Human rights in Romania made headlines last January after Romanians took to the streets in the largest protests since the 1989 revolution. The peaceful demonstrations began in response to a government attempt to eliminate protections against corruption. The protesters were ultimately successful in halting the legislation, a signal to many that democracy is alive and well in the eastern European country.
This notion was reinforced by the June 13 announcement that Romania’s former president Ion Iliescu will go to court to face charges of crimes against humanity. The charges have been brought against him in connection with a violent crackdown on peaceful protests in Bucharest in 1990, just months after the uprisings that ousted dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. The charges allege that Iliescu, who ordered tens of thousands of security officers to stifle the peaceful protests, is responsible for four deaths, 1,380 injuries and 1,250 arrests.
The contrast between the response to the freedom of expression in these two instances, separated by less than 30 years, demonstrates profound growth in human rights in Romania. Though the success of the demonstrations in early 2017 has been praised worldwide, there are still significant human rights abuses occurring daily.
Systemic Roma Discrimination
Perhaps the most pervasive of these abuses is the systemic discrimination faced by Roma in all facets of life. According to the U.S. State Department, there are between 1.8 million and 2.5 million Roma in the country, accounting for approximately 10% of the population. Romania’s most recent official census, conducted in 2011, counted 621,573 Roma, though this number is severely skewed by widespread issues with identification documents.
NGOs and the media report that societal discrimination against Roma has persisted and that Roma are routinely denied public services. Given this discrimination, many Roma are fearful of registering for identity documents as they would be required to declare their ethnicity. However, without these documents, they are unable to participate in elections, receive social benefits or fully participate in the labor market.
The United Nations and the European Union have urged Romania to implement the Roma Inclusion Strategy, which pushes states to uphold their commitments to European human rights laws and integrate Roma into society.
Prison and Law Enforcement Failures
In 2016, the Romani Center for Social Intervention and Studies reported 43 cases of police brutality against Romas. Racism was not investigated as a motive in any of these instances.
While this is yet another example of Roma discrimination, it is also a symptom of the larger dysfunction of the Romanian justice system. Constitutional protections for human rights in Romania prohibit torture, unlawful detention and violence against prisoners and detainees, yet NGOs and media still report that security forces routinely disregard these laws.
This problem is exacerbated by the prison system’s overcrowding problem. As of July 2016, Romania’s prisons held 28,278 persons. Based on the space limits imposed by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Romania’s prison system only has the capacity to hold 18,826.
Few immediate measures are being taken to resolve this issue, but the government introduced a plan in April 2016 to improve prison conditions by 2023 after the EHRC ruling in Rezmiveș and Others v. Romania, which highlighted a “structural deficiency” in Romanian prisons.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence has become a dominant topic in the discussion of human rights in Romania, as the international community continues to push for Romania to uphold the necessary protections for its citizens. Advocates are working to introduce new legislation and to urge the government to abide by the laws and agreements already in place, including the Istanbul Convention, which entered into force in September 2016. Data supplied by the General Police Inspectorate counted nearly 9,000 cases of domestic violence in just the first six months of 2016. National NGOs reported that the actual number was much higher, and the European Court of Human Rights reports that more than half of Romanians believe that domestic violence is justified.
Existing laws provide few protections for survivors of domestic abuse. Many of those afforded are only temporary. Restraining orders may be issued for a maximum of six months. Even more concerning is the lack of protection for survivors who were in relationships but did not cohabit with their alleged abuser. Victims in this category cannot obtain a restraining order, stay in shelters or utilize the other state services. There has been little high-level coordination to reform these provisions.
Despite shortcomings in these areas, it is clear that human rights in Romania are progressing. Discrimination against Roma continues to be an egregious disregard for human rights and a senseless “waste of human capital and loss of productivity,” impeding Romania’s growth as a society. Romania has an obligation to implement the Roma Integration Strategy, which has set inclusion targets for 2020.
Similarly, a justice system that allows for the overcrowding of prisons and abuse by security officers to continue is not just, nor is it aligned with EU standards. Should the state refuse to reform these aspects of its justice system, it will face punishment in the form of restrictions on its EU membership.
