Introduction
Understanding the Definition of a Refugee
A refugee is a person who has been forcibly displaced from their home country due to natural disasters or war. More specifically, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) defines refugees as “individuals who are outside their country of origin and who are unable or unwilling to return there owing to serious threats to life, physical integrity or freedom resulting from generalized violence or events seriously disturbing public order” (United Nations High Commission for Refugees, n.d., p. 3).
Housing Challenges Faced by Refugees in Host Countries
Housing is one of the significant challenges that refugees face in their host country because they are often exposed to violence, an inadequate supply of basic needs, diseases, and sexual assault while seeking asylum in these countries. The host country must develop quick strategies to assist the refugees in their time of need. If housing is compromised, there is a high likelihood that the hundreds of refugees who enter a host country may be vulnerable to the challenges of exile living (Bonyan Organization, 2021). Housing is perceived as a significant resource, where, in most cases, the government manipulates the issue and, in turn, uses it to its advantage to try to manage the crowds.
A refugee is indeed a foreigner; sometimes, there are cultural differences. The refugee is often forced to adapt to the ways and cultures of the host country. In most cases, the host country becomes relentless in helping the refugees, as it forcefully shows them that they either have to abide by its ways or cannot assist them. There is a need to educate nationals on cultural competence to learn how to accept and welcome people who are different from them.
Strategies and Reforms to Improve Refugee Accommodation
In various countries, efforts are underway to reform the process of providing accommodation to refugees. The proposals include access to offshore asylum seekers in refurbished units, increased reception facilities, and continued resettlement of sponsored immigrants (Sindic et al., 2018). The proposals will be taken seriously following the housing countries, recalling that refugees are disadvantaged, especially in housing matters.
The primary goal is to provide refugees with housing and enhance their living conditions in the host country (Powell & Robinson, 2019). To achieve refugee camp stability, strategies are implemented to deliver aid effectively and efficiently. Coordination and monitored assistance, alongside protection, are among the various mechanisms employed in refugee camps (Ahmad et al., 2021). The local community gets involved in managing and disseminating information, which offers a multisector flow of feedback, maintaining sanity in the center.
Human Rights Violations and Health Concerns in Refugee Camps
People in refugee camps rely entirely on aid coming from humanitarian organizations. Since they depend on the support and have no means of making an income, they are prone to violation of human rights, where they are restrained and confined in arbitrary detention centers. In these places, they get abused, women get raped, and their rights are taken away (Ahmad et al., 2021). They suffer from daily abuse and poor living standards.
In some other places, refugees end up in unmarked warehouses where they are taken by smugglers and traffickers who expose them to physical abuse and extract payments from them (Bonyan Organization, 2022). Poor housing comes with disease attacks and less access to medical services. Quality medical services are essential for refugees and the host country. Since most refugees eat poorly in the camp, they get exposed to diseases. In some refugee-hosting countries, little to no attention is given to the refugees’ personal health.
The Role of the UNHCR in Protecting and Supporting Refugees
Offering protection to the refugees is the responsibility of the hosting countries. Many states have signed the 1951 Convention agreement, which obligates them to protect refugees in their respective countries and treat them humanely. However, the United Nations agency has a wing that helps refugees, called the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which was established in 1950 following the aftermath of the Second World War.
This organization must offer international human rights protection and deliver protection to refugees. This organization provides long-lasting solutions to refugees’ grievances by offering them aid to return to their homeland safely and securely. This is done if the conditions back home are fit for human residence. They also provide resettlement programs in third-world countries. On their end, refugees must obey and respect the laws of their home country.
The task of defining the term “refugee” is usually undertaken by the UNHCR. If a person meets the threshold to be defined as a refugee, the organization assists in their safe return to their country of origin or resettlement in a foreign country. Additionally, offering protection to refugees is a prime mandate of the UNHCR.
Most governments guarantee they provide their citizens with human rights protection and security, but this promise is rarely kept when refugees arrive in the host country. Therefore, the UNHCR is responsible for seeking fair treatment for refugees. The organization ensures that countries comply with international requirements to provide refugees with protection and basic needs.
