JUNE 2005 SPOTLIGHT:

World Refugee Day

On June 20th we observe “World Refugee Day,” a day to stand in unity with those around the world who have been forced to leave their homes and hearts in a place to which they cannot safely return. It is a day to raise our awareness of the hardships faced by refugees and the ways that we can welcome and protect refugees both near and far.

The U.S. has a long history of welcoming refugees. This noble effort provides safety and permanence to many people fleeing persecution, while also strengthening the fabric and cultural breadth of the U.S. The nationalities have changed over time, depending on world events, but the tradition of protecting the persecuted continues.

Every year, the President and Congress designate the number of refugees who may be admitted in the coming year (Presidential Determination No. 2004-53.)  For 2005, this number is set at 70,000 refugees total, broken down regionally as follows:

• Africa . . . . . . . . . . 20,000
• East Asia . . . . . . . . . 13,000
• Europe and Central Asia . . 9,500
• Latin America/Caribbean . . 5,000
• Near East/South Asia . . . 2,500
• Unallocated Reserve . . . . 20,000

Among those refugees to be resettled are two newer groups: the Meskhetian Turks (also known as Ahiska or Akhiska Turks), and Burmese refugees living in Thailand and Malaysia.

The Meskhetian Turks have faced upheaval twice in the past 60 years, dating back to 1944 when they and other ethnic groups were deported by Stalin from the Soviet state of Georgia to Uzbekistan, another Soviet state. While many of these ethnic groups were eventually allowed to return to their homeland, the Meskhetian Turks have yet to be granted the right of return. In 1989, this group faced violence again, and nearly 70,000 left Uzbekistan and dispersed into 7 neighboring countries. Of these, the 15,000 – 20,000 Meskhetian Turks in the Krasnodar Kray region of the Russian Federation are of particular concern to UNHCR since they are essentially stateless [1] and denied basic civil, political, economic and social rights. Krasnodar officials have denied Russian citizenship to Meskhetian Turks, and Georgia is still not allowing them to return to their traditional homeland. Due to these concerns, around 11,000 Meskhetian Turks from the Krasnodar Kray area in Russia have been offered the opportunity to be resettled in the U.S. Around 1,400 have already arrived in the U.S. Their traditional religion is Sunni Islam, and they speak a dialect of Turkish. One new refugee now living in Lansing, MI marveled at the ability to check out a library book, one privilege among many denied to Meskhetian Turks in the Krasnodar region.[2] 

Another newer refugee group being resettled in the U.S. are Burmese who fled their homeland due to political and religious persecution, seeking temporary safety in neighboring Thailand. These refugees, often ethnic minorities within Burma (or Myanmar to which the country is now referred) face insecurity in Thailand where they are considered illegal migrants if they are not living in refugee camps. An estimated 140,000 Burmese refugees live in crowded camp conditions along the Thai/Burmese border, where more than 8,000 of these refugees are unaccompanied and separated children. An additional one to two million Burmese refugees live illegally elsewhere in Thailand.[3]  The Thai government recently ordered about 3,000 refugees living in urban areas to move to refugee camps by March 31, 2005.[4]  These urban refugees, facing displacement again, have been of particular concern to the U.S. Refugee Program (USRP), which has begun resettling limited numbers of Burmese refugees from urban areas in Thailand. The Department of State is also in discussions with Thai officials about resettlement possibilities for Burmese refugees in the Tham Hin camp, near the border. About 3,100 urban Burmese in Thailand are expected to be resettled through the USRP, and about half of this group has already arrived in the U.S. In addition, an estimated 1,000 Burmese Chin refugees who have sought refuge in Malaysia are expected to be resettled in the U.S. in 2005.[5]

Like the Meskhetian Turks, Burmese children born to refugees in Thailand also face the problem of statelessness. For more information on statelessness among the Burmese in Thailand, see the Refugees International article, “Stolen Futures: The Stateless Children of Burmese Asylum Seekers”; for more on the Tham Hin camp, see the Refugees International article, “Thailand: Resettlement as a Durable Solution for Burmese Refugees in Tham Hin.”

Representatives from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) recently visited Burmese refugees in Thailand and Malaysia in order to make recommendations about future resettlement needs for this vulnerable group. A summary of the delegation’s findings is available in the report, “A Shady Tree: Hope for Vulnerable Refugees in Malaysia and Thailand.”  This report particularly emphasizes the needs of, and resettlement possibilities for, refugee children and youth who have been separated from their parents.

The Meskhetian Turks and Burmese refugees now coming to the U.S. remind us of the struggles for safety and normalcy faced by the millions of uprooted people around the globe. On World Refugee Day we recognize the courage and difficulties faced by refugees, as well as our part in welcoming refugees nearby and aiding those still seeking safety.
 

This month's featured search in the BRYCS clearinghouse will lead you to the above resources and more related to the topic of acculturation. 

Additional resources on specific cultural and ethnic groups can be found listed under BRYCS Targeted Resources.  In addition to the two new groups highlighted in this month's spotlight, resources can be found for: Afghans, Albanians,  Burmese, Bosnians, Cambodians, Cubans, Eritreans, Ethiopians, Haitians, Hmong, Iranians, Iraqis, Kosovars, Laotians, Liberians, Meskhetian Turks, Somali, Somali Bantu, Southeast Asians, Sudanese, and Vietnamese.

You can read previous monthly spotlights and view resources on the featured searches through the BRYCS Monthly Archive page.