Abstract

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations (UN) agency that works to certify that all persons have the right to seek asylum and safe refuge after fleeing their homes due to persecution, violence, or war in their home country. Whilst the UNHCR was originally founded to protect and assist refugees from World War II, it has since helped resolve refugee crises in every continent, winning two Nobel Peace Prizes for its efforts in 1954 and 1981. The 1951 Convention outlines the basic standard for the treatment of refugees, the central principle being that a refugee should not be returned to a country where there are threats to freedom or to life. This article covers the challenges that refugees face along their journey to a new life, potentially including mental health issues, integration into new societies, the experience of internal displacement, and the media’s effect on preconceptions of refugees. 

1. Introduction

The UNHCR is crucial to the protection of refugees and displaced people globally. The UN General Assembly and the UN Economic and Social Council govern the UNHCR; however, it receives the entirety of its funding from governments, private investors, and foundations. 

This paper first sets out to cover the challenges that refugees might face. Language barriers are a significant problem for many refugees due to the necessity of communication as they venture to make a new home. We explore the psychological trauma that refugees may face due to being displaced, and how this may impact them later in life. The fear associated with making the journey to a new country (that may or may not accept their refugee status) discourages people from making this journey and leads to many people staying in places where they are vulnerable. The paper then goes on to cover the integration of refugees into their new society; we stress the importance of all age groups being integrated successfully, especially children and young people as it is crucial for their development. Further, the evolution of the UNHCR’s responses to refugee emergencies is explored.

Statelessness and internally displaced people (IDPs) are then covered, highlighting the proactive nature of the UNHCR in the success stories of those returning to their homes in places like Afghanistan. Finally, we examine the media’s representation of refugees and the jeopardy that misrepresentation by the media causes. The negative language that the media associates with refugees causes many readers and viewers to form opinions based on unfavourable depictions. Overall, our goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of the UNHCR in comprehensively protecting and assisting refugees globally throughout their journey.

2. Refugees

A refugee is someone who finds themselves outside their country of origin and is unable to seek protection from their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution – based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political beliefs (Convention on the Status of Refugees, 1951). Refugees are frequently forced to abandon their homes, families, and livelihoods in order to flee threats to their life, liberty, or security. This predicament arises as a result of circumstances that make it impossible for people to rely on their own government for safety or secure return to their homeland. The establishment of The UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees in 1951 sets comprehensive guidelines of the legal framework in order to define and safeguard the rights of refugees. It creates clear criteria and qualifications that one must fit in order to be granted status as a refugee. The criteria are intended to be adapted, taking into account the complex situations that might lead to prosecution. The Convention recognises that persecution can originate from a variety of sources, including state and non-state actors, and can take many forms, including violence, discrimination, and human rights violations. By specifying these conditions, the Convention promotes the legal recognition and protection of refugees required to defend their fundamental human rights, reaffirming the international community’s commitment to provide sanctuary for those in need.

3. Challenges

As the world refugee population rapidly increases, so do underlying issues and their significance to the welfare of these refugees. The quality of life provided to refugees has often been subpar which is detrimental as it has a direct influence on refugees’ capacity to reconstruct their lives and adapt to new societies. Ensuring that refugees have access to basic needs such as housing, food, and healthcare is critical for overall quality of life and long-term stability. In regards to refugee children, these concerns are magnified. Lack of access to adequate education, mental health issues, and a lack of typical childhood experiences all have a huge impact on the trajectory of children’s futures. Separation from family members, changes in family dynamics, and feelings of isolation can all have long-term consequences for a child’s development and mental health (Concern Worldwide US, 2020). Addressing these difficulties necessitates an integrated approach that fulfils the urgent needs of refugee children alongside provision with support and opportunities for the future.

When refugees escape their home nation in search of safety from natural disasters, conflict, or persecution, they often encounter difficult obstacles; long, hard travels through desolate areas, the crossing of hostile borders, and life in small refugee camps or improvised shelters are some of the risks connected with the trip. Along the way, refugees often bear the weight of trauma that includes recollections of acts of violence, the passing of loved ones, homes that are turned to ruins, and missed opportunities for employment. This constant onslaught of agony leaves behind deep scars that resurface in dreams and, often, throughout the day depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Refugees in metropolitan settings usually face acute poverty, restricted access to basic services, and a lack of psychosocial assistance, all of which exacerbate their already challenging circumstances. When attempting to normalise their legal status, they confront several obstacles that might prohibit them from obtaining jobs, healthcare, and education, further marginalising them in their host communities. Furthermore, these migrants fall subject to increased levels of violence, abuse, and exploitation, which can spike in the aftermath of unforeseen calamities under political difficulties or when support institutions are completely unavailable. 