Definition of the Problem
A refugee’s main problem is the disconnect from the change of locations. The distance from home causes a break with close family, friends, and loved ones in the country of asylum (Ahmad et al., 2021). The refugees in the camp have faced many problems, including poor shelter, minimal living space, violence, sexual assault, and language barriers with the locals. A study has shown that more developed countries have hosted close to 85% of the refugees of the world, where 4.7 million of the original percentage are asylum seekers, 54% of the number are genuine people who need help as they get displaced from their original countries as a result of war and natural disasters (Ahmad et al., 2021). Refugees are seen as people who flee in pursuit of a better life, and others say they drain the country’s economy.
Underlying Social Values of Problem Perception
From the foregoing, many social values are associated with the refugee housing problem. These values include fairness, equality, safety, dignity, and liberty for all refugees. However, many people lack fundamental human compassion to understand that these people need help and stop seeing them as enemies of the country.
That is why organizations such as the UNHCR and others advocate for fairness, as it compels the host country to provide food, shelter, and clothing to refugees and treat them as if they were citizens. Equality of all migrants is guaranteed in the implementation of government policies, where all migrants receive equal treatment (Sindic et al., 2018). Safety in their new habitat is also given priority since their lives matter. Humanitarian organizations that visit the refugee camps to offer guidance and post-trauma relief programs accord them dignity. Liberty guarantees that all refugees are exposed to voluntary repatriation, integration into different local norms, and the right to resettlement.
Holders of Values
There are conceptions and perceptions associated with the increasing number of refugees worldwide. First, some believe that building and setting up perimeter walls between countries will cease the rivalry between countries about refugees. This perception limits growth between countries, as bordering countries might never know when they need each other in times of crisis. Secondly, there are allegations that refugees tend to commit crimes; the truth is that existing criminals take advantage of the presence of the refugees to commit offenses.
Thirdly, refugees are purported to rob jobs from the locals of the host country (Open Knowledge Foundation, 2018). It is easier for a low-skilled refugee in Italy to get a job than a highly trained local (Bonyan Organization, 2022). This major difference lies in the significant disparity in education, not in the fact that the refugee is taking up positions. Furthermore, many believe refugees lead a quiet life, enjoying social benefits and a comfortable lifestyle. However, the truth is that the migrants live under harsh living conditions, since they cannot afford essential commodities by themselves, which is why they rely on aid from organizations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the world will never lack refugees, as many people are forced to abandon their homes for unavoidable reasons. Humanitarian organizations consistently ensure that countries treat migrants with humanity and dignity. Host countries are also campaigners of social values, which guide how they treat the refugees.
The UNHCR, humanitarian organizations, and the general public hold these values. More especially because of the global warming trends, some places will continue to experience harsh weather, and the locals have to relocate at certain times of the year. In addition, nations continue to rise against each other, leading to war and forcing people to leave their homes. There is a need to develop sound strategies to support and treat these refugees humanely.
References
Ahmad, F., Othman, N., Hynie, M., Bayoumi, A. M., Oda, A., & McKenzie, K. (2021). Depression-level symptoms among Syrian refugees: Findings from a Canadian longitudinal study. Journal of Mental Health, 30(2), 246-254. Web.
Bonyan Organization. (2022). What challenges do refugees face when finding a new home. Web.
Powell, R. & Robinson, D. (2019). Housing, ethnicity and advanced marginality in England. In J. Flint and R. Powell (Eds) Class, Ethnicity and State in the Polarized Metropolis (pp. 187-212). Web.
Sindic, D., Morais, R., Costa-Lopes, R., Klein, O., & Barreto, M. (2018). Schrodinger’s immigrant: The political and strategic use of (contradictory) stereotypical traits about immigrants. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 79, 227-238. Web.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (n.d.). Refugee definition. UNHCR Emergency Handbook, pp. 1-5. Web.