According to the U.N.'s 1951 Refugee Convention, a refugee is "someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion." symbolic and realistic). They are unable to return home unless and until conditions in their native lands are safe for them again. Job insecurity, poverty, and hunger can leave people with no other choice but to risk everything on a boat across the Mediterranean. The reality, however, is that "both people and states do treat different groups of refugees in different ways, according to where they come from; according to their own perceptions of those people . 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. An additional . Ukrainians enjoy more lenient entry requirements, refugee reception centers offering essentials, easier travel within the EU, and free public transportation and phone services. Since it was first implemented in March 2020, more than 1 million migrants and asylum-seekers have been turned away. IE 11 is not supported. European Journal of Social Psychology, 49(7), 1401-1420. Copyright 2022 NPR. 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 . Chief among these is the so-called " jewelry law " - a measure which allows the government to seize asylum seekers' assets, including their jewelry, to fund their stay in the country. This was shown in the behavior of newly certified French civil servants, who were more likely to reject Muslim applicants for refugee status; it was shown in the behavior of Swiss voters denying citizenship to Muslim applicants in direct democratic votes at higher rates than comparable Christians; and it was shown in the behavior of French citizens in experimental protocols fearing and discriminating against increasing numbers of Muslims in their midst more than Christians, even though both groups were from Senegal. foreigners). The U.S. has an opportunity to build off of its strong response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. He's also covered the near collapse of the live music industry during the coronavirus pandemic. Khoury, the researcher, says race plays a part in all of this but also proximity and geopolitics, too. The Danish. For example, instead of comparing refugee numbers among European countries, refugee numbers in countries bordering conflict areas could be considered as a point of reference. Another way to reduce anger at refugees is by identifying responsibilities for social disruption, and understanding that European countries welfare is rooted in a global economy that sustains poverty in developing countries (p. 1416).1. Unfortunately, extremists and right-wing politicians alike have used the sensitive political climate to strike fear and tensions. Furthermore, according to Hanne Beirens, Migration Policy Institute think tank director, the prioritization of Ukrainian refugees restricts the resources available to other refugees, such as housing and language courses; this inequality creates a two-tiered system of refugee integration. That's what makes it so shocking. The U.S. government has committed to resettle tens of thousands of Afghan and Ukrainian refugees. Why don't we treat all refugees as though they were Ukrainian? 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 . Since the passage of the Refugee Act in 1980, the U.S. has admitted more than 3.1 million refugees, and since 1990 more than 700,000 people have been granted asylum. Germany, for example, has suffered fromzero population growth for years and is in acute need of young, able-bodied workers to feed its massive industrial economy. As anthropologist Miriam Ticktin has documented, some even infect themselves with deadly diseases to gain protection as HIV-positive patients and thereby gain residence. Kotada Al-Younes, a young Syrian journalist who has found exile in Sweden, told me that many Syrians in Sweden share this frustration with being confined and labelled as refugees: People want to keep their identity and their profession when they go abroad. said. The Harbour Project charity said many Ukrainians received immediate refugee. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. 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). As Al-Younes noted, who wants to hire an asylum seeker still at risk of deportation, since their application hasnt been accepted yet? We want to hear what you THINK. A charity that helps refugees has said there is a big variation in how the UK helps people from different countries. For instance, do you worry about foreigners spreading diseases, committing violence, or taking away jobs and depressing wages? For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. During the 2015 refugee "crisis," the EU called for detaining arriving refugees for up to 18 months. The Russian incursion has sparked the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II, forcing more than 2 . Since Russia invaded Ukraine one month ago on Feb. 24, nearly 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine, and should the conflict continue, an additional 5 million more refugees will likely flee from the country within a year a rate that is nearly five times as fast as the flow of refugees from Syria and North Africa, says Stanford immigration policy scholar David Laitin. Six threat types emerged from the analysis of the responses:1. In 2016, Hungarian leader Viktor Orbn described migration as a poison, yet he recently exclaimed that Ukrainians are welcomed by friends in Hungary. EU nationseven those with notorious anti-migrant sentimentshave opened their arms and borders to Ukrainian refugees with unprecedented generosity. NPR's Andrew Limbong has more. Defying Dictatorships: An