Global Refugee Crisis: A Dystopian Reality
Babeesh is a five-year-old boy living with his parents and sister. He is busy playing with his toys while his infant sister sleeps in her cot when the sirens go off. Having learned what to do, Babeesh picks up his sister and ducks under a sturdy study table. Within moments, their once lit-up home crumbles into rubble and dust. His sister cries in his arms while the five-year-old watches the horror unfold. After a while, when everything is calm again,. He manages to slip out of the safety under the table, carrying his sister. He calls for his parents, who are nowhere to be seen. There is no response.
There will be no response.
Babeesh’s story is not about an individual boy orphaned in a war-torn country—it is the story of millions of such children who find themselves in cramped refugee camps, vulnerable and alone with no certainty of the future.
According to the United Nations, a refugee is “a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or unwilling to return.”
By the end of September 2023 alone, more than 114 million people were forced to leave their homes.
The above definition of UN may be widely encompassing but not perfect. Unfortunately, there are internal refugees as well. People are forcibly displaced from their homes in their countries, and they move away to another part of the nation. The Manipur crisis is the most recent example in India. In the 1990s, the Kashmiri Pandits became refugees in their own country. While the Myanmar crisis and the harrowing Afghanistan and Syrian refugee crisis are the one
You might find the world and information at your fingertips today—life has been made easier. However, paradoxically, this is the era of massive refugee and human rights crises across the globe.
On one hand, you have the technological Utopia we could only dream about. And on the other hand, you have dystopia no one asked for but, ironically, worked towards consistently over decades and even centuries.
The refugee crisis is now not a country’s or a continent’s problem; it is now a global issue or rise that must be confronted with solutions that do not look good only on paper. Here are some answers to the rising refugee crisis in the world, which is more torn and divided than ever before.
1) Protected Routes
While tackling and preventing the refugee crisis requires much more complex solutions concerning national and international problems, the least we can do is provide safer routes for people fleeing conflict. You can choose safe routes between states and countries as a preventive measure against the harrowing tragedies that occur while desperate people take desperate measures to find safety.
We can’t have people fleeing through unsafe sea routes, crossing violent rivers, unforgiving deserts, and unsafe lanes just because they have no other option. International bodies, such as the UN, should arrange for and take responsibility for providing a safe journey for the victims of humanitarian crises.
2) Funding for Refugee Camps
Yes, it seems bleak, to put aside money for future refugee crises and to develop existing refugee camps. But let’s face it, in this volatile international politics, this is a practical solution. Instead of declaring bills and funds after the conflict and letting bureaucracy slow down their implementation and reach, it is better to keep a specific fund aside for developing refugee camps for long-term stay.
3) A Crackdown on Human Traffickers
Do you know what perils refugees like Babeesjh and his sister have to face? They must keep themselves safe from human traffickers. Some might even disguise themselves as ‘helpers’ who could aid them in escaping their war-torn nation. What would a desperate five-year-old know? Most probably, he and his sister are going to fall victim to human trafficking. The dark business that makes the most money today is only after the weapons business.
A strong crackdown against human traffickers on a national and international level can make the refugee crisis slightly less painful for the victims.
4) State-Funded Rescue Operations
Sometimes, a little step can yield long-term results. State-funded rescue operations for the refugees facing perilous situations on their route to safety might seem insignificant. In reality, these state-funded rescue operations can go a long way. With safer environments and less number of orphans, children will be less vulnerable to external negative influences and dangers.
So, do you have any suggestions or ideas that can help tackle the global refugee crisis? Solutions for children like Babeesh so that his story is not repeated?