Every day, people around the world leave their homes and become refugees. Some are forced to flee persecution and conflict, while others seek work, education, or a better life in another country. The conditions they face on the road to their new home can influence the course of their journey.
In some situations, the return of displaced populations to their country of origin may aggravate civil war and further destabilization. In other cases, host state policies that reduce legal protection or limit access to economic opportunities increase the potential for secondary displacement and exacerbate social tensions. In many cases, a lack of economic opportunities in refugee settlements can lead to violence and exploitation by international gangs, particularly in the case of women and girls.
Moreover, natural disasters (such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and mudslides) can also force people to flee their homes, but no existing international or regional refugee law instruments specifically address them. Additionally, climate change is increasingly affecting the livelihoods of people living in countries of origin through drought, rising sea levels, and salinization of land and water resources.
The international community must put people before politics and find a way to prevent a global refugee crisis from getting worse. It starts with ending the conflicts and persecution that force people to flee their homes in the first place. But it also means putting in place the structures that can help people reach safety and rebuild their lives. This includes responsible management of sustainable camps developing into refugee settlements, the establishment of a fair asylum system, and support for those who can’t go back to their homes.