Interview with Garry Kasparov, On Atlantic Alliances and Autocrats: An Interview with Jeanne Shaheen. Businesses and civil society groups are busy developing training programs and job centers for asylum seekers to integrate into the system. EuroNews Trevor Noah has slammed the double-standard between how African and Middle Eastern refugees are treated when fleeing to Europe in comparison to Ukrainians who are currently fleeing their country due to the Russian invasion. Yet, as Khalid notes, we do not have a stereotype of white people being inherently violent and prone to domestic terrorism." Branding Muslims as terrorists and using such accusations to reject Muslim asylum seekers are thinly veiled attempts for religious, racial, and ethnic prejudice to masquerade as national security concerns. Islamophobia also underlies the assumption that Middle Eastern refugees are violent terroristsa sentiment echoed in Petkovs speech and Orbns comments that Muslim asylum seekers are Muslim invaders, accepting Middle Eastern migrants is importing terrorism, and all the terrorists are basically migrants. This assumption is a blatant fallacy of composition not applied to whites. The Ukraine crisis may serve as a reminder that migration policy should be based on more careful collection of data. The global refugee crisis: Empirical evidence and policy implications for improving public attitudes and facilitating refugee resettlement. Why are asylum seekers treated differently to other refugees? EU leaders who focus on migration have mostly been concerned with arrivals from Africa, and they have pursued policies to deter these migrants. PostedFebruary 21, 2020 The European Commission is considering reforms that ensure fair sharing of responsibility, including ending the Dublin Convention, but progress has been slow. In the wall-to-wall coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, a certain pattern has sometimes emerged that positions Ukrainians as different from other victims of conflict. The asylum program works to provide refugee protection to people in Canada who: have a well-founded fear of persecution or. A mass exodus of Ukrainians risks overwhelming resources in neighboring countries even as Europe pledges to aid refugees fleeing Russia's invasion. Those seeking security at our southern border should not be treated any differently. March 3, 2022. KESHAVARZ: So as journalists, I think it's really critical that we look at that duality, and we question why that is. Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic refused to accept asylum seekers the EU attempted to relocate from Italy and Germany. KESHAVARZ: So as journalists, I think it's really critical that we look at that duality, and we question why that is. In late August, my colleagues from Jesuit Refugee Service Mexico traveled to the Mexican border with Guatemala to accompany those expelled from the U.S. on one of these flights. LIMBONG: The Nigerian statehouse issued a statement today denouncing reports of Nigerians being denied entry to the Polish border. 1. are at risk of torture, or cruel or unusual punishment in their home countries. ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE: On Friday, CBS News senior foreign correspondent Charlie D'Agata framed the fighting in Kyiv like this. . 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. The arrival of Afghan refugees, including some whose status is not materially different from asylum-seekers, proves this. They met a woman from Guatemala traveling with her two daughters. Religious and other prejudices are often intertwined; the disparity between how the EU treats Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian refugees stems from Europeans empathy for Ukrainians and the othering of African and Middle Eastern refugees. 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 Italian government has at times closed its ports to foreign boats carrying rescued migrants. He has also done graduate work in clinical psychology and neuropsychology in U.S. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. Religion is a key factor influencing attitudes toward refugees. For more information, see our full Privacy Policy. As the European asylum system has effectively broken down amid the recent inflow, it is time for the EUs wealthier member states to rethink current practices. Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov recently drew a distinct line between the two groups, justifying differential treatment and fostering a sense of Ukrainian exceptionalism: Underscoring this justification is Islamophobia; Ukrainian refugees are primarily Christian, while refugees from Syria and North Africa are mostly Muslim. 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 . With blanket news coverage of the dire situation in Ukraine, Europeans are observing the situation of Ukrainians through this humanitarian lens and thus express greater support for them. Eastern Europe is treating Ukrainians better than Syrians and Afghansbut giving people the means to resist is the only way to prevent future crises. 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. Why are some refugees treated differently than others? What does Turkey get in return for taking care of Europes deported lot? The UNHCR has warned that the conflation of refugees and migrants has politicized humanitarian work, but the distinction was political at the onset, as it prioritizes victims of physical violence over victims of structural and economic violence. Furthermore, immigrants pose an identity threat, especially if they have a different cultural identity, religious identity, and value system than members of the host community. Perceptions of threat, according to previous research, are one of the most important predictors of attitudes and prejudice toward immigrants and other outgroups(p. 82).2. Furthermore, semantics matter. Just last week, the U.S. expelled 86 Haitians who fled the recent earthquake and political unrest, and flew them back to Haiti under this policy. 