Tag Archive for: Refugees

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The Situation of Refugees in Tonga

Refugees in Tonga
The southern Pacific, Polynesian country of Tonga has become a popular tourist destination over the years for its serenity and beauty. What most people don’t know, however, is the exclusive and tight nature of the country’s natives. Given that its primary economic driver is remittance from Tongans that are working abroad, there isn’t enough capital, nor desire, to sustain refugees in Tonga.

To become more acquainted with the condition of refugees in Tonga, below are 10 facts:

  1. As of 2014, Tonga houses 22 total refugees. This is more than double the number in 2010, which was only six.
  2. Tonga is not interested in providing a home to displaced persons.
  3. The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) requires that Tonga take care of one refugee and his daughter, by derivative status. The country must satisfy this condition to be included in the 1965 Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
  4. The Nationality Act in Tonga states that, in order for a Tongan-born child to be a citizen, their parent must also be of Tongan nationality. If both parents are foreigners, then the child will be stateless.
  5. Tonga has never implemented a law that would compel the country to give asylum or refugee status to any individual.
  6. However, if a person’s life or freedom is threatened, then the country does not force them to leave by deporting them back.
  7. The few migrants that live there have very few political rights and know that they are not very welcome. In fact, Tongan-born kids that have stateless or migrant parents usually have to leave the country at the age of 21. Some can continue to stay if they are able to obtain a passport.
  8. Whether someone receives asylum or not is completely in the hands of the government. The government usually requires the applicant to prove that there is harm in living in their home country.
  9. Ironically, in the past Tongan exiles often fled to Fiji. Now, it is more common for Fiji natives to find refuge in Tonga.
  10. Climate change has impacted Tonga significantly, and many Tongan natives are finding asylum elsewhere in response.

A plethora of refugees in Tonga is not something that is anticipated in the near future. Although it is hoped that Tonga will embrace refugees more readily, it is understandable that it does not want to take on more than it can handle until it can diversify and strengthen its economy.

– Tanvi Wattal

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Beninese Refugees

10 Facts About Benin Refugees
Benin is a French-speaking West African nation, home to the Vodun (Voodoo) religion, established in 1960. Benin is a country in which Beninese have fled their own country to seek asylum in other countries, while also accepting refugees from neighboring countries. Here are 10 facts about Beninese refugees:

  1. The Beninese government cooperates with the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organizations in assisting refugees and asylum seekers on their rights and basic needs within Benin.
  2. U.N. agencies in Benin joined efforts with the Beninese government to provide refugee-hosting families with assistance and to reinforce social infrastructures such as schools and health facilities for the new arrivals.
  3. In 2016, 710 people fled Benin and applied for asylum in other countries. This corresponds to approximately 0.007 percent of all residents of Benin.
  4. The most desired destination countries for Beninese refugees to flee have been Italy, Germany and the United States. The most successful refugees from Benin have been in Canada and in Italy.
  5. Refugees have put in applications for asylum in Italy, Germany, the United States, France, Belgium, Brazil, South Africa, Canada, Austria, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Spain and Morocco. However, overall, 96 percent of these asylum applications have been rejected.

While many Beninese people left Benin, many people have also sought out Benin to seek asylum from their own countries.

  1. More than 200,000 Togolese (from Togo in West Africa) have gone into exile, while most reached neighboring countries such as Ghana and Benin seeking asylum.
  2. After the recent election in Togo, a total of 26,154 people left Togo and sought asylum in Ghana and Benin, according to the United Nations.
  3. Due to the influx of Togolese refugees into Benin, the country urged the international community to send $6.5 million in aid.
  4. According to the United Nations, most of the refugees in Benin are “living with family and friends, with UNHCR providing transport for new arrivals who wish to stay with relatives.”
  5. In 2015, there were 530 refugees in Benin, which was a drastic drop from prior years.

The mid-2000s brought a surge of Togolese refugees into Benin, while at the same time some Beninese sought asylum in other countries. As of 2016, the number of refugees in Benin had drastically dropped and continues to stay at a low amount. These 10 facts about Beninese refugees show how political situations affect a number of asylum seekers.

– Stefanie Podosek

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Grenada Refugees

Grenada RefugeesGrenada is part of a small collection of islands in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela. Due to the country’s small size, Grenada refugees do not face many formal regulations and protections. The following 10 facts about Grenada refugees explain how Grenada handles its refugees, the improvements the government is making for refugees and the future of refugees in Grenada.