Romania will face similar penalties if it does not bring its domestic violence laws in line with international norms. While there is not yet a concrete plan for the future of domestic violence protections, there is a plan in place to remedy Romania’s prison conditions by 2030. This plan, Romania’s EU membership and recent protests all point to continued progress for human rights in Romania.
– Alena Zafonte
Photo: Flickr
The Importance of Water Quality in Laos
Although Laos is one of the poorest countries in Asia, it has rich natural resources. More than 85% of the land lies within the Mekong River Basin. About 80% of Laotians work in agriculture and live in rural areas. Water quality in Laos is an essential part of life and development in the country.
The usage of water in Laos is 82% agricultural, 10% industrial, and 8% domestic. Agriculture uses water for irrigation, fisheries, plantation, and livestock. There is approximately 270 billion cubic meters of available water, of which 5.7 billion is used and the remaining 264.3 billion remains in the rivers.
There is currently a hydropower boom in Laos. The country has the potential to produce 23,000 megawatts of electricity. Currently, it only utilizes 5% of that capacity. By selling electricity to neighboring countries, Laos is seeking to become the “battery” of Southeast Asia.
Hydropower and Water Quality in Laos
Hydropower, however, has had problematic effects on the water quality in Laos and neighboring countries. In 2013, villagers in Cambodia complained that dam-building on the Mekong River in Laos was ruining the water downstream. The villagers couldn’t drink the water anymore because it was muddy and full of silt.
In 2016, the Malaysian company Mega-First and the government of Laos launched the Don Sahong dam. Work began without approval from the Mekong River Commission, and in spite of protests by regional NGOs and the downstream communities in Vietnam and Cambodia. The Laotian government plans to build nine more dams on the Mekong River and hundreds more on other rivers and tributaries in the region.
Scientists contend the dams pose an environmental threat to fish migration and food security. The delta of the Mekong River already experienced significant sediment loss, and a dam will make it worse. The Mekong Delta is crucial to the Vietnamese economy, as it produces 50% of the country’s staple crops and 90% of its rice exports.
Ecology specialist Nguyen Huu Thien, a scientist based near the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, contends that “if the delta cannot support its population of 18 million, then people will have to migrate– migrate everywhere. The dams are sowing the seeds of social instability in the region.”
The condition of the Mekong River will define the socioeconomic framework of entire communities in Laos and its neighboring countries. Laos may get an economic boost from its dams for now, but in the long term, the health of Laos and its rivers are intertwined.
– Hannah Seitz
Photo: Flickr
Project C.U.R.E. Provides Aid with Donated Medical Supplies
Listed in Forbes 200 Largest and 20 Most Effective U.S. Charities, Project C.U.R.E. started from humble beginnings, when a doctor from Evergreen, Colorado visited a hospital in Rio De Janeiro and saw the tragic consequences patients were facing due to a lack of medical supplies. Just thirty days after returning to the U.S., Dr. James Jackson had collected $250,000 worth of medical supplies in his garage to send back to that hospital. Now, thirty years after its founding, Project C.U.R.E. contributes $43 million annually to charitable services, providing donated medical supplies to ensure that health centers in 130 countries have the means to provide care to patients who are often among the most vulnerable in the world.
A Venezuelan gynecologist explained to the Human Rights Watch that 90% of medical and surgical supplies were lacking at her general hospital. In countries like Venezuela, where sexual education and women’s health are already often overlooked and inaccessible, the black market often controls the distribution of medical supplies and prices are three to four times the U.S. standard.
With $51 million in private support, Project C.U.R.E. has been able to expand across the U.S. and now has distribution warehouses in Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. With their contributions reaching as much as $38 million in supplies to Nigeria alone, Project C.U.R.E. has gained support not only from individual volunteers and donors across the country but from medical supply companies and other non-profit organizations.
In 2014, the Ebola outbreak led to an outpour of generosity to countries facing the health emergency. In Colorado, Project C.U.R.E. was able to send 240,000 pounds of donated medical supplies to Sierra Leone, with enough examination gloves to weigh a ton on their own. The gloves were donated by Medline, the largest privately held medical supply company in the U.S., which recognized how even the most commonplace supplies in U.S. health facilities were critical and coveted abroad. That year, 30 percent of hospitals in Sierra Leone lacked sterile gloves.
