Dec 17 2008
Definitions
Ever wonder what a refugee actually is and what happens to them after they leave home?
The UN has stated an accepted definition of a refugee:
“Refugee: Someone who has fled his or her country because he/she fears persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion. The definition is sometimes expanded to include people fleeing war or other armed conflict.” (http://refugees.org/article.aspx?id=1089)
When refugees flee their homes, the first choice is to send them back to where they came from: voluntary repatriation. A refugee doesn’t always flee the country. Those that don’t are internally displaced. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) have had to go to a separate area of their country for safety.
If it’s not safe to return home, sometimes refugees go to another country for help (i.e., the refugee camps in eastern Chad has become the home of many from Darfur in Sudan). Sometimes refugees can be integrated into these countries of first asylum. It often happens, however, that they are unable to work, go to school, and are not accepted by the local community. They can be “warehoused” in camps, not able to go more than a few miles from them for years on end.
The last option for refugees is resettlement in a third country. Yesterday, I mentioned how few refugees are actually resettled in another country.