Finding long-term solutions for the forcibly displaced is a difficult and ongoing problem. While voluntary repatriation to their home countries is frequently regarded as the best long-term solution for refugees, ongoing political instability, unsolved conflicts, and recurring violence make safe return impossible for many. Without political solutions to address the root causes of displacement, many refugees are imprisoned in long-term uncertainty, unable to return home or construct a solid future in their current surroundings. This circumstance highlights the critical need for comprehensive solutions that address not just immediate humanitarian needs but also strive for long-term peace and stability in conflict-affected areas (ECHO, 2024). Refugees may struggle to understand and be understood as they make their way through a tangle of strange languages and cultures. The necessities of life, including work, education, and healthcare, are frequently inaccessible due to societal misconceptions and administrative roadblocks. The burden on the host nations is likewise tremendous. Many do not have the infrastructure or capacity to handle the flood of vulnerable individuals, which results in congested camps with subpar food, poor hygienic conditions, and insufficient medical attention. This compounds the difficulties faced by migrants as they attempt to both reconstruct their lives and feel a sense of belonging in their new, often subpar, surroundings.

3.1 Language Barriers

Language limitations are a significant difficulty that must be addressed and elevated when discussing hurdles that refugees face. The inability to speak fluently can affect almost every area of a refugee’s existence, from accessing daily necessities to finding work or integrating into society. Many occupations require a basic understanding of the local language at a minimum, and refugees who lack these abilities may struggle to find permanent and meaningful employment. This scarcity of career options not only jeopardises their financial security, but also limits their capacity to contribute to society and build a sense of purpose. Language difficulties may also have a significant contribution to feelings of loneliness, powerlessness, and social withdrawal. Difficulty speaking and comprehending the local language makes it difficult for migrant students to form connections with their native classmates and, regrettably, increases their exposure to bullying. This communication gap frequently lowers their self-esteem, causing many to avoid engaging in school activities and miss out on career and educational chances. Furthermore, young refugees are impacted by their parents’ language issues; when parents struggle with English, their children frequently take on the role of interpreter, adding additional obligations at home that might strain their own adjustment and development (Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services, 2022).

English language classes for refugee children are critical because they provide a substantial opportunity to open academic, social, and economic doors in their new surroundings. English proficiency allows students to fully engage in their schooling, integrate with their peers, and gain access to critical resources and services. It alleviates feelings of loneliness by enabling people to interact successfully, form relationships, and experience a sense of belonging. Furthermore, English abilities may raise confidence, allow people to advocate for themselves, and improve future job prospects, paving the path for a more secure existence in their new community. 

Thus, multilingualism is a crucial element of the refugee experience, serving as a significant asset as people are able to maintain a connection to their homes and origins while also interacting with new groups of people. On the other hand, a lack of language competence might become a substantial obstacle to attending education, lowering overall learning quality. Refugee children are already significantly disadvantaged compared to children in non-refugee situations. At the elementary level, just 61% of refugee children of primary school age attend school (compared to a global average of 91%); at the secondary level, the statistics are 23% versus 84%; and at the tertiary level, the facts are even more apparent: 1% vs 36% (UNHCR, 2016). By seeing multilingualism as an opportunity, educational institutions may create a more inclusive atmosphere that benefits all students and improves educational achievements (British Council). 

3.2 Displacement

Forced displacement is the involuntary relocation of people from their home area or nation as a result of coercion such as persecution, armed conflict, widespread violence, human rights violations, or the negative impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, or natural catastrophes. For refugees, it is often a very traumatic experience to be forced to leave their cities, homes, and frequently even their families. This uprooting often finds migrants in hazardous situations with enduring instability and security loss. On their long journeys to safety, many migrants encounter human trafficking, dangerous routes, dishonest smugglers, and urban slums where people cannot easily obtain needs like food, clean water, or healthcare. All of these factors can contribute to a variety of health problems, such as the transmission of infectious diseases. 

As of mid-2023, 66% of refugees had been displaced for at least five years. Prolonged displacement transforms people’s needs from urgent emergency aid to long-term development and support. Responding to the needs of refugees entails procuring jobs, providing education to displaced children, and developing the legal structures and policies required to meet these demands (World Bank Group).

