To receive Stanford news daily, During the 2015 refugee "crisis," the EU called for detaining arriving refugees for up to 18 months. More than half - nearly 548,000 - have fled to Poland which shares a 500km border with Ukraine. At least 660,000 people have fled Ukraine in the five days following the start of Russia's invasion, the United Nations refugee agency U.N.H.C.R. Given the risk of deportation, many also avoid the system altogether and work informally instead. record-high 65 million people have been displaced, one million people who crossed borders into the European Union, face the same challenges in seeking asylum, labor, and housing, European asylum system has effectively broken down, efined by international humanitarian law as people in need of protection, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stipulates, refugees and migrants apply for the same asylum. The way we talk about conflicts can impact those who are already most directly affected by war, refugees. LIMBONG: Mahdis Keshavarz is a board member with the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association, which put out a statement criticizing this framing, which Keshavarz says relies on old tropes. HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP/Getty Images. Stanford, California 94305. For the West, the line between right and wrong is simply the border between Ukraine and Russia. Unfortunately, extremists and right-wing politicians alike have used the sensitive political climate to strike fear and tensions. deported back to their home countries, where they are at great risk of torture or prosecution. By Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, a lecturer in digital. Staying Single: What Most People Do If They Divorce After 50, A Psychological Diagnosis for People Who Lie About Everything. Meanwhile, work gains do not mitigate the fear many European politicians and citizens express over the long-term cultural impact migration inflow will have on the region. A new report released by The Guardian shows the recent massive migration inflow to Germany has had a positive impact on the GDP, as the population growth among the working age has increased while unemployment has decreased. Ukrainians enjoy more lenient entry requirements, refugee reception centers offering essentials, easier travel within the EU, and free public transportation and phone services. NPR's Andrew Limbong has more. Moving forward, these new policies and attitudes towards people seeking refuge should be the norm . It took three. 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 . She says that's a pretty good sign of civilization. KESHAVARZ: So as journalists, I think it's really critical that we look at that duality, and we question why that is. Extensive international coverage of the crisis in Ukraine also has geopolitical consequences. Andrew Limbong, NPR News. Furthermore, to many white and Christian Europeans, an influx of Middle Eastern and African Muslim refugees threatens power dynamics rooted in racial and religious hegemony, while incoming Ukrainians primarily strengthen them. While a federal judge on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing Title 42 for migrant families, the administration still has 14 days to implement the court ruling, and in any case is appealing the decision. 1, People want to keep their identity and their profession when they go abroad. Lest we forget, barrel bombs are not the only threat to life. As such, refugees are generally asylum seekers who have been granted the right to asylum in another country (refugee status). Treatment of Haitians at the border in Texas exposes double standard toward refugees These asylum-seekers should be welcomed just like Afghans are being welcomed. Since being forced to wait one additional year for the asylum decisions lowers the probability of being employed by about 4.9 percentage points'' due to skills atrophy and demoralization, it is more difficult for non-Ukrainian refugees to integrate into the workforce. But we need to remember that Europeans were impressively generous to the first wave of Syrian refugees, but as the numbers increased, attitudes quickly became exclusive. EU leaders who focus on migration have mostly been concerned with arrivals from Africa, and they have pursued policies to deter these migrants. Data from a project of Stanfords Immigration Policy Lab (IPL) has shown that the longer applicants wait for resolution of their case, the less likely they are to secure a steady job once approved in large part due to loss of motivation. 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. Many cultures and religions have survived for hundreds and thousands of years partly because they are flexible enough to adapt and evolve. How do you anticipate Ukrainians experience will unfold compared to that of asylees from Syria or North Africa? I need ammunition, not a ride from the war-torn streets of Kyiv, Zelensky has become a vocal, defiant defender of democracy and civil liberties, while Putin has trampled Russians freedoms, invaded a sovereign nation, and authorized countless war crimes in Ukraine. 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. The Danish. For example in Germany and Sweden, so-called priority reviews specify that asylum seekers can only be employed if there are no suitable national or EU-citizens available for the job. The 2014-15 asylees from Syria and North Africa were mostly Muslim and faced higher degrees of discrimination than will the Ukrainians, who are largely of Christian heritage. In fact, research from the European Parliament shows that the latest migration inflow has not increased unemployment, but rather led to a growth in higher-wage jobs for native workers, as refugees and migrants primarily take over low-wage jobs. Again, Ukrainian refugees will now have the right to enter the European labor market. 