  1. Grenada is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention. This convention served as the major legal framework for refugees as it defined the term refugee, outlined refugees’ rights and determined the legal obligations of states to protect refugees. The core principle is non-refoulement, which means that a refugee will not be returned to their country of origin if they are facing serious threats to their life or their freedom.
  2. The government of Grenada has no formal policy for recognizing refugees. There is an open policy towards migrants which allows them to remain in the country without attaining refugee status. Additionally, the Grenada constitution provides for freedom of movement within the country, foreign travel and emigration.
  3. Grenada is a popular point for migrants because it allows for easy access to its neighboring islands and to South America.
  4. Most refugees to Grenada come from other islands in the Caribbean. Grenada does not receive many asylum-seekers, and as a result of the lack of formal policy regarding refugees, most asylum seekers are not documented.
  5. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) determined that the only durable solutions for refugees in Grenada were voluntary repatriation or resettlement in a third country.
  6. Grenada’s economy and conditions are not ideal for mass migration. Grenada was formerly an agriculture-dependent economy that, in the last 40 years, has become a service-oriented economy. Additionally, Grenada is very vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, specifically hurricanes.
  7. Grenada has historically complied with refugees and has not violated the non-refoulement principle. In 2010 the government of Grenada agreed not to deport a family that was recognized by the UNHCR as refugees. This family was eventually resettled to a third country.
  8. Similarly in 2011, Grenada recognized a refugee family that was also resettled to a third country.
  9. In 2013 Grenada participated in a conference in conjunction with the UNHCR and other Caribbean countries called the “Regional Conference on the Protection of Vulnerable Persons in the Mixed Migration Flow.” This conference provided an open dialogue regarding migration in the Caribbean region.
  10. The UNHCR predicted in 2014 that Grenada will soon see a surge in the number of asylum-seekers.

Since Grenada is small, its migrant flow has not been overwhelming, which has allowed the Grenadian government to cooperate with migrants. As Grenada may soon expect an increase in asylum-seekers, it is imperative that the Grenadian government begins to address the rights of Grenada refugees and the country’s ability to host a refugee population.

– Christiana Lano

Photo: Pixabay

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10 Facts About Refugees from Sao Tome and Principe

10 Facts About Refugees from Sao Tome and Principe
A Brief History

The islands of Sao Tome and Principe are some of the most remote and beautiful islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The island has a reputation of having a tropical climate usually associated with islands located in the South Pacific.

In recent history, Sao Tome and Principe struggled with government corruption and attempts at a coup d’etat of the government. February 12, 2009 marked the first attempt of a coup d’etat of the government. Although the plotters of the coup were imprisoned, many citizens of the nation still fear the potential for another political uprising. This fact has led to an increase of residents leaving the country which increased the number of refugees from Sao Tome and Principe.

Below are ten facts about refugees from Sao Tome and Principe.

  1. Within refugee camps, women refugees from Sao Tome and Principe deal with daily struggles of misogyny. This misogyny has led to many women believing that they should have fewer rights than men. In fact, seven percent of women who are refugees from these countries think a husband is justified in beating his wife when she argues with him, and 6.4 percent believe men have the right to beat women when they burn food they are cooking.
  2. Women also deal with misogyny by refusing to accept health care without a male bringing them to the hospital. Women refugees from these two countries have a 51.8 percent chance of not accessing health care without having a man take them to the doctors.
  3. Sexual contact begins early for women who are refugees from Sao Tome and Principe. The median age for women aged between 25-49 for their first sexual contact was only 17.1 years old on average.
  4. Condom use is not common for refugees from Sao Tome and Principe, and women between the ages of 15-24 have a 24.3 chance of using a condom regularly.
  5. Lack of condom use has led to many children being born refugees from Sao Tome and Principe. The number of infant deaths has risen in these camps to an average of 219 deaths.
  6. For the children that make it past birth, they continue to have relatively short lives — last year, 297 refugee children from Sao Tome and Principe died due to numerous causes.
  7. Refugee camps are dangerous for refugees from Sao Tome and Principe and the rate of dying from an injury has increased to 10.5 percent.
  8. The dangers of living in a refugee camp may be immense, but refugee camp health centers have ensured that vaccinations are commonplace. Child refugees from these two countries have a vaccination rate for BCG, DPT and measles at 97.7 percent, 96 percent and 95.2 percent accordingly.
  9. Although refugees from Sao Tome and Principe receive vaccinations, many continue to die from disease. Last year 19 migrants died from malaria.
  10. On top of death from disease, refugees from these countries continue to die from tobacco and alcohol use. The smoking prevalence for women rests currently at 1.51 percent and 9.27 percent for males. The total alcohol consumption per capita (measured in liters) was measured last year to be 6.8 liters for migrants over the age of 15.