3.3 Refugee Integration

The contextual definition of integration is the incorporation of refugees into their host country in both social and economic settings. In the ideal world, this is done with respect for and in protection of the incoming refugees’ culture and religious beliefs, meaning no forced acculturation but rather a creation of an amalgamation. Naturally, refugees will to some degree adopt traits of their host country, e.g, the language. This allows for easier adjustment and acceptance of refugees; however, this should not deny the preservation of their own cultural identity (Hynie, M, 2018). 

In the UNHCR 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the resulting 1967 protocol, the integration of refugees into new environments is a focal point. Article 34 requests that states aid in the “facilitation and assimilation” of refugees. It is the UNHCR’s belief that after the initial acclimation to a new country, a time in which aid and other services are most often required, refugees should enjoy more rights and opportunities within their host country. The process of assimilation requires multiple steps, and often takes many years (UNHCR Integration Handbook, 2024). The general conclusion when it comes to the integration of refugees worldwide is that, in the end, the aim is to create an environment that allows for the flourishing of refugees and the protection of their human rights (UNHCR, 2014). The policy surrounding refugees as it pertains to integration is constantly evolving. Over the last few decades, we have seen a wide range of changes in the ways countries approach allocating refugee housing and promoting work incentives, for example (Clemens, 2022).

3.3.1 Refugee Economic Integration

Refugee integration in terms of the economy is particularly important. The economy is defined as the wealth and resources of a country or region, especially in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services (Oxford Dictionary, 2004). The easiest route towards the goal of economic inclusion of refugees is through supplementing job and work opportunities. This is aided by the advertisement of available jobs, “job matching” or the assessment of skills of incoming refugees, and hiring accordingly, making allowances for potential language barriers. Existing organisations that run projects targeted at the promotion of refugee economic integration include the Manpower Group, Kale Group, UNHCR, and APCO Worldwide (World Economic Forum, 2023).

Refugees’ attributions to the general economy of their host country are often considerable. According to Marcos et al. (2024), in the United States, over the span of 15 years, refugees have added $123.8 billion more to the economy than the total expenses they have cost the government. In addition, over the same length of time the refugees paid forth $363 billion in federal taxes and $218 billion in state and local taxes for a combined $581 billion (Marcos, 2024). Refugees contribute several other assets that aid in improving the economy of their host country as well. They often bring uncommon and specialised skills that add to the diversity of the job market. Refugees renew the working age of their host countries; 77% of refugees in the US are old enough to work, compared to the native population which has 49.7% people of working age. The addition of refugees to the workforce can negate the effects of an ageing population on a country’s economic situation. Refugees also aid in the increasing of economic movement and activity on a local level, within their new communities.  

Despite all the positive contributions refugees make to the economic situation of their host countries there is much dissension and discourse surrounding their inclusion rights. A well-circulated, yet false, idea amongst many in the United States is that refugees pose a risk of “stealing jobs” from citizens. In 2022 there were 11.3 million jobs available in the US; refugees mitigate a lack of labour forces and are necessary in maintaining an operating country during times when the number of available workers are low (Global Refuge, 2022). Despite this, 55% of host countries do not permit refugees to work even alongside the right to work being stated in the UNHCR’s 1951 Refugee Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This blatant disregard of refugee policy, and counterintuitive action for progress that is made under the pretence of protecting the native populace’s personal economic situations, is in direct opposition to the needs of both refugees and host country economies (UNHCR, 2024).

3.3.2 Refugee Social Integration

The social facet of integration is one of vast importance in the naturalisation of refugees. Social integration promotes a feeling of security and reduces the stress and mental health complications that one in three refugees experience because of the trauma they faced (Magazine & Chhabra, 2024). The integration of refugees into their new communities also fosters a connection with their host country that often leads to them making positive contributions to their new environment (UNHCR, 2024). This type of assimilation is of the utmost importance in school age children. Adolescence is a crucial part of a human’s development, and the creation of social connections in school is vital to proper development, as it curbs the potential mental health effects that result from low social exposure and, in the case of refugee students, it allows for the development of useful skills such as language acquisition. 

It is found that refugee children tend to assimilate more quickly in classrooms with a higher level of diversity. The reasoning behind this is two-fold. First, children native to the host country are often wary of and possess prejudice against foreigners. This is shown in a study conducted in a German school that found refugee students to be rejected 31% of the time by their native peers, compared to the 21% rejection rate of the native children amongst themselves. The second potential reason is that children who come from more diverse backgrounds can sympathise with and understand to a higher degree the background of their new peers (Stanat et al., 2023). If the children can be successfully involved in their new school communities, there is a higher chance that their family members and fellow refugees acclimate to new situations more quickly as well. The programmes aimed to assist with the adjustment include support groups, tutoring programmes, and other youth-targeted organisations. UNHCR provides many guidelines and advice papers on the formation and activation of these programmes on their webpage. The engagement of the programmes is crucial during the difficult adjustment period (UNHCR, 2024).