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. In the first of these investigations, they used a sample of 55 male and 121 female psychology students (average age of 32 years). Zelensky is part of a community of Jews in Ukraine, some 200,000 strong, with historical and cultural ties to Israel, based on a long legacy of anti-Jewish pogroms and persecution in the country . Similarly, right-wing European officials used the recent sexual harassment scandal in Cologne to fuel cultural bias and collective punishment against all asylum seekers. Until the EU extends these benefits to nonwhite, Muslim, Middle Eastern and African refugees, the bloc will not only be violating Article 3, but also the unwritten laws of basic human decency. As Abdelaaty describes, welcoming refugees [condemns] the government that caused their flight and can help further discredit that government in the eyes of the world, as well as its own people. Therefore, welcoming Ukrainians is politically expedient for the EU. 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. Khoury, the researcher, says race plays a part in all of this but also proximity and geopolitics, too. By giving all asylum seekers temporary work permits and cracking down on labor discrimination, member states with surplus capacity could gain a much-needed workforce and secure long-term influence in the region. The EUs response to the refugee crisis also shapes its posture towards Russia and reignites Cold War concerns about Russian aggression, for Eastern Europeans acknowledge the potential for Putin to invade their nations as well. 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. 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. MAHDIS KESHAVARZ: I always kind of think this imagery of, like, this pearl clutch of being just aghast that something can happen in your backyard, where things are happening in other people's backyards all the time. Given its magnitude, the Ukraine crisis may prompt leaders to consider policies that cast a wider lens, Laitin said. Asylum-seekers must not be forced back to the trauma and violence that theyre so desperately fleeing. Why are asylum seekers treated differently to other refugees? 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. Businesses and civil society groups are busy developing training programs and job centers for asylum seekers to integrate into the system. Rather than let a whole generation of young people from the Middle East and other strategic zones rot in camps where extremism thrives, the EU could turn the current crisis into an opportunity for regional change. Rather than bringing people to safety via transit centers and, ultimately, to countries including the United States, these flights are sending vulnerable migrants and asylum-seekers back to danger returning them to the very places theyre fleeing. They want to work and maintain their dignity, not just be refugees, he explained to me over the phone earlier this week. 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. 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. Ibrahim. A charity that helps refugees has said there is a big variation in how the UK helps people from different countries. The EU had to support Ukrainewhich included a commitment to aiding Ukrainian refugeesor risk international condemnation; in contrast, it is more politically risky for the EU to commit to one side of the Syrian civil war (a perceived choice between a tyrannical government or jihadists). This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Identifying different types of threat and their association with emotional responses and attitudes towards refugee migration. For instance, do you worry about foreigners spreading diseases, committing violence, or taking away jobs and depressing wages? Whether the threat is true or imagined, immigrants might be perceived as threatening in a number of ways. But we could see White people going through. A Nigerian student added, Theyre pushing us back just because were Black!Were all humanThey should not discriminate against us because of the colour of our skin. Racism against POC fleeing Ukraine exposes differential treatment even among refugees fleeing the same conflict, suggesting that European solidarity is skin-deep. The massive migration flow to the north has produced a war of semantics: Are the new arrivals refugees or migrants? The world is currently experiencing the largest refugee crisis since World War II. The Harbour Project charity said many Ukrainians received immediate refugee. The U.S. government has committed to resettle tens of thousands of Afghan and Ukrainian refugees. HIRING! In fixating on distinguishing the two, politicians tend to miss the benefits that integrating both refugees and migrants into the labor market could have on the national economy. Stanford News is a publication of Stanford University Communications. 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. For more information, see our full Privacy Policy. Refugees are not citizens of the country of asylum and therefore have specific protection needs. 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. A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her home because of war, violence or persecution, often without warning. 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. "But instead, it really is night and day if we talk about the programs for Afghanistan's refugees.". The Dublin Convention has been divisive and especially difficult for Italy and Greece, which have struggled to accommodate migrants arriving by sea. 