REFUGEE CRISIS

         REFUGEE CRISIS

             Refugee crisis can refer to difficulties and dangerous situations in the reception of large groups of forcibly displaced persons. These could be either internally displaced, refugees, asylum seekers or any other huge 

groups of migrants.

A crisis could occur within the country, while attempting to leave, or while on the move to a safe country, or even after arrival in a country of asylum. A situation can be called a crisis, either from the perspective of the forcibly displaced persons, or from the perspective of the receiving state, or both. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, as of January 2019, 70.8 million (41.3 million internally, 25.9 million registered (20.4 million under UNHCR, 5.5 million under UNRWA), 3.5 million asylum seekers) had been displaced world wide .

In 2016 an estimated 362,000 refugees crossed the Mediterranean Sea in attempts to reach Europe due to dangers in their home countries. In the first half of 2017, over 105,000 refugees and migrants entered Europe through the Mediterranean.[3] On 27, September, 2019 a boat carrying at least 19 people destined for Chios Island capsized and seven people were killed, including five children and two women. As of 2019, 63,311 people had crossed the Mediterranean towards Europe and at least 1,028 people had died as a result of drowning.

Refugee crisis during COVID-19 pandemic

                                                                      

It  is estimated that around 167 countries across the world have fully or partially closed their borders during COVID-19 pandemic . 57 states made no exception for people seeking asylum. Many countries are using the excuse of pandemic to reject refugees from entering the land and water borders. Countries such as Italy and Malta closed their ports for refugees. Most of the refugees reaching the European sea shores ( up to 90%) depart from Libya where they escape a civil war in Libya .

 

Refugees that are forced to come back often face threats to their lives and freedom in their countries torn by wars . Most countries in which refugees are displaced are countries of low or middle income, it puts more health and food challenges that refugees are facing in these countries with under-financed health care system and under-developed economies .The ongoing conflicts in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Yemen, Syria and Libya makes it very difficult to conduct large-scale regular testing for COVID-19 among the populations of these countries. Lack of sanitation, no access to health-care services, information, and lack of social distancing and the conditions in war-torn countries and refugee centers put a threat to lives of millions of people living in the war zones.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread quickly and widely; the number of cases worldwide has now exceeded ten million.Many governments responded with an escalating range of policies including widespread business and border closures.While some countries are cautiously beginning to emerge from their lockdowns, some form of containment measures are likely to remain in place in many countries for the coming months.

These impacts are compounded for the millions of refugees living in low- and middle-income countries.Prior to COVID-19, this population already faced a wide range of de jure and de facto barriers to economic inclusion , facing challenges distinct from those faced by host populations preventing them from being able to obtain decent work as defined by the ILO and earn an income commensurate with their skills. 

Myanmar violence triggers asylum crisis for India's northeastern states

The situation along the Myanmar-India border is "getting worse," a Myanmar national who recently fled their country and crossed the border into India told DW. "We're worried about our families and friends who have left behind," said the person who is now seeking political asylum in India and asked to remain anonymous.

"The people in India have been very helpful but we are afraid of getting deported by authorities. While some of us are trying to figure out the refugee process, we hope to go back to our country someday soon."

Since the February 1 military coup in Myanmar and the subsequent clampdown on protesters, over 1,000 people from the country have fled and crossed the border into India.

More than 700 civilians have been killed in the space of just 70 days since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group, which says more than 3,000 have been arrested.

But India's Foreign Ministry recently appeared to take a stronger line, condemning "any use of violence" and urging Myanmar to release the hundreds of political prisoners now languishing in the country's jails.

"We believe that the rule of law should prevail. We stand for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar," it said, adding that New Delhi is ready to play a "balanced and constructive role" to resolve the crisis.

         

India shares a 1,600-kilometer (1,000-mile) land frontier with Myanmar.

The Indian state of Mizoram — which shares a porous 400-kilometer border with Myanmar, mostly along the Tiau River — is particularly affected by the influx, as its people share deep ethnic ties with communities on the other side of the border like the Chins.

Indian border guards, however, have been sealing the border and pushing back those trying to enter the country.  

The authorities' handling of the situation hasn't gone down well with Mizoram. In a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state's Chief Minister Zoramthanga said that the deportation process was "not acceptable" to his state.