With their recent expansion into the northeast region of the U.S., AmerisourceBergen, a Pennsylvania-based non-profit pharmaceutical sourcing and distributing organization, gave Project C.U.R.E. a $50,000 grant in 2016. AmerisourceBergen (ranking 12th on the Fortune 500 list) was inspired by the 60 regional U.S. health centers and multiple seaports that Project C.U.R.E.’s new Pennsylvania distribution center offered.
Every week, two or three cargo containers full of donated medical supplies leave Project C.U.R.E.’s warehouses. Those medical supplies provide the tools for life-saving surgeries, vaccines, treatments, and childbirths. And with those material means, this organization also provides the intangible but imperative gift of empowerment and hope to countries who need it the most.
– Brooke Clayton
Photo: Flickr
Hunger in Samoa is Still A Crisis
Following destructive cyclones in 1990 and 1991, much of Samoa’s agriculture was destroyed. This has caused major setbacks for food production. To alleviate the huge deficit in food resources, the country sought out help from donor nations as well as the World Food Programme. Despite the help from donor nations and relief programs, problems still remain with hunger in Samoa today.
In an address in 1996 by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, it was stated that the 1993 food production recovery program was making headway until a fungal disease wreaked havoc on the crops. With natural disasters and failed production recovery programs not making any progress, Malielegaoi and the government of Samoa committed to the World Food Summit Plan of Action in hopes of combatting hunger in Samoa and rebuilding the food recovery program.
Years later, hunger in Samoa is still a crisis. In 2006, the depth of hunger index–which measures the number of people who fall short of minimum food needs–was reported at 210, and, by 2008, the depth of hunger had decreased to 150, a significant reduction. In addition, the depth of the food deficit was at 22 kilocalories per person per day, while the percent of malnutrition prevalence in children under 5 was at 1.7%. The number of undernourished people in Samoa was reported at 100,000 in 2008, an estimated 5% of the population.
Despite the lack of progress, in 2013, the Samoan government and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced that Samoa was among 40 countries to have cut hunger in half. This success was one of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals set by the U.N. in 2000 to be achieved by 2015.
In response to Samoa’s hard work, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Samoa Hon. LeMamea Ropati Mualia stated that “Samoa has put into place decisive policies and actions to accelerate hunger reduction,” and this is “a good signal for our beloved country’s economic growth and sustainability.”
Although there is no current data on unemployment rates and the population living below the poverty line, and with the GDP increase of $.031 billion from 2015 to 2016, which ranked Samoa 203rd in the world, it can be inferred that there has been a slow but steady decrease in hunger in Samoa.
– Amira Wynn
Photo: Flickr
Improvements in Education in Mozambique
A southeast African nation with a population of approximately 26 million people, Mozambique prides itself on spending 7% of its GDP on education. Although just under half of the girls in the nation claim an ability to read, Mozambique maintains a 58.8% literacy rate. In fact, education in Mozambique plays a critical role in the lives of many children, as the average child is expected to spend approximately 10 years in the school system.
During the 2003-2004 academic school year, the nation abolished school fees, ensuring the provision of direct support to schools and free textbooks. Ultimately, this led to an influx of students, with primary school enrollment rates reaching 97% by 2014.
UNICEF initiatives have had tremendous success in the region. They have not only helped fund 800 schools through the Child Friendly Schools Programme, but they have also provided $150 million to mobilize funding for education in the nation.
Gender considerations have also impacted education in Mozambique. Rather than tolerate gender disparities in schooling, the country has made a significant effort in eliminating the education gap between boys and girls. Based on the gender parity index, which demonstrates how many girls finish school compared to boys, Mozambique has increased its rate from 0.62 in 2002 to 0.88 in 2014. In 2007, 37% of all girls completed primary school. By 2015, that rate had increased to 45%.
Education in Mozambique is structured similarly to systems in other nations in Africa and across the globe. The academic year, beginning in January and ending in October, welcomes students from the age of six to attend school. Primary school lasts seven years, secondary lasts three years and upper secondary lasts two years. At the moment, there are 6.1 million students enrolled in primary and secondary education in the country, with the majority of them being enrolled in primary education.