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. By welcoming Ukrainian refugees and imposing economic sanctions on Russia, the EU has demonstrated its support for Ukrainian sovereignty and opposition to Russian aggression without direct military intervention. Refugee implies involuntary exodus, while migrant refers more to voluntary movement; therefore, the use of the latter undermines non-Ukrainian refugees requests for asylum. U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that. NPR's Andrew Limbong has more. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health Services. 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 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. Meanwhile, the Maslovas, a family from Ukraine, enjoy warm welcomes. In the past year, a record-high 65 million people have been displaced worldwide, including more than one million people who crossed borders into the European Union while thousands more died on the way. Work permits alone do not guarantee refugees employment, though. The deal gives EU states free passes to return migrants and failed asylum seekers to Turkey. They also found that eligible voters favored refugees with higher employability. He's also covered the near collapse of the live music industry during the coronavirus pandemic. as many EU members have already acknowledged, dismissed the EUs call for sharing the responsibility, could not only win skilled workers, but also hearts and minds, http://www.cfr.org/syria/assessing-syrian-refugee-crisis/p33595, Order from Ashes Podcast: Broken Bonds: Existential Crises, Order from Ashes Podcast: Broken Bonds: My Life as a Muslim Brother, Order from Ashes Podcast: The Earthquake, Cholera, and Borders, The Systems That Drive Corruption and Terrorism, Order from Ashes Podcast: Broken Bonds: No Identity, Q&A: Netanyahus Total War on Israels Judiciary. Ukrainian refugees will not be as burdened by systemic failures in European migration policy as were the Syrians and North Africans in 2014-15. 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." While media outlets have labeled Ukrainians refugees, they oscillated between refugees and migrants when referring to Middle Eastern and African refugees in 2015. Anna is from Denmark and can speak five languages. Furthermore, semantics matter. Statistics show that asylum centers tend to isolate residents and restrict their access to the labor market. They met a woman from Guatemala traveling with her two daughters. Many asylum applicants who technically fall under the refugee-protection category have been deported back to their home countries, where they are at great risk of torture or prosecution. That's what makes it so shocking. Syrian refugees desire to work speaks to a broader sentiment, shared by many asylum seekers, that employment matters more than protection. 1. Stanford University. The reasons for this difference. The Harbour Project charity said many Ukrainians received immediate refugee. All refugees deserve. The death of Alan Kurdi: one year on, compassion towards refugees fades: Toddler's death opened European hearts and policy towards refugees, but 12 months on those changes have proved temporary. And if you zoom way, way out when talking about refugees and displacement, countries in the Middle East, Africa and the global South have taken in more than their fair share of refugees. KESHAVARZ: And I think one very dangerous thing that we're seeing is - and it bears asking the question - is, have journalists become so desensitized to the suffering of different peoples of color, specifically people that are in war zones, that we're no longer seeing on the same level playing field? Eastern Europe is treating Ukrainians better than Syrians and Afghansbut giving people the means to resist is the only way to prevent future crises. The Ukraine refugee crisis revealed deep-seated racism as racialized and Black refugees from Ukraine were treated differently. Refugees, defined by international humanitarian law as people in need of protection, are entitled to a privileged status. At a time when Western states are highly concerned with maintaining influence in the Middle Eastern debacle, excluding people from their shores seems ill-advised. As neighboring countries let in Ukrainian refugees, Africans living and studying in Ukraine say they're facing discrimination at border crossings. Turkish security guards shot and killed eleven Syrian refugees. This led to a disorganized and desperate re-migration throughout Europe, with refugees under continued fear of being repatriated. Does a Dog's Head Shape Predict How Smart It Is? While the first three threats may be considered direct threats, the other three are extended threats. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Not everyone is eligible to seek asylum. Assistant Professor Farzana Saleem on how to mitigate the toll racial stressors take on kids mental health. 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. Full coverage at CTVNews.ca/Ukraine. Accuracy and availability may vary. 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. States concerned with the growing threat of terror may want to consider the repercussions of sending young refugees and migrants, who have spent the bulk of their youth fleeing wars, back to zones of political instability and chronic unemployment. What is threatening about refugees? March 3, 2022. The Century Foundation takes your data security and privacy seriously. These asylum-seekers should be welcomed just like Afghans are being welcomed. For people who Lie about Everything www.npr.org for further information Psychological Diagnosis for people who Lie about Everything not a., and they have pursued policies to deter these migrants the future Ukraine were treated differently to other refugees they! Status ) have survived for hundreds and thousands of years partly because they are flexible enough to and! Is from Denmark and can speak five languages Century Foundation takes your data security and seriously! 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