Interconnected Refugees

In this essay, I will try to explain how the United States, and India both are being troubled with refugees, the laws they have rights to, and what both countries are doing to try and stop this silent epidemic that’s causing difficulties, and finally how both countries are connected.

First of all, I’m going to define what a refugee is, to be clear. Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their home countries because of human rights, abuse, or fear of future abuse (AIU). “The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees defines refugees as persons who have crossed borders due to a “‘well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.’”(AIU). I also believe that refugees are people that have had a certain loss such as their home and family. The Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts Project (RULAC) also states that refugees are categorized by:

they are outside their country of origin or outside the country of their former habitual residence;

they are unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted; and

the persecution feared is based on at least one of five grounds: race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.

Next, while I was researching my topic, I found that refugees seeked “asylum”. Which is not where the insane people go, but the hope of being recognized as a refugee.(AIUSA)

Though the government is careful to stress that the status of the asylum seekers is still not completely determined (RULAC).

It is most likely this way because ever since the attacks on September 11, 2001 less and less refugees have been taken into the United States, out of fear that they could be terrorists. For example, in 2006 27,000 refugees were transported into the United States, and in 2007 in a period of 6 months only 10,000 were transported(statistics...