The Sociological Impact of Refugee Crises on Human Rights

The refugee crisis is one of the most pressing and prevalent global issues. Global displacement rates and reports of human rights violations against refugees are so high nowaday that many people barely notice them anymore. According to the United Nations, human rights are defined as “Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity…include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.”

For years, countries have tolerated legislation and policies that strip human rights protections from refugees - who are just as human as all of us.

According to the UNHCR, there is a lot of discrimination and a lack of inclusion in the refugee community. This is extremely detrimental to factors such as children's development, the ability to earn a stable income, and access to basic human rights. 

The inability to find work and gain financial income poses a large challenge to the stability of refugees’ successful integration into society. While the right for refugees to work is mentioned in the 1951 Refugee Convention, half of the member states do not recognise the right of refugees to work legally or benefit from labour protections. 

For example, in Türkiye, it is estimated that approximately a million Syrians are working with the bare minimum without legal protection, and three out of four Syrians earn less than the minimum wage. In addition, most refugees cannot open a bank account or have any access to financial services. This shows the discrimination and lack of inclusivity for the refugees to integrate into society, making the refugees feel less welcome and unable to regain a sense of normality in their lives. 

Another significant example of social discrimination and its impact on refugees is the lack of inclusion in the school system. Children who are refugees often face discrimination when it comes to education. Approximately 3.7 million refugee children are out of school, which is detrimental as education sets up pathways, such as breaking the dependency cycle, and can help recover from past traumas, displacement, and violence. Refugee children need to be able to speak the host country’s language in order to contribute to the community in the future - another barrier to reaching social inclusion. 

At times, tensions between host communities and refugees result in reduced access to resources given to refugees. In low to middle-income countries, some countries already struggle to manage their economic stability, making it even harder to provide additional resources and financial support for refugees. 

Many refugee host countries are facing crisis after crisis, including natural disasters, climate change, economic instability, and unemployment rates. As a result, host countries are often left unable to offer healthcare, education, and housing to support the mass influx of refugees. Therefore, a significant portion of refugees struggle with finding sustainable housing, enough food and water, healthcare, and other basic needs. 

Reference list

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