Challenges Facing Young Refugees and Forced Migrants - Essay Example

Challenges Facing Young Refugees and Forced Migrants Refugee movements have significantly increased due to insecurities, war, and natural disasters in attempt to save their lives from danger. The movement of refugees occurs due to certain pressures in the society while the migrations may be due to factors of population distribution. By moving into other countries, then one becomes subject to the laws of their new countries. Migration at most cases occurs at individual choice but at times, some individuals forced to migrate out and this may be due to political, economic, social or even educational reasons (Bernstein & Weiner, 2001: 78). This is so much unlike the reason behind the migrations of refugees, which happens due to political instabilities resulting to wars and conflicts or religious aggressions due to the different beliefs, cultures, and societal opinions. This essay will discuss the central challenges and crisis that refugees face. It will also involve the challenges that they face as they try to incorporate normative principles in their relations, justice, and by genuinely trying to gain consent in their new countries. It will also involve the methodological and theoretical approaches that help in maintaining the standards of refugees. The Geneva Convention of 1951 helped define the term ‘refugee’. After the civil wars and world war 11, the numbers of refugees witnessed all around the globe rose significantly. With most moving from African states, Middle East, and Bangladesh (Chimni, 1998: 49). Other states that have released many slaves into the globe include Iraq, Sudan, Palestinian territories, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. This has resulted to the need for legal restrictions on the movement of refugees and immigrants into other states. Refuges and young forced immigrants are entitled to basic amenities from the countries they move into but they also have the obligation to abide to the states laws. Figures have shown that 15.5 million individuals allover the globe are refugees or forced immigrants. By moving out of their state, the vulnerable and young individuals are exposed to many dangers and inhuman treatments. Some of the states have established refugee programs but others lack funding support or organizations that speak out for young refugee and forced immigrants (Rwomire, 2001: 129). The challenges Young individuals who are yet to turn to adults face many emotional challenges and they are exposed to challenges in terms of security and individual integrity. Homelessness, hunger, violence, deportation, and detention are some of the challenges that they are likely to face. Because of their age as minors does not entitle them to any rights and legal status (Chimni, 1998: 50). As the phase of adulthood responsibilities starts to develop, and the society expects to see change from the young adults and asylum-seekers, they are expected by the states to grow as law-abiding adults. Ignorance is not given as excuse for failure to abide by the laws. These young individuals become punishable by law and the society expects the young adults to have reading and understanding capacities. As young adults they refuges and asylum-seekers loose their allowances as minors and rather have to get their living by getting into the labour market (Zolberg, 2001: 176). Communication between the young refuge and asylum seekers with the administration of their host state is ussually met with challenges. Language barrier is a hindering factor may result to their deportation since the international law no longer protects them. To dodge such, some end up in street life and end up as traffickers, getting into illegal activities, and perpetrators of violence. The young adult refugees and asylum seekers lack access to information concerning documentations and their rights too. Due to their uninformed state, they even lack access to formal education and this is due to differences in education systems (Rwomire, 2001: 130). In some states, the right to access education is only guaranteed to the citizen children of the state and thereby leaving out refuge children. In some other states, access to education only risks the young adult refugees and asylum seekers of deportation and detention and hence many opt to stay out of school. Due to lack of education, then they lack credibility in the job market. This advances their lack of finances to advance their education and as a result, they end up performing low profile jobs and hard labour. They end up occupying the poverty levels in the society due to their economic incapacities (Bernstein & Weiner, 2001: 80). The young refugees and asylum seekers, due to their economic incapacities, they also lack access to transport means; housing access to the young adults is also withdrawn. Access to health is also restricted since they lack the accompaniment of their parents who are the medical insurance holders. Families are the source of guidance, economic support, protection, and emotional comfort, and thereby, for the young adult refugees and asylum-seekers that lack their families get exposed to the disadvantages of lacking family attachments (Chimni, 1998: 51). The fact that individuals are forcefully thrown out of their states and they lack psychological preparation to handle the challenges of forced migration, then they are likely to suffer from emotional drain. Lack of situational advice makes the young adults and asylum-seekers lack the ability to address specific needs accurately, hence they lack competence as they get into the adulthood phase. However, in some concerned states, they have been enhanced access to language training through free programs to enhance the acquisition, and several NGO’s have emerged in support of the state’s actions. The environmental and climatic change factors within the society have triggered some people to movements in search for more suitable environments. Displacements have a-los significantly risen, moving individuals from their native regions. This drives the need for socio-ecological adaptations to the environmental changes (Zolberg, 2001: 178). Some of the states that have experienced migrations and high refugee movements due to environmental changes include Egypt, Vietnam, and even Mozambique. These movements therefore hinder developments by the young adults and asylum seekers. Lack of proper governance and strategies on environmental challenges restricts the individual capacities and production capacities. Policy implementation To solve the refugee problems, the governments and other refuge welfare movements should address the situation in consideration of the root causes, which include human rights violations, arms trade, civil strife, and poverty. Other factors include religious differences, ethnic intolerance, undemocratic governance systems, and even externally sponsored rebel movements, and poor attention to the public welfare (Bernstein & Weiner, 2001: 81). All the stakeholders need to actively participate in maintaining sustainable development by eradicating poverty, enhance the living standards, and develop the infrastructures in the society. The problem of refugees can also be handled by promoting preventive measures such as democratizing governments and curtailing the regime systems. The educational systems that do not give room for the young adult refugees and asylum-seekers to access education should be replaced with all embracing programs. All individuals have equal rights and other social services should be provided from an equal base. International bodies and societies should also come in and support the refugee rights and service provision. The governments should link with western donors in attempt to curtail the refugee problem. Influential individuals used in effort to diminish hunger, controlling birth rates, and reinstating democracy in the states. Overpopulation being among the key factors resulting to refugee movements and the religious conflicts resulting to weapon developments can be solved through winning over the religious terror developments (Rwomire, 2001: 131). The refugee problem can also be cut by giving financial support to the refugees and this helps create a base for their access to social services like health care, education, and even transport. Another way of enhancing the refugee status can be through promoting refugee absorption into states, and promoting rehabilitation programs, and government support for more human treatment on the refugees. The international human rights laws should also form the basis for the relations of young adult refugees with the administrative authorities in their host states. Human equality is the base for determining the relations (Chimni, 1998: 53). To conclude, the young adult refugees and asylum seekers are also exposed to sexual harassments and violence. This happens due to lack of family protections and thereby need security authorities to offer encouraging environments to the existence of the vulnerable individuals. Some immoral practices such as sexual work are likely to develop and thereby, this is likely to affect individual status. The different NGO’s need to come up with counseling services to the youths to promote their rethinking and personal protection strategies from the assaults. The protections offered should base on the beliefs, realities, and practices by the youths to give them strength in facing daily challenges. The participation of the international society is also necessary to promote humanitarian practices and human rights advocating to the refugees (Zolberg, 2001: 180). Bibliography Bernstein, A., & Weiner, M. (2001). Migration and refugee policies: an overview. London [u.a.], Continuum. Chimni, B. (1998). The law and politics of regional solution of the refugee problem: the case of South Asia. Colombo, Regional Centre for Strategic Studies. Rwomire, A. (2001). Social problems in Africa: new visions. Westport, Conn. [u.a.], Praeger. Zolberg, A. (2001). Global migrants, global refugees: problems and solutions. New York [u.a.], Berghahn. Read More