JRS urges governments to welcome urban refugees

20 June 2010

Jesuit Refugee Service has urged governments and civil society organisations worldwide to welcome refugees and other forcibly displaced persons in urban areas. On the occasion of World Refugee Day on 20 June, JRS said it believes that adopting a positive and supportive approach to the presence of refugees in urban areas not only promotes their well-being but empowers them to use their energy and talents to benefit their host communities.

For years, refugee assistance has been channelled almost exclusively to programs in camp-like settings. Unfortunately, although the majority of refugees today live in urban settings, they too often receive little support.

Urban refugees share all of the challenges of the urban poor, but often face additional barriers due to their uncertain legal status and lack of documentation. Many forcibly displaced persons avoid the authorities as such contact may lead to their detention and summary deportation. For those legally entitled to education, health and other social services, the cost of these services may become an insurmountable obstacle. When wrongly viewed primarily as a drain on scarce resources, they may become the subject of xenophobia and meet with harassment by local authorities and exploitation by employers.

'Forcibly displaced persons who are unable to gain access to the formal labor market are condemned to poverty. But it doesn't have to be like this. With sufficient support and the necessary legal documentation, refugees are often able to start their own businesses and in some cases to employ members of their host community. Take the case of Charles from the Congo, one of the thousands of refugees who have received vocational training and/ or a small grant from JRS. He now owns a small photography business. Others have started small shops or become tailors. All are contributing to the development of their host countries,' said JRS International Director, Fr Peter Balleis, S.J.

'Following in the footsteps of St Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus, Jesuit Refugee Service has made it a priority to work with "forgotten refugees" who live not in remote border camps but right under our eyes in city settings such as Nairobi, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Kampala, Panama City and Rome. Barely tolerated, often homeless or living in shantytowns of cardboard and tin, these urban refugees live a truly hand to mouth existence. Unfortunately, the number of urban refugees is increasing dramatically,' said Fr Kenneth J. Gavin, National Director of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA.

'One of the greatest barriers in caring for urban refugees is their invisibility. Because they are so often barred from legal employment, urban refugees live in the poorest of neighborhoods