countries, including but not limited to exploitation, discrimination and poor access to healthcare, psychosocial support, security, employment opportunities and housing. However, in comparison to refugees, internally displaced persons are more vulnerable as they are not protected by Refugee laws, and must simply rely on their own governments for assistance, howbeit, the reason for their displacement can often be traced back to governments, themselves.

Causes:

The root causes of forced migration and internal displacement are almost undistinguishable. Armed conflicts and wars are predominantly responsible, and continue to be at a relentless pace. Violations of International Humanitarian laws, and disaster-induced displacement are also major contributors to the issue at hand. At the same time, expansion of bilateral free trade agreements and the liberalization of trade, in the pursuit of globalization, have resulted in the displacement of large numbers of unskilled laborers. Thus, the last decade has witnessed the escalation of illegal immigration, partially comprising of attraction to new opportunities in destination countries. However, this matter primarily stems from specific immigration policies and laws practiced in host countries. Furthermore, the issue proposed by land acquisition, results in the exploitation of rural areas, which seeds from the increasing levels of demand, due to industrialization.

Policy:

Egypt has taken various domestic and international measures to combat the issue at hand. Egypt as such, hosts a great number of Syrian refugees that are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, due to the establishment of the Resettlement Program. Through this program, partnerships have been recognized between public agencies and private associations, which provide job and language instruction, work permits, and employment creation, among other activities, to advance refugee integration. Egypt is also home to Palestinian, Iraqi, Sudanese and Somali refugees and asylum-seekers. However, due to the huge amount of refugees utilizing Egypt as transit country, en route to Europe, Egypt feels it necessary to establish strong ties with the European Union to crack down on smugglers and human trafficking crews. Furthermore, Egypt is working closely with countries such as Libya and Tunisia to eradicate illegal immigration, as they face similar challenges in terms of the influx of migrants. Economic reforms, introduced by Egypt to strengthen immigration policies, have been adopted by counties such as Lebanon and Turkey, where most of those displaced by Syria’s war have fled. Egypt advocates the need for other destination countries to develop resettlement programs as well.

Solutions:

1. The establishment of secure land and sea routes from the country of origin to the destined country, in order to aid the refugees traverse through the Eurasian terrain and Mediterranean Sea, respectively, which should be:

a. Patrolled by law enforcement officials of neighbouring European countries to capture and arrest traversing smugglers and human traffickers and ensure the safety of the vulnerable refugees;

2. Emphasis on the urgent need for rehabilitation and reassimilation of the victims of human trafficking as well as refugees through humanitarian aid, in the form of:

a. Medical care which can be received from Governmental medical facilities based in or near the refugee camps,

b. Psychological care which can be provided in the form of Psychotherapy;

3. The establishment of an investigative and journalistic force, under a State’s Government, to identify and locate smugglers and trafficking crews. This should be followed by a Government-led initiative to arrest and persecute smugglers and trafficking crews by:

a. Enquiring refugees they surmise have been exploited,

b. Rigorously interrogating suspected smugglers and/or human traffickers,

c. Searching incoming ships and vessels after having obtained a legal warrant to do so, for:

i. Hidden compartments in which refugees may be confined;

4. Requesting concerned nations to tackle the continuously expanding issues of xenophobia and racism by launching large scale awareness programs to educate people on:

a. Equality amongst humans,

b. Not being prejudice or discriminating against a human on the basis of race, religion, origin and complexion;

5. The Rights of Refugees should be preserved in destination countries in order to ensure their integration into new societies. For example,

a. The principle of non-refoulment is imperative for refugees to enjoy asylum from persecution in other countries. Thus, it displays the obligation of the international community to ensure that refugees are guaranteed human rights.

b. Freedom of movement is a right which should be granted to refugees as it is essential for them to be given the liberty to choose their place of residence within a state;

Conclusion:

Due to the fact that Refugee laws and International Human Rights laws are closely aligned, great importance must be given to preserving rights of refugees in host countries. Successful social and economic policies to deal with the refugee crisis demand cooperative planning, monitoring, and assessment efforts to successfully implement initiatives. Proximity, socio-economic and political ties increase mobility, which facilitate better networks. Thus, it is necessary for developed countries to aid low-income countries that are crumbling under huge financial burdens due to the influx of refugees. It is the responsibility of source countries, transit countries and destination countries to collaborate in order to formulate sustainable solutions, which can later be applicable on a global scale.