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. I thought about the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing Ukraine and the tens of thousands of refugees who have had to flee their homes in Central America, Mexico and other parts of Latin. The Century Foundation. Why aren't all refugees treated like Ukrainian refugees? If you are an immigrant, particularly a recent refugee or asylum seeker, you may have already asked this question many times after having experienced prejudice, racism, and discrimination. In The Telegraph, Daniel Hannan wrote an article about Ukraine that led, they seem so like us. All rights reserved. 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. In The Telegraph, Daniel Hannan wrote an article about Ukraine that led, they seem so like us. Albagir, a male refugee from Sudan, and one of his co-travelers struggle to cross into Poland. Refugees, defined by international humanitarian law as people in need of protection, are entitled to a privileged status. In 2012, at the onset of the current refugee crisis, I interviewed young Afghan and African asylum seekers in Denmark who expressed frustration with their confinement in asylum centers in remote areas, which they felt prevented them from integrating with their host community. Even though refugees are always victims of conflict, the civil war in Syria is more difficult to fit into this binary of right versus wrong, which may affect the EUs perceived political expediency of aiding Syrian refugees. She is interested in comparative politics, immigration law, and German. Identifying different types of threat and their association with emotional responses and attitudes towards refugee migration. Racism also impacts refugee treatment by influencing media coverage. Refugees and migrants arrive to Europe by the same road; they also face the same challenges in seeking asylum, labor, and housing, as well as integrating into their host communities. Who wants to hire an asylum seeker still at risk of deportation, since their application hasnt been accepted yet? 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. Please submit a letter to the editor. In Sweden, which received 163,000 asylum seekers in 2015, many asylum seekers face difficulties navigating the Swedish labor market. Melissa De Witte, Stanford News Service: mdewitte@stanford.edu, The researchers created maps showing where warmer weather has left trees in conditions that dont suit them, making them more prone to being replaced by other species. (2019). More than half - nearly 548,000 - have fled to Poland which shares a 500km border with Ukraine. Statistics show that asylum centers tend to isolate residents and restrict their access to the labor market. International law and practice addresses refugee and internal displacement emergencies differently. Refugee Children in U.S. Schools: A Toolkit for Teachers and School Personnel (Grant No. Asked whether she recognised a difference in the treatment of refugees between 2015 and 2022, Frederiksen replied "yes, it is (different), because Ukraine is our region". During the civil war, civilians were often purposefully caught in the crossfire between Assad and opposition forces; for example, in 2013, Assads forces waged chemical war against civilians, killing 1,400. There are several interconnecting reasons behind this sudden change in the way European citizens and states are responding to refugees. A few European politicians have also stressed that Ukrainian refugees are qualitatively superior by virtue of their race and religion to those from countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa and. PublishedFebruary 28, 2022 at 3:31 PM CST. Andrew Limbong, NPR News. She previously worked as a Middle East Fellow at the Independent Diplomat Advisory Group and as an adviser at the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the UN. Moving forward, these new policies and attitudes towards people seeking refuge should be the norm . While EU members bicker over how to define, manage, and ultimately dispose of their new work-eager guests, asylum seekers themselves are finding innovative ways to avoid the system and gain access to the labor market so they can accomplish what they came for: Continue their life as best they can, even if on temporary grounds. In the words of Al Jazeera journalist Saif Khalid, when white people commit terrorism this is seen as an individual act that does not represent the entire race. In Srebrenica in July 1995, towards the end of the 1992-1995 civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbs massacred 8,000 Bosnian Muslims, a blatant act of genocide. David Laitin discusses how the experience of Ukrainian refugees in Europe compares to those who have fled other conflicts and hardships. 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. They also found that eligible voters favored refugees with higher employability. Many refugees are coming from northern Africa and the Middle East, with roughly 50 percent of the population of Syria seeking refuge from war. Full coverage at CTVNews.ca/Ukraine. According to new research, many asylum seekers experience discrimination on the Swedish labor market. 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