3.3.3 Problems with Refugee Integration

A difficulty associated with refugee integration is that, when done incorrectly or without the proper programmes in place, host countries lose resources and time that could otherwise be useful to the resettlement of refugees. In other words, poor planning and facilitation by the host country results in excess expenditure with little reward. This can lead to many negative effects for both the home country and refugee population (Robila, 2018). Approximately 24% of refugees are hosted in developed host countries, meaning that 76% of all refugees worldwide are resettling in lower-income countries. This poses a problem because these underdeveloped countries often cannot afford to adequately run these programmes to their full capacity and may default to relying on temporary availability of various NGOs to aid with refugee integration (International Rescue Committee, 2023). 

The integration of refugees falls under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels”. The inclusion and safety of those seeking asylum is one way to continue toward the realisation of this goal. The efforts made today can lead to a brighter and safer future, and integration is a major step towards the rehabilitation of refugees, which is the ultimate goal (Robila, 2018).

4. The Evolution of Responses to Refugee Emergencies

By the end of the 19th century, the global community was urgently confronted with new, mass manifestations of the “negative” phenomenon of refugees. The widespread and significant impacts that large-scale refugee movements can have (e.g. lack of adequate housing, over-utilised education systems, difficult to navigate healthcare networks) in addition to the environment of the host country made this an urgent socio-political dilemma. 

A primary driver of the refugee crisis has been both the outbreak of world wars and continuous localised armed conflicts around the globe. The forced movements of people from one country to another have been regulated by internationally accepted treaties (for example, the Versailles-Washington system) and subsequent conferences and bilateral and multilateral agreements, highlighting the crucial role of international cooperation. The League of Nations was the first international organisation that could make decisions on general issues related to conflicts. The United Nations’ predecessor also began an international refugee protection system in 1921 and appointed Dr. Fridtjof Nansen as the first High Commissioner for Refugees. One of Nansen’s significant contributions was the creation of the “Nansen Passport” to address the refugee crisis following World War I and the Russian Revolution (Mingst, 2024). This travel document allowed stateless refugees to cross borders and find new homes. It was recognised by many countries and helped over 500,000 refugees.

Additionally, the League provided substantial humanitarian aid, including setting up refugee camps, preventing the spread of diseases, and finding new homes for approximately 1.5 million refugees who fled the Russian Civil War (Whitehead, 2024). However, at the start of World War II, a lack of resources, political constraints, and failed cooperation from member states rendered the League of Nations unable to make clear decisions to stop the processes begun in Europe; it quietly “died” without fulfilling its functions. The UN was created in response to the failures of the League of Nations. The atrocities of World War II highlighted the need for a universal standard of human rights. As a result, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948.

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights formed a committee to draft the declaration. All representatives were from diverse legal and cultural backgrounds to ensure that the document reflected a broad range of perspectives and values and to gain support and legitimacy. The committee included such notable figures as Eleanor Roosevelt (United States), Charles Malik (Lebanon), Renée Cassin (France), P. C. Chang (Republic of China), and John Peters Humphrey (Canada). The UDHR established a comprehensive framework of human rights that emphasised the dignity and rights of all individuals, instilling a sense of justice and equality. It also emphasised that refugees must be supported and protected through international cooperation. Two years after the adoption of the UDHR, the UN General Assembly established the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950. Initially, the UNHCR focused on aiding millions of Europeans displaced by World War II.

The first task was to provide emergency aid in the form of basic needs such as food, clothing, medical care, camps, and temporary homes in different locations. They also coordinated with governments and other international organisations to return refugees to their home countries if possible. Furthermore, if that was not possible, they facilitated resettlement in countries such as Canada, Australia, and the United States. In addition to short-term responses to the crisis, they focused on long-term responses such as providing education for children and training for adults to rebuild their lives in a foreign country, highlighting hope and resilience in the face of adversity. One of the UNHCR’s most outstanding achievements was its intervention in determining the legal status of refugees and ensuring they received protection under international law. As a result of its intervention, the Refugee Convention was adopted on July 28, 1951. As of that time, it consolidated earlier international instruments and codified refugee rights in its most comprehensive form. The Convention provides a clear definition of a refugee, prohibits the return of refugees to a country where they face severe threats to their life or freedom, outlines the right to work, housing, and education, and also improves the legal obligations of states, including their duty to cooperate with the UNHCR in protecting refugees. However, the 1951 Convention was limited to people from Europe who became refugees before January 1, 1951. These geographical and temporal limitations meant it could not cover the new refugee crisis arising after this date. 

