Global Refugee, Asylum Seekers Total 12 Million

 

Laurie Kassman

The latest World Refugee Survey issued by the U.S. Committee for Refugees estimates the global total of refugees and asylum¹ seekers now reaches nearly 12 million. The survey this year highlights the dilemma² for more than seven million refugees who are languishing³ in third-country camps or settlements while they wait to be resettled or repatriated⁵.

The World Refugee Survey this year focuses on millions of refugees who have been confined to camps or settlements for more than ten years, in what is called refugee warehousing.

Gregory Chen is policy director of the U.S. Committee for Refugees. He says refugee warehousing violates the 1951 Refugee Convention, which says legal refugees should be allowed to earn wages, own property and travel freely.

"Last June USCR analysts⁶ visited several countries and documented how many refugees cannot work, cannot leave camps where they live, where most do these things illegally despite the fact that international law guarantees them the right to employment and freedom of movement."

Mr. Chen says many refugees are located in remote and often dangerous border areas, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and attacks by criminals or militias⁸. He cites Myanmar refugee camps in Thailand as an example.

Mr. Chen acknowledges that resolving the refugee problem is a long-term challenge that relies on resettlement, repatriation⁹ or integration¹⁰ in the host country. But he says the international community needs short-term solutions to address the problem.

"Even if the United States and other countries that do major resettlement programs were able to maximize the goals that we set, in the U.S. it's 70 thousand a year, we're never going to resolve the needs of all those who are warehoused. So other solutions must be found."

The USCR is campaigning for more creative approaches to the refugee dilemma and a commitment to abide¹¹ by the 1951 Refugee Convention.

The 43rd annual World Refugee Survey shows more than one fourth of the world's refugees are found in Africa. More than half of them have fled conflict in four countries - Sudan, Congo-Kinshasa, Liberia and Burundi. Last year, the largest number of refugees fled fighting in Liberia and Sudan.

The U.S. Committee for Refugees estimates three out of four African refugees have been languishing in camps for more than five years.

According to the survey totals, the West Bank and Gaza, Iran, Pakistan, Syria and Tanzania together host more than 40 percent of the world's refugee population. Iran and Pakistan together topped the list of refugee host countries last year with nearly three million Afghan refugees.

On a more positive note, the survey shows a slow but steady decline in the world refugee population, down from 13 million to under 12 million last year.

More than 600,000 Afghan refugees were voluntarily returned home last year from Iran and Pakistan. Thousands of refugees also were voluntarily repatriated to their homes in Angola, Burundi, Iraq and Sri Lanka among others.

注释：
refugee [7refju(:)5dVi:] n.难民，流亡者
dilemma [di5lemE7] n. 进退两难的局面，困难的选择
languish⁴ [5lAN^wIF] vi. （长期）受苦，受折磨
resettle [5ri:5setl] v.（使）重新定居
repatriate [ri:5pAtrieit] v. 遣返
camp [kAmp] n. 露营地
warehousing [5wZEhauziN] n. 仓库贮存
violate [5vaiEleit] vt. 违反
Refugee Convention 难民公约
remote [ri5mEut] adj. 遥远的，偏僻的
vulnerable [5vQlnErEb(E)l] adj. 易受攻击的
militia⁷ [mi5liFE] n. 民兵
Myanmar [5mjAnmB:(r)] 缅甸（东南亚国家）
USCR 美国难民委员会
Sudan [su:5dAn] n. 苏丹
Congo-Kinshasa [5kCN^Eu5kin5FB:sE] n. 刚果-金萨沙
Liberia [lai5biEriE] n. 利比里亚（西非国家）
Burundi [bu5rundi] n. 布隆迪（非洲国家）
Gaza [5^B:zE] n. 加沙（西南亚地中海岸港市）
Syria [5siriE] n. 叙利亚共和国（西南亚国家）
Tanzania [7tAnzE5ni:E] n. 坦桑尼亚（东非国家）

1 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

2 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

3 languishing   

a. 衰弱下去的

参考例句：

• He is languishing for home. 他苦思家乡。
• How long will she go on languishing for her red-haired boy? 为想见到她的红头发的儿子，她还将为此烦恼多久呢？

4 languish   

vi.变得衰弱无力，失去活力，（植物等）凋萎

参考例句：

• Without the founder's drive and direction,the company gradually languished.没有了创始人的斗志与指引，公司逐渐走向没落。
• New products languish on the drawing board.新产品在计划阶段即告失败。

5 repatriated   

v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The refugees were forcibly repatriated. 难民被强制遣送回国。
• Ancient artworks were repatriated from the US to Greece. 古代艺术品从美国遣送回希腊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

8 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

9 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网

10 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

11 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。