Refugee crisis is one of the world’s most urgent and complex issues, requiring a coordinated global response from the international community. Conflict and natural disasters are often the main causes of displacement, but a host country’s political climate and economic conditions also influence refugee flows. Hospitality toward displaced people is a core national value in many countries, but host states often reach a tipping point when a large influx of refugees overwhelms their ability to meet the needs of the population and economy. Moreover, desperation among displaced populations increases when host countries and donors fail to provide adequate assistance for resettlement or other forms of durable solutions.
Large refugee populations are also susceptible to exploitation and violence, especially where they cannot legally work in their hosts’ economies. This is a particularly serious issue for women, who face gender-based abuse and sexual exploitation at increased rates than men in the same communities. In addition, refugees are frequently exploited by criminal networks that facilitate trafficking in drugs, human beings, and illegal weapons.
The international community’s goal must be to reduce and ultimately eliminate refugee displacement by providing sustainable, scalable protection options to all displaced people. This requires addressing the root causes of conflict, natural disasters, and climate change to prevent people from being forced to leave their homes in search of safety and security. Moreover, it means prioritizing facilitating durable solutions for refugees who cannot return to their home countries, including through resettlement in third countries and other viable avenues, such as granting them the right to legally work, free movement within their host countries, and access to social services and education for their children.