Refugees, Syrians, war and asylum are words we are now hearing on a regular basis, whether in our daily lives or in the media. In March 2011, a war started in Syria. Since then, the Middle East and Europe has faced a very damaging and dangerous crisis: the refugee crisis. Surrounded by bombs and missiles, thousands of Syrians fled their own country searching for a safe place to live with dignity. Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan were among the many countries that refugees went to. According to UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the number of registered Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, last updated in August 2015, has reached 1,113,941. By adding the number of unregistered refugees who entered the country in an illegal way, Lebanon hosts now nearly, if not more than, 1.5 million refugees and people seeking refuge. The number is clearly gigantic for a small country like Lebanon to handle. Thinking they are headed toward a better future, the refugees have found themselves facing problems that have made their situation worse: lack of housing and of any form of help from the state, unethical treatment by the surrounding, and many more. What does the future of this crisis look like with more refugees fleeing to our country for security?
Refugees and Human Rights.
Before debating the issue of refugees, we need to understand what defines refugees, and what their rights are. According to Migration Watch UK, a confusion always occurs between a “refugee” and an “asylum seeker”. An asylum seeker is a person who “has applied for asylum under the 1951 Refugee Convention on the Status of Refugees on the ground that if s/he is returned to his country of origin s/he has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political belief or membership of a particular social group. S/he remains an asylum seeker for so long as his application or an appeal against refusal of his/her application is pending.” Meanwhile, and according to the same source, a refugee is an asylum seeker whose application was accepted. In other words, s/he is a person fleeing but a well-founded fear of persecution is a condition for being granted the status as defined by the 1951 Refugee Convention. (The 1951 Refugee Convention on the status of Refugees is the key legal document in defining who is a refugee, his/her rights and the legal obligations of states.)
Some articles of The Universal Declaration of Human rights also applies to refugees. For example, article 9 states the following: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”. In Lebanon, many refugees were arrested without a logical reason simply because they are “refugees” or “Syrians”. Moreover, article 13 states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state”. In many Lebanese villages, refugees were forbidden to leave their houses after a certain time of the day, usually 7 or 8pm. Finally, article 14 includes the right to enjoy the provided asylum. “Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.” However, are these rights truly effective? Are we referring to humanity when dealing with this crisis?
Role of organizations: refugees and social inclusion.
With over one million refugee in the country (including a very high number of children and teenagers), something had to be done fast. The Lebanese Red Cross Youth (LRCY) is one of the many organizations in Lebanon that have been working with refugees.
Sandy Mazraani, a volunteer at the LRCY – Koura sector, believes that working with refugees was very challenging, but beneficial at the same time. “As part of our HVP program (Humanitarian Values and Principles), we worked many times with refugees residing in Al Qalamoun - North Lebanon. The program is not targeted towards the refugees, but we thought that it can be beneficial for them as well. As volunteers, we wanted to make sure that they understood each value through a game we played together. These values include acceptance, equality regarding the race and gender, and many more. We were amazed by the things they knew and everything they were capable of. They want to return to their country, a country that they absolutely love. We wanted to break down the tension happening around them. We wanted to make them feel just like everyone else in a country different than theirs”, Sandy says. This is what social inclusion means: to respect the differences within a society. For the refugees, these differences are numerous. Sadly, social inclusion seems hard to achieve. As such, refugees are continuously subject to mistreatment or abuse of all kinds.
During a short interview, a social worker (who preferred to remain anonymous for privacy concerns) assured that working with refugees is very critical. According to her, one of the most damaging problems the refugees are facing now is the cost of living raise, from rent to buying daily items (food, clothes, water…). The financial aids they receive from the United Nations and other organizations, is not enough to cover their needs. Moreover, before the beginning of the school year, some parents are having difficulties registering their kids in schools. “We work and provide assistance to the refugees within a psychological aspect. We provide psychological services with the help of neurologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists and psychologists. We deal with people who are having emotional issues such as Schizophrenia. Some even have problems dealing with their daily lives in Lebanon, because of the different circumstances that had faced them in their home country, from bombs and the overall war”.
When it comes to Education, as mentioned above, some parents end up unable to register their kids in schools for different reasons. However, many organizations took the initiative of opening centers and/or schools dedicated only to refugees. One of the teachers who worked in such schools (she wants to remain anonymous as well) describes her experience with refugees. “Teaching Syrian refugees was a unique experience. I witnessed students who are eager to learn and conquer all the obstacles they previously faced. The ages ranged from 6 to 14 years old. They all shared the passion of taking advantage of this opportunity to learn as much as they can. They learned through active learning techniques and reflected the sense of using everything even the simplest things to create application on the lesson. One of the difficulty I personally faced was challenging myself to deliver the lesson in an interesting way, especially because many students were out of school for 5 years or more. The outcome though was very motivating: a smile on their face when they learned something new”.
As such, many organizations are helping the refugees on different levels. This help is necessary. But, is this the case with everybody?
Refugees and general belief: the current situation.
After the tragic death of Aylan Kurdi, the toddler who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea while escaping on a boat with his family to Greece, the refugee crisis reached a new level worldwide. Everybody became concerned, whether directly or indirectly, with this crisis. In the media, we noticed how citizens in countries like Germany and London gathered around to help and welcome the refugees coming to their country. But, is this the case in Lebanon? What are citizens doing for the refugees?
A good number of Lebanese feel compassion toward the refugees and their situation. It is definitely hard for people to leave their country, some say, uncertain if they will ever return to it or not. For many as well, the number of refugees Lebanon currently has is extremely high. The country is definitely incapable of dealing with it. As some would argue, the country is not providing the basic necessities for its own citizens, not to mention refugees themselves. With the current worldwide crisis, many Lebanese blamed developed countries in the Gulf for example, for not opening their borders for refugees. “This will take some of the burden off the shoulders of countries like ours, who is still accepting and welcoming Syrians more than its capabilities”, a Lebanese citizen said.
Former Portuguese politician Antonio Guterres says “Refugees are not terrorists. They are often the first victim of terrorism”. In our country, many Lebanese often look at refugees as terrorists, or people who are here to sabotage or jeopardize the situation. The majority of the Lebanese often tend to forget that after all, they are people just like us. We can’t ignore the fact that the government or responsible authorities can’t deal with the crisis anymore. Moreover, some Syrians cause trouble within their environment. However, generalizing the case is definitely not the right thing to do. Organizations and personal initiatives have been taken in order to help refugees. It is a great step to prove that people with good intentions still exist. But, is it enough?
What is needed at this point is a clear plan and strategy from the government to deal with the crisis we are facing in our territories. The refugee crisis can’t be ignored anymore. This crisis was added to a long list of problems the country is unable to find solutions for. However, we should not forget that, as citizens, humanity should always be our main concern. After all, this is what grips us all together. Coming from different countries, different sects and social backgrounds, humanity is our key holder. It’s true that refugees have occupied a huge part of the country. It’s true that the number has surpassed the expectations. But, what are we without humanity?