By the 1950s and early 1960s, demands for independence were on the rise in colonised areas, and the end of European colonial rule on the African continent seemed inevitable. Refugee crises were emerging worldwide, including the situation that occurred during the Algerian War of Independence in 1957. This was the first African refugee crisis in modern times and the first crisis the UN/UNHCR got involved in outside of Europe on the African continent. By March 1960, more than 1.2 million people had been displaced and were living in Algerian camps. The UNHCR’s participation significantly contributed to the situation of the Algerian refugees in Tunisia and Morocco, and helped in the repatriation of Algerian refugees at the end of the war. However, in the early 60s, there was also a significant movement of refugees from Rwanda due to political upheavals and ethnic tensions (Decolonization in Africa, UNHCR).

Nevertheless, compared to the crisis caused by the Algerian War, this problem was much more complex. If, in the first case, the countries of the first asylum, Morocco and Tunisia, were politically stable, then in the case of the refugees from Rwanda, all the neighbouring countries, except Tanzania, were politically volatile. Gradually, the degree of significance of issues related to refugees began to increase since forced immigrants appear in those regions of the world where numerous socio-economic problems and contradictions, of various depths and severity take place. These problems have been strengthened for decades, pouring into specific violent actions that threaten the everyday life and health of a particular part of the population. Due to increased international awareness of the nature of the problems with this highly vulnerable population, a new protocol was developed in 1967, significantly expanding the scope of the 1951 Convention. It now extends protection to all refugees regardless of the date they were forced to flee the state where they permanently resided.

On December 22, 2003, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to establish the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as a permanent institution. This decision ensures that UNHCR can continue its vital mission of safeguarding and supporting refugees, stateless individuals, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) globally. Presently, UNHCR operates in more than 130 countries, often in demanding and perilous settings. Its dedicated personnel operate in conflict areas, refugee camps, urban centres, and remote regions to deliver essential protection and aid.

The UN has taken an active role in developing and adopting various international legal documents, known as conventions, that regulate the treatment and legal status of refugees, as well as the implementation of measures for their repatriation or integration into new communities. This ongoing international cooperation highlights the global commitment to addressing the needs of one of the most vulnerable populations.

5. Statelessness and Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs)

A stateless person is someone who does not possess nationality for any country; this may occur for a variety of reasons such as a lack of birth certificate or a political transfer of territory. Since the launch of the ‘‘#IBelong” Campaign in 2014, there has been consequential progress made for the UNHCR’s statelessness mandate, notably the 517,000 people who have obtained a nationality or had it confirmed. Proportionally, however, many stateless people remain waiting for confirmation of nationality. 15 states have implemented provisions to prevent statelessness and a further 21 have designed measures to recognise stateless people and identify statelessness. These measures, implemented globally, highlight the progress being made as well as the effectiveness of the UNHCR’s mandate. The UNHCR has renewed a set of targets for 2024 with four main branches. The first is 70,000 people acquiring nationality or having it confirmed. While this is a large number of people, the UN statistics concluded that in 2023 there were 4.4 million stateless people, meaning there would still be a large majority of people left stateless. Moreover, this may be an understatement as many stateless people remain uncounted. The second branch was the launch of a global alliance to end statelessness; the alliance has a goal that by 2030 all global citizens possess a nationality. 

Statelessness is a “fundamentally fixable” problem (Cahn, 2024). The positivity regarding statelessness displays an unambiguous effort from the UN to provide assistance and protection for those stateless persons. The third branch acknowledges accessions to the UN statelessness conventions; this has not yet been achieved; however, there has been significant growth in registered countries of the 1961 Convention and the 1954 Convention. These two conventions made progress for the stateless as the 1954 Convention stated that stateless people should have a minimum set of human rights, and the 1964 Convention had the intention of ensuring that every person has the right to a nationality. The increase in accessions in the period between their founding and present-day shows the sustained effort of the UNHCR to end statelessness on a global scale. The final goal consists of 15 states improving their laws, procedures, and policies in regard to statelessness. We could say this goal is achievable as in 2023 this was completed by 14 states, including the Republic of Moldova and the Bahamas. So, while there is still a significant issue that still needs addressing regarding statelessness, the UNHCR haa set clear and feasible goals that are already being achieved, showing their assistance and protection to those who do not belong to a state. 

Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) are defined as, people “forced to flee their homes by conflict, violence, persecution or disasters, however unlike refugees, they remain within their own country” by UNHCR which has been supporting internally displaced people since the 1970s. Current figures suggest that there are 68.3 million internally displaced people as a direct result of disaster, conflict, and violence, meaning IDPs make up 58% of the population globally who have been forcibly displaced (Internally Displaced People, UNHCR UK). However, this figure is, once again, an estimate due to the volatile nature of these situations and the true figure could be much higher. 

The UNHCR is currently involved in 33 internally displaced peoples operations, including in Afghanistan where UNHCR operations are crucial due to Afghanistan possessing 3.2 million internally displaced people. However, the UNHCR and its efforts towards protecting the internally displaced people have had a positive outcome in Afghanistan as there are 17 million IDP returnees in total (Hall, 2024). This showcases the effective nature of the UNHCR and its efforts in providing assistance and protection for internally displaced people. 

The UNHCR works with other UN agencies to intervene against and protect against sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual and gender based violence, and child protection. Whilst the UNHCR is involved in 33 internally displaced peoples operations, and does aim to reduce any psychological trauma they may be exposed to, it is still estimated that 14.4 million IDPs have PTSD or depression. According to the internal displacement monitoring centre, there are three factors that can lead to an increased likelihood of mental health decline in a situation of internal displacement. The first is exposure to traumatic events; being displaced is a traumatic event in itself, impeding the IDPs before their journey after being displaced begins. Furthermore, they are particularly exposed to other traumatic acts of violence, including assault, abuse, terrorist attacks, or mass shootings. The impacts of these acts of violence are exacerbated by a lack of shelter, protection, and resources for the IDPs as victims. The second factor is food insecurity; in 2023 the percentage of IDPs facing high levels of acute food insecurity was 67%. This statistic has increased dramatically since 2021 when it was 38%. The increase in food insecurity casts a negative light on the UNHCR and similar organisations as their interventions regarding providing resources have been insufficient. The final factor is the length of displacement; many IDPs are forcibly displaced from their homes for years and sometimes decades. The prolonged duration of displacement has a negative effect on the IDP’s mental health; however, in many countries, the priority of the resources go to the resolution of the conflict instead of to the IDPs and refugees. 

These are conditions that many IDPs are exposed to, leading to an increase in mental health problems amongst IDPs. For example, in Ukraine, 14% of the general population has suffered from depression compared to 25% of IDPs. In summary, IDPs make up over half of the forcibly displaced population, however, by returning to their homes in places like Afghanistan, the effective nature of the UNHCR’s intervention in protecting and assisting internally displaced people is displayed.

6. Representation in the Media

Media is a powerful tool and can be utilised to connect with people around the world. However, when information is untrue or spread with misguided evidence, media outlets can serve as dangerous platforms. For example, in August 2024, riots broke out in England after misinformation regarding a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party spread rapidly on social media and in the news. An article claimed that “…far-right groups seek to stir anger over an attack they have sought to link – without evidence – to immigrants” (Melley and Lawless, 2024). As protests continue, racist and islamophobic attacks spread rapidly throughout the country, assuming non-White people were immigrants or refugees and placing them in dangerous circumstances. Many refugees remain in danger due to this violence. 

The media also often uses metaphors to capture the public’s attention. In the context of refugees, the group is often associated with the word “flood”. This negative connotation equates refugees to an overflow of water that a space cannot handle. Other terms are less ambiguous, with refugees being said to “spread like cancer,” and being labelled “aliens”. In media practice, utilising known words and phrases to explain ongoing phenomena of movement are meant to allow people to comprehend new ideas by borrowing from familiar concepts (Cunningham-Parmeter, 2011). However, this language often depicts refugees negatively, referring to the group as a problem needing to be solved. 

Despite the above failure to accurately depict a diverse group of refugees, various media outlets have also portrayed refugees in a way that rallies more support and calls for change in host countries. In September 2015 of the Arab Spring, a picture of a Syrian toddler named Alan Kurdî spread across the internet and caused an immense surge of humanitarian attention. Depictions of injured or killed children are often rallying cries across the world, showing a type of innocence that appeals to people’s emotions despite race, religion, or geographic location. In other words, “the picture demonstrated the humanitarian side of the refugee crisis” (Barr, 2020). 

Media is an incredibly powerful tool if used properly and wisely.

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