People around the world are displaced from their homes. Some become refugees, escaping war and persecution in their home countries; others leave to escape poverty and lack of opportunity in their home regions. Often, they are desperate to provide a better life for their families.
The current global refugee crisis reflects complex and interconnected factors. The most serious problems are those that destabilize and threaten the safety of both refugee populations and their host societies. These include soaring levels of violence and insecurity, the growing numbers of refugees who live under constant threat of secondary displacement, the lack of economic opportunities for people who have no legal right to work in their new countries, and the proliferation of illegal trafficking activities that exploit vulnerable people.
A solution starts in the home country of the refugees – whether it is a policy of return, safe migration routes, or burden sharing with wealthier countries. It is also important to combat xenophobia and all forms of discrimination against refugees and migrants. Such blatant injustice stirs up resentment and can lead to violence.
It is essential to understand that refugee protection and host state security are not mutually exclusive, as is often assumed. Policies that promote refugee well-being, including education and social inclusion, reduce the potential for conflict with host states. This, in turn, can help alleviate pressure on host states’ strained resources and security systems. This is a key lesson from the Black September crisis of 1970, when Palestinian refugees in Jordan sparked a popular uprising that nearly toppled King Hussein.