So much has been happening in current news regarding the travel ban. I think it’s important to question who should be considered a refugee and we as a country should question political policies that make it difficult for those seeking refugee asylum, such as Trumps recent executive order suspending the US Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days. Refugees are often placed in the category of migrants, however, many of these individuals are fleeing their countries due to substantial oppression. Refugees unlike migrants are trying to escape unjust political treatment and escapee conditions where they are explicitly excluded from their nation. Yes, refugees choose to flee their home countries, but many choose out of fear for their lives and Trumps executive order goes against international law. Policies such as the 1951 Geneva Convention and the continuing application of the 1961 Protocol [1] address the status of refuges and were adopted by the US. Meaning the US would comply, meaning Trumps executive order is in violation of this agreement.
According to the Geneva Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees. A refugee is defined as a person who:
Owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.
–United Nations
Refugees are fleeing governments that are unwilling or unable to protect their basic human rights and, in many cases, these basic human rights consist of the right to live. Interestingly, these are the same individuals so many Americans fear are committing terrorist attacks. According to CNN’s Peter Bergen, much of the hysteria of refugees coming into the country and performing tourist attacks are exaggerated. Bergen expresses how since 9/11 “about 10 refugees have been involved in relatively minor jihadi terrorism crimes” and how the majority of lethal terrorist attacks are performed by American citizens or legal permanent residents.[2] This percentage is significantly low if you consider how many refugees are permitted into the US a year. The annual pace for refugee admission to the United Sates is around 25,000 with many years exceeding this. In 2017, the US admitted nearly 54,000 refugees and in 2016 around 85,000 refugees. [3] It doesn’t take rocket science to see how the extreme fear of refugee “terrorist” isn’t adding up to the actual number of crimes committed. By no means am I disregarding the attacks that have been committed by refugees, but it is extremely important, especially when denying the entry of innocent people fleeing for their lives, to recognize who truly are committing these crimes. [4] Instead of fearing refugees, they should be viewed as individual forcefully being push out of their homeland with no other choice, but to seek asylum.