The incredible number of colleges and universities in Mozambique further benefits its education system. The most well-known university is Eduardo Mondlane University, founded in 1962. The university offers courses in disciplines such as agricultural sciences, biological sciences, humanities, natural sciences, social and applied sciences, engineering, arts and medicine. Other universities include One World University, Universidade Pedagogica and the MUST Institute for Business and Computer Science. Each of these institutions allows individuals studying in the nation to advance their careers, goals and lives through education.
Education in Mozambique is improving. As the nation continues to develop, there can be no denying that its continued emphasis on educational achievement will prove essential for success.
– Emily Chazen
Photo: Flickr
Great Stride for Human Rights in Rwanda
Despite the difficulties of the past, including the tragedy of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, human rights in Rwanda have gained major positive momentum, with improvements in education, public health, and the economy.
Regarded as the “ultimate turnaround” country by corporate consultants and authors of “Rwanda Inc”, Andrea Redmond and Patricia Crisafulli, the recent successes of the nation have also been praised by Bill Clinton and the World Bank.
Former president of the World Bank Robert Zoellick deemed Rwanda one of the most promising countries in Africa, The World Bank website states, “Rwanda has achieved impressive development progress since the 1994 genocide and civil war. It is now consolidating gains in social development and accelerating growth while ensuring that they are broadly shared to mitigate risks to eroding the country’s hard-won political and social stability.”
Rwanda’s progress serves as an example of the benefits of investing in foreign aid, as the major improvements within the country have been made possible through aid which accounted for 20% of the country’s gross national income in 2011.
In terms of human rights in Rwanda, poverty rates within the country have dropped from 56.7% in 2005 to 39% in 2014. There has also been a significant increase in public health, as infant mortality has plummeted from 120 deaths per 1,000 live births to fewer than 40 currently. In 2012, deaths of under-fives had also fallen to 55 from the 230 per 1,000 live births in 1998.
The major successes in public health are due to the fact that, according to the World Bank, Rwanda has spent 24% of total government expenditure on health and, starting this year, 22% on education.
With a larger percentage of the total national budget focusing on increasing human rights in Rwanda through education, the country now holds the highest elementary school rate within Africa. The female enrollment rate stands at an empowering 98%, with their male counterparts standing close behind at 95%.
Human rights in Rwanda have also continued to develop for the women of the country. Post-genocide, the Rwandan government has placed a focus on prohibiting discrimination of any kind, banning ethnically-based political parties and prioritizing gender equality. While only 22% of parliamentarians worldwide are women, an astonishing 64% in Rwanda are parliamentarians. Women also make up more than 50% of the primary school teachers within the country.
Although Rwanda has seen major loss and civil unrest in the past, the country is moving forward in a dedication towards improving human rights, and, so far, has made tremendous strides.
– Kendra Richardson
Photo: Flickr
Indian Economic Growth Passes China
India, with a population of more than one billion people, is one of the biggest countries in the world. With a population so big, poverty is inevitable. Fortunately for those living in poverty, there is a silver lining on the horizon: Indian economic growth.
In 2015, the World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects reported that India has the fastest-growing economy. Senior vice president of the World Bank Kaushik Basu explains that “with an expected growth of 7.5% [in 2015], Indian economic growth is, for the first time, leading the World Bank’s growth chart of major economies.” In 2017, India officially passed China as the fastest-growing economy in the world.
According to the Harvard University’s Center for International Development (CID), there are a few major reasons for India’s rise to the top. India expanded its exports to include more chemicals, vehicles and electronics. It has also garnered new capabilities and resources that will allow for more complex production. So what does this mean for the citizens of India who continue to live in poverty?
More production means more jobs and opportunities for those that are unemployed or need another job to supplement their income. In the past few years, with Indian economic growth surpassing other countries, the poverty rate is already going down.
The World Bank reports that poverty in India is down to 12.4%, from 21% in 2011/2012. This reduction in poverty is linked to the increased production and industrialization in India’s most rural areas. “Rural Electrification in India has caused changes in consumption and earnings, with increases in the labor supply of both men and women,” the report states.
The report goes on to say that access to public transportation helped reduce agriculture prices, famine and mortality risks. With finance minister Arun Jaitley allocating $15 billion to improve railroad safety, India seems to be on track to develop a thriving economy. Beyond that, it is on track to becoming a self-sustainable country that will eliminate poverty while it stays on the top as the fastest-growing economy in the world.
– Vicente Vera
Photo: Flickr
What is a Bilateral Organization?
Multilateral organizations are international organizations that include several nations acting together. Bilateral organizations fulfill similar missions in slightly different ways. A bilateral organization is a government agency or nonprofit organization that receives funding from its home country’s government to then be used toward a developing country. This aid is more specifically targeted than multilateral aid, which may go through an international organization such as the United Nations.
These organizations, whether large or small, have the sole intention of aiding conflicts suffered by people. From the unfortunate effects of drought to the outbreak of a deadly disease, bilateral organizations are there to provide assistance. These nonprofits give aid by providing water and supplies for treatments and vaccines. While much of its aid is used for natural disasters, the organization also tends to society’s needs as well.
Some bilateral organizations include the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The largest bilateral organization is USAID, which works to improve global health through immunization, better nutrition and other similar programs. Along with these larger organizations, there are many smaller ones as well. The U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), for example, promotes, protects and advances the health and safety of nations around the world. It performs research for the prevention and treatment of diseases as well as ensures effective responses to epidemics.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the United States’ protection agency. The CDC fights diseases globally to save lives and protect Americans from health, safety and security threats.
At the simplest level, bilateral organizations are agencies and organizations from a single country that provide targeted aid to other countries. Developed countries are most armed with these helpful organizations to assist the world in times of crisis. These bilateral organizations have a large influence and are key to major developments in health and well-being around the world.
– Brandi Gomez
Photo: Flickr
On the Abysmal Violations of Human Rights in Iraq
The issue of human rights in Iraq is a continuing problem that needs to be addressed due to the conflict between the people, government and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). While the name ISIS frequents news sources in the United States, particularly in stories of the abuse of civil rights, the Iraqi central government also contributes to the systematic abuse of Iraq’s citizens.
ISIS uses citizens of Iraq as human shields, hurts them with random attacks using weapons, car bombs and suicide attackers, and blows up citizen areas with landmines. The government, which includes departments like Popular Mobilization Forces, loots and destroys homes, and tortures, executes and “disappears” its citizens. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) also implements the use of child soldiers.
Thousands of civilians are in prison without charge and denied legal counsel and access to their families. They are treated poorly at best and subjected to torture at worst. After extremely unfair trials, many receive lengthy prison sentences or death sentences. Most “confessions” are obtained while the civilian is being tortured.
While most violence and terrorism in Iraq is indiscriminate, women and girls have more restricted civil rights than men. They live in constant danger of sexual assault and domestic violence with little to no repercussions for the perpetrators of such acts. Gay men face acts of targeted violence due to sexual orientation as well.
In 2017 so far, no month counted less than 317 deaths (April) or 300 injured (June) in acts of violence and in violation of human rights in Iraq. In June alone, there were 415 killed due to violence, terrorism and armed conflict.
The protection of the innocent civilians and their human rights in Iraq is of the utmost importance, and so is the protection of the International Affairs Budget with regard to United States foreign policy. Iraq is now known as the deadliest country in the world for journalists and one of the deadliest for children. In a country that is labeled the third most prolific executioner, advocation for human rights is sorely needed.
– Ellie Ray
Photo: Flickr
Recent and Ongoing Violations of Human Rights in Romania
Human rights in Romania made headlines last January after Romanians took to the streets in the largest protests since the 1989 revolution. The peaceful demonstrations began in response to a government attempt to eliminate protections against corruption. The protesters were ultimately successful in halting the legislation, a signal to many that democracy is alive and well in the eastern European country.
This notion was reinforced by the June 13 announcement that Romania’s former president Ion Iliescu will go to court to face charges of crimes against humanity. The charges have been brought against him in connection with a violent crackdown on peaceful protests in Bucharest in 1990, just months after the uprisings that ousted dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. The charges allege that Iliescu, who ordered tens of thousands of security officers to stifle the peaceful protests, is responsible for four deaths, 1,380 injuries and 1,250 arrests.
The contrast between the response to the freedom of expression in these two instances, separated by less than 30 years, demonstrates profound growth in human rights in Romania. Though the success of the demonstrations in early 2017 has been praised worldwide, there are still significant human rights abuses occurring daily.
