As part of our fundraising week with the charity SolidariTee, we are aiming to raise awareness of the work that the charity does.
Whilst fighting for change within the refugee crisis is a huge part of what SolidariTee does, often the terms 'refugee', 'refugee crisis' and 'asylum seeker' are used loosely by the media and there is widespread confusion as to their meaning.
This article will aim to clarify what these terms mean, explain the difficulties faced by those fleeing their home countries and how we can help.
What is a Refugee?
Whilst one might here the term 'refugee' quite often in the news, it can be quite unclear what this term actually means and how this differs to an asylum seeker.
The UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) defines a refugee as someone who has fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and crossed an international border to find safety in another country. This definition is similarly echoed by the 1951 Refugee Convention, which protects refugees under international law.
Whilst the concept of being a refugee might seem distant to most, there are many famous names that have in fact met the definition of refugees. These include Bob Marley, who fled from Jamaica to Miami after being shot during political violence, Rita Ora, who came to the UK as a refugee from Kosovo as a baby, and Jackie Chan, who fled to the US from Hong Kong (per Refugee Week).
What is an Asylum Seeker?
There is often confusion amongst the public between who qualifies as a refugee and who qualifies as an asylum seeker. The UNHCR defines an 'asylum seeker' as someone whose request for sanctuary in a country has yet to be processed - this means that they have not been legally recognised as a refugee. Amnesty International highlight that asylum seeking is a human right – everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum.
The process for a person to seek asylum varies from country to country, but in the UK the process is as follows (per gov.uk) :
The person must have left their country and be unable to go back because they fear persecution.
They should apply either when they arrive in the UK or as soon as it would be unsafe to return to their home country.
They will have a meeting with an immigration officer (a 'screening') and an asylum interview with a caseworker. A decision will typically follow within six months.
However, whilst this process might seem relatively straightforward, from 2015-17 in only 53% of cases was the applicant granted asylum. Furthermore, of those who were successful, only 35% were successful at first instance, with the remainder only being granted asylum after appealing their case. Often, those seeking asylum in the UK might not speak English or may be overwhelmed by the system of applying for asylum. This, combined with the low rates of success, mean that legal representation is vital so that those seeking asylum are ensured the best chance of success.
The Refugee Crisis: a Brief Outline
The refugee crisis largely came to a head in 2015, with an influx of over one million people into Europe in 2015 (per the BBC), the largest refugee crisis on European soil since the Second World War. However, even in 2019, there were 27,000 sea arrivals into Europe by asylum seekers, 40% being women and children. Amongst these numbers, 584 are reported missing or dead (per UNHCR).
With Syria ravaged by civil war and little hope for Syrians in neighbouring Middle Eastern countries, many Syrians sought to flee to Europe in 2015. They were also joined by groups from other territories escaping persecution, including Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iraq (per The Guardian). The result of this was that many European countries began to tighten their restrictions to control the entrance of asylum seekers - in July 2015, Hungary built a barrier along its border with Serbia to prevent the entrance of migrants, and in February 2016, Norway broke international and EU law by stating it would reject all asylum seekers who tried to enter the country. Despite efforts to control the influx of migrants and relocate refugees, by August 2019 it was estimated that 900,000 asylum seekers within the EU were waiting for their claims to be processed, whilst more continued to die on their perilous journeys overseas (per SolidariTee).
Even today, the impact of the refugee crisis lives on. Refugee camps across Europe remain overpopulated as migrants continue their struggle to seek asylum. This includes the Moria camp on the island of Lesbos, too overcrowded for social distancing and with reportedly insufficient sanitation, and the Vathy camp on the island of Samos, which has been disrupted by fires and an earthquake in recent months.
How You Can Help
The grants offered by SolidariTee to those working at the heart of the refugee crisis aim to provide legal aid to asylum seekers, allowing them to bring a strong claim for asylum and live a prosperous and safe life in Europe.
If you would like to donate towards our SolidariTee fundraiser, you can click here to be taken to our Just Giving page. Alternatively, if you are interested in purchasing a t-shirt from SolidariTee, you can visit their shop here. We do recognise that not everyone can afford to financially donate, so if you would like to volunteer for this deserving cause, you can read more on the SolidariTee website.
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