The Takeaway

Even though Sao Tome and Principe possess all the natural resources it could even need and the support from the United Nations and NGOs, the nation still suffers from its citizens leaving to become migrants. Refugees from these countries suffer from misogyny, death by injury, disease and substance abuse.

However, understanding these facts can allow groups focused on helping these people create solutions for the future. Although the present may be grim for refugees from Sao Tome and Principe, their future continues to look bright.

– Nick Beauchamp

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Refugees in St Lucia

Refugees in St. LuciaA Brief History:
A refugee is often defined as a person seeking asylum in a country other than the one of their origin, either because they seek better economic prospects or due to political instability in their home nation.

The country of St Lucia is a Caribbean nation, which is home to numerous refugees. St Lucia has a gorgeous landscape, tropical weather and an incredible culture. These facts are one of the reasons why St Lucia has become a primary destination for many migrants. The purpose of this article is to explain 10 facts about refugees from St Lucia.

The 10 Facts:

  1. In 2014, St Lucia was home to over 922 refugees from countries all around the world. Migrants come to St Lucia because of its generous social welfare programs, stable political system and booming economy.
  2. The refugee camps in St Lucia have done significant work in increasing the immunization rate for many of the migrants living in the nation. The immunization rate for DPT and measles is 99 percent and 97 percent respectively.
  3. Having a child while in a St Lucia refugee camp is not a risky proposition for many migrants living in the nation. The lifetime risk of maternal death is .0912 percent for the refugees living in St Lucia. This statistic is due to 96.9 percent of pregnant female refugees receiving prenatal care.
  4. Although having a child while a refugee in St Lucia may not be risky, many women in these migrant camps are having children at a very young age. Around 53.42 out of every 1,000 female refugees under the age of 19 have had a child.
  5. About 92.2 percent of children born to refugees in St Lucia are registered at birth. This high rate of registration allows the camps to ensure these children get the proper care to maintain their health.
  6. Due to the large quantity of refugees’ children registered here, the children born in these regions are treated very well. Only 2.5 percent of children growing up in these refugee camps suffer from malnutrition. This low rate is due to the incredible social programs available for these migrants at the camps in St Lucia.
  7. The likelihood of a refugee in St Lucia being overweight is very small. Currently, the rate of being overweight as a migrant rests at 6.3 percent. Having a healthy body weight reduces the chance of prolonged illness and other diseases.
  8. The life expectancy for refugees in St Lucia is also very high. Men, on average, live until they are 72.54 years old and women are expected to live until they are 77.96 years old.
  9. Men who are refugees in St Lucia have a very high chance of living until the age of 65. Currently, this rate rests at 74.23 percent.
  10. The majority of the population of refugees in St Lucia tends to be young. Currently, only nine percent of these migrants are over the age of 65.

The Takeaway:
Although the migrant crisis continues all throughout the world, refugees in St Lucia often have a high quality of life. High immunization rates, intensive social programs and registration at birth allows for the nation to ensure its migrant populations have the best chance at a higher quality of life. The work that St Lucia has done in its refugee camps should be something all other nations housing migrants should attempt to emulate.

– Nick Beauchamp
Photo: Flickr

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Visa Gives Refugee Athletes a New Beginning

Refugee AthletesPreceding the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) announced that a team of 10 refugee athletes would be allowed to compete in the games and carry the Olympic flag. The team was called Team Refugee Olympic Athletes and was treated just like any other Olympic team.

By allowing the refugee athletes to be a part of the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the IOC is hoping to give hope to refugees everywhere.

“Having no national team to belong to, having no flag to march behind, having no national anthem to be played, these refugee athletes will be welcomed to the Olympic Games with the Olympic flag and with the Olympic Anthem,” said IOC President Thomas Bach in a news release. “They will have a home together with all the other 11,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees in the Olympic Village.”