Systemic Roma Discrimination
Perhaps the most pervasive of these abuses is the systemic discrimination faced by Roma in all facets of life. According to the U.S. State Department, there are between 1.8 million and 2.5 million Roma in the country, accounting for approximately 10% of the population. Romania’s most recent official census, conducted in 2011, counted 621,573 Roma, though this number is severely skewed by widespread issues with identification documents.
NGOs and the media report that societal discrimination against Roma has persisted and that Roma are routinely denied public services. Given this discrimination, many Roma are fearful of registering for identity documents as they would be required to declare their ethnicity. However, without these documents, they are unable to participate in elections, receive social benefits or fully participate in the labor market.
The United Nations and the European Union have urged Romania to implement the Roma Inclusion Strategy, which pushes states to uphold their commitments to European human rights laws and integrate Roma into society.
Prison and Law Enforcement Failures
In 2016, the Romani Center for Social Intervention and Studies reported 43 cases of police brutality against Romas. Racism was not investigated as a motive in any of these instances.
While this is yet another example of Roma discrimination, it is also a symptom of the larger dysfunction of the Romanian justice system. Constitutional protections for human rights in Romania prohibit torture, unlawful detention and violence against prisoners and detainees, yet NGOs and media still report that security forces routinely disregard these laws.
This problem is exacerbated by the prison system’s overcrowding problem. As of July 2016, Romania’s prisons held 28,278 persons. Based on the space limits imposed by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Romania’s prison system only has the capacity to hold 18,826.
Few immediate measures are being taken to resolve this issue, but the government introduced a plan in April 2016 to improve prison conditions by 2023 after the EHRC ruling in Rezmiveș and Others v. Romania, which highlighted a “structural deficiency” in Romanian prisons.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence has become a dominant topic in the discussion of human rights in Romania, as the international community continues to push for Romania to uphold the necessary protections for its citizens. Advocates are working to introduce new legislation and to urge the government to abide by the laws and agreements already in place, including the Istanbul Convention, which entered into force in September 2016. Data supplied by the General Police Inspectorate counted nearly 9,000 cases of domestic violence in just the first six months of 2016. National NGOs reported that the actual number was much higher, and the European Court of Human Rights reports that more than half of Romanians believe that domestic violence is justified.
Existing laws provide few protections for survivors of domestic abuse. Many of those afforded are only temporary. Restraining orders may be issued for a maximum of six months. Even more concerning is the lack of protection for survivors who were in relationships but did not cohabit with their alleged abuser. Victims in this category cannot obtain a restraining order, stay in shelters or utilize the other state services. There has been little high-level coordination to reform these provisions.
Despite shortcomings in these areas, it is clear that human rights in Romania are progressing. Discrimination against Roma continues to be an egregious disregard for human rights and a senseless “waste of human capital and loss of productivity,” impeding Romania’s growth as a society. Romania has an obligation to implement the Roma Integration Strategy, which has set inclusion targets for 2020.
Similarly, a justice system that allows for the overcrowding of prisons and abuse by security officers to continue is not just, nor is it aligned with EU standards. Should the state refuse to reform these aspects of its justice system, it will face punishment in the form of restrictions on its EU membership.
Romania will face similar penalties if it does not bring its domestic violence laws in line with international norms. While there is not yet a concrete plan for the future of domestic violence protections, there is a plan in place to remedy Romania’s prison conditions by 2030. This plan, Romania’s EU membership and recent protests all point to continued progress for human rights in Romania.
– Alena Zafonte
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts About Refugees in Trinidad and Tobago
Due to foreign investment in tourism and an abundance of oil and natural gas resources, Trinidad and Tobago is one of the top destinations for Caribbean refugees. As a result, Trinidad and Tobago is facing a multitude of challenges. The country’s borders are vulnerable and human traffickers are active as the country struggles with being the active transit point for North American and European migration. Discussed below are leading facts about refugees in Trinidad and Tobago and the challenges they face.
Top 10 Facts about Refugees in Trinidad and Tobago
These facts about refugees in Trinidad and Tobago provide awareness about their current situation. Trinidad and Tobago has gradually become a more popular destination for refugees as an active middle point between European and American migration.
– Tucker Hallowell
Photo: Google