While these athletes now have a chance to be a part of a team in uncertain times, Visa, the world’s largest payments network, saw that there was an even bigger opportunity for comradery. Team Visa is a network of Olympic and Paralympic athletes who are sponsored by Visa.

In July 2016, all 10 refugee Olympic athletes signed on to become a part of Team Visa. Through the partnership, the refugee athletes are supported in their athletic journey’s and in turn, help Visa to promote a culture of acceptance.

According to Chris Curtin, Visa’s Chief Marketing Innovation and Brand Officer, the perseverance the refugee Olympic athletes is inspiring not only Visa, but the world. The bravery that allowed the athletes to get to the Olympic games and march with the Olympic flag directly embodies Visa’s belief in acceptance for everyone, everywhere.

While the Rio Games proved a success for the refugee athletes and Team Visa overall, neither party shows sign of stopping there. On July 9, 2017, the IOC confirmed that a Refugee Olympic Team will compete at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Team Visa’s involvement with the athletes has not yet been confirmed, but a source says they are looking to extend relationships.

“We are committed to sustaining our message of acceptance worldwide and are exploring longer term partnership opportunities with the IOC on their Olympic Solidarity Initiatives, and with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on their refugee development programs,” a spokesperson told The Wrap. “We are also exploring contract renewals for select Team Visa athletes in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”

– Madeline Boeding
Photo: Flickr

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New Apps That Are Helping Refugees

Helping RefugeesToday, web and cellphone apps are being used by billions of people around the world. With so many applications being free there is an increased number of people who can access them. Today new apps are being created in order to help those who are in distress, such as refugees. Here is a list of just three new apps of this year that are helping refugees translate, gain access to information and connect with their families.

Tarjimly is a new translator app that connects volunteer translators to people, such as refugees or immigrants, who need translations in real-time for medical or legal purposes. Tarjimly acts as a Facebook messenger bot connecting an immigrant or refugee to a translator in an anonymous conversation. This app just recently launched in February of this year and already has more than 2,000 translators signed up.

Arrived is another app that is helping refugees gain quick access to information. Called “the hub of immigrant information,” this app is free and is available on Apple and Android phones. One of the things the app provides is the latest news about immigration. This news section also provides analysis of legislative proposals and actions in Washington. Arrived also provides information about deportation processes, English lessons and a study guide for citizenship tests. There is a section of answered questions that are most common that have been researched and a map to show law clinics and sanctuary cities in the U.S.

RedadAlertas is a web app that has not been released yet but will be arriving soon. Created by Celso Mireles who was previously an undocumented immigrant, this app delivers alerts about what is happening in different areas. Notifications about areas that have ICE raids, checkpoints or any type of confrontation will be sent out to its users. The app will work through crowdsourcing, which relies on people at scenes of an area to verify and provide details about what is happening. RedadAlertas hopes to help vulnerable immigrants in risk areas while also allowing legal aid groups, community organizations or activists to help immigrants.

These apps are helping refugees and immigrants around the world. These apps are versatile and all free so that they can be accessible to all users. By providing access to information, translators and up to date notifications these apps are allowing refugees and immigrants to get the help they may need.

– Deanna Wetmore
Photo: Flickr

10 Facts About Comoros Refugees

10 Facts About Comoros Refugees
The Comoros is a small island north of Madagascar. It is one of the least populous countries in the world, with a total population of 826,009. The number of Comoros refugees has decreased tremendously since 2001. Here are 10 facts about Comoros refugees and why the number has diminished significantly.

  1. Eighty-three percent of asylum applications from Comoros refugees were rejected in 2016. The most successful were the refugees in France, because of the two countries’ close diplomatic relations.
  2. In 2016, zero Comoros refugees were accepted into other European countries, such as Italy, England, Greece and Germany.
  3. Approximately 294 people applied for asylum in 2016.
  4. In 2004, 13.5 percent of the population of Comoros lived on less than $1.90 per day. This has improved, impressively, with the help of a poverty reduction strategy created by the country’s president in 2012.
  5. Many of the human rights problems reported in 2001 had to do with meager prison conditions, restrictions on freedom, corruption, discrimination, child abuse and child labor. The reported restrictions on freedom encompassed religion, movement and the press.
  6. These reported human rights violations were valid reasons for seeking asylum. However, conditions in Comoros have improved in the last decade. In regards to freedom of the press, the Comoros’ press freedom index was at 24.33 in 2016, down from 24.52 the previous year (the lower the number, the more freedom, meaning freedom of the press has improved recently).
  7. The child mortality rate fell to 73.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. In 2004 it was 99.4, and in 2001 it was 100.8.
  8. Life expectancy in 2001 was 59.5 years, and a decade later it was 62.2. In 2015, life expectancy has increased to 63.6.
  9. The rate of literacy among adults in 2000 was 68 percent. By 2015, it rose to 78 percent.
  10. The overall prosperity score for Comoros is showing a steady increase. In 2007, the score was 43.12. In 2016, the value was at 47.71.

Using various measures of a country’s overall success, child mortality rate, life expectancy, literacy rate, and overall prosperity, we see improvements in life in Comoros. Citizens of Comoros are no longer fleeing persecution or meager conditions. These 10 facts about Comoros refugees display the progress made in the last decade and a half.

– Lucy Voegeli

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Refugees in Gabon

Refugees in Gabon

Gabon is a Central African country with a population of about 1,763,000. President Ali Bongo Ondimba, son of the former President Omar Bongo, was elected in 2009 and has run the country since. The period immediately following his election was marked by violence, primarily due to claims that election fraud took place. According to Amnesty International, Gabon is home to many cases of human rights abuse. However, conflicts in surrounding countries gave rise to a population of people seeking refuge in Gabon. Here are 10 facts about refugees in Gabon:

1. In Gabon, there were 943 refugees in 2015, according to the World Bank. This places the country behind neighboring countries Cameroon (342,973 refugees) and the Republic of the Congo (44,955 refugees). Neighboring country Equatorial Guinea’s official refugee count is zero.

2. The peak population of refugees was in 2000 at 17,982 refugees. The refugees came to Gabon fleeing civil wars and political violence in surrounding countries during the 1990s.

3. Most of the refugees fleeing to Gabon are from the Republic of the Congo. In 1997, civil war broke out between paramilitaries loyal to former President Denis Sassou Nguesso and military forces loyal to liberalizing President Pascal Lissouba, driving tens of thousands of refugees into Gabon.

4. Refugees in Gabon have come from at least 25 different countries including Angola, Burundi, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, and Togo.

5. Refugees do not live in refugee camps, but rather in Gabonese cities. About 80 percent of refugees in Gabon live in these urban areas, with many concentrated around the capital of Libreville.

6. Refugees have some freedoms in Gabon that are not always guaranteed in other African countries. They obtain special refugee ID cards and can move freely throughout Gabon. They are even allowed to choose where they seek residency. Furthermore, the Gabonese government has allowed UN entry into Gabon to provide humanitarian services for people seeking refuge. These include providing medical treatment, courses on integrating into Gabonese society and helping refugees voluntarily repatriate themselves.

7. Refugees face high unemployment rates and can have difficulty in finding work. The country’s businesses can prefer to hire other Gabonese people over refugees, and the Gabonese government even requires businesses to prove that there are no Gabonese available for a position before hiring a refugee.

8. Refugees in Gabon sometimes face harassment and detention by local police. Although the country has laws protecting them, refugees can be mistaken for illegal immigrants, or encounter police unfamiliar with the protection laws. The UN had to step in and secure the release of wrongfully detained refugees.

9. The Gabonese government – in partnership with the UNHCR, the UN’s agency responsible for refugees – gradually revoked the refugee status for refugees in Gabon. Refugees who wish to remain in the country must apply for permits to become migrant workers or apply for permanent residency somewhere in the country.

10. The population of refugees in Gabon has decreased every year since 2011 when the Gabonese government announced the end of refugee status in the country. Hundreds of refugees have voluntarily signed up for repatriation every year since that time, and, with help from the UN, have safely returned to their respective countries.

– David Mclellan

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Refugees in Turkmenistan

Refugees in TurkmenistanTurkmenistan is a landlocked state in Central Asia with a population of 5,439,000 people. Turkmenistan was a constituent republic within the Soviet Union until 1991 when it gained independence. The following year, Turkmenistan joined the United Nations. Like most nations, Turkmenistan hosts a refugee population. Here are 10 critical facts about refugees in Turkmenistan:

  1. According to the World Bank, 26 refugees officially registered in Turkmenistan in 2015. This puts the number of refugees in Turkmenistan substantially lower than neighboring countries such as Afghanistan (257,554), Iran (979,437), Kazakhstan (708) and Uzbekistan (107) when it comes to official accounts of stateless persons.
  2. For a number of reasons, no one really knows how many refugees in Turkmenistan there are. However, it is likely greater than the official count of 26. The U.N. once estimated that there are at least 40,000 Afghan and Tajik refugees in Turkmenistan.
  3. International organizations criticize Turkmenistan for its many human rights abuses, with the Human Rights Watch characterizing Turkmenistan as “among the world’s most repressive and closed countries, where the president and his associates have total control over all aspects of public life.” Reports of torture, suppressed speech and forcefully disappeared persons makes Turkmenistan an undesired destination for refugees. Still, war and political violence in countries like Afghanistan and Tajikistan render Turkmenistan preferable–albeit less than ideal.
  4. One such human rights abuse–and a barrier to estimating the number of refugees in Turkmenistan–is Turkmenistan’s policies regarding nongovernmental organizations and human rights organizations. Nongovernmental organizations are illegal in Turkmenistan, and organizations such as the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are not allowed entry.
  5. The government of Turkmenistan has strategically driven refugees in Turkmenistan from neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan back across borders. Many Russians have endured deportation as well.
  6. A pretext for deporting refugees in Turkmenistan is marriage; if a non-Turkmen refugee marries an ethnically Turkmen person, they will likely not receive citizenship in Turkmenistan and face deportation.
  7. Though refugees in Turkmenistan often can’t marry someone with Turkmen heritage, the nation still expects them to adopt a traditional Turkmen way of life. Ethnic Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kazakhs and others must speak the Turkmen language and dress in traditional Turkmen clothing. Even the children of refugees must abide by these standards or face punishment like expulsion from school.
  8. Despite being an ethnically diverse nation, ethnic Turkmen people receive favor and hold virtually all public offices in the country. The purging of non-Turkmen government employees, unofficial banning of inter-ethnic marriage and mandating that refugees in Turkmenistan adopt the Turkmen way of life are all part of Turkmenistan’s strategy of “Turkmenization,” a set of official government policies started by former President Saparmyrat Niyazov in 1992 to emphasize Turkmen heritage over that of other ethnic groups. All stateless people and refugees in Turkmenistan must conform to “Turkmenization” if they wish to remain in the country. This is to the point that Uzbeks in Turkmenistan sustain punishment for non-Turkmen religious practices.
  9. In 1995, Turkmenistan allowed the U.N. Refugee Agency to open an office in Ashgabat–an unusual move, considering Turkmenistan’s policies on nongovernmental human rights organizations. Since then, the U.N. has invested millions of dollars in improving conditions in refugee-hosting areas, giving the refugees access to medicine and even helping to register them as Turkmen citizens.
  10. The government has done some good when it comes to helping refugees in Turkmenistan. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, while upholding most of Niyazov’s “Turkmenization” policies, has granted more than 3,000 refugees Turkmen citizenship since 2007. Previously, President Niyazov granted about 10,000 refugees in Turkmen citizenship. However, the criteria for granting citizenship was suspected as ethnically based; refugees fleeing the Tajikistan civil war gained citizenship, but the government often denied citizenship to Afghan and Azerbaijani refugees. Now holding Turkmen citizenship, these former refugees in Turkmenistan can take part in civil society and vote. The U.N. protection officer in Ashgabat, Batyr Sapbiyev, called Berdimuhamedov’s decree an “outstanding humanitarian act.”

While Turkmenistan has long been an ethnically diverse country, it has been considerably hostile towards non-Turkmen people living in the country, including refugees. Proponents of “Turkmenization,” an ideological set of public practices and laws, claim that they are preserving Turkmenistan’s cultural heritage. The cost is the shunning of the Tajik, Uzbek and other cultures existing in close proximity to Turkmenistan. Refugees in Turkmenistan do have some reasons to be optimistic, as more and more are granted citizenship. They are expected, however, to conform to the Turkmen way of living if they expect to stay in Turkmenistan.

– David Mclellan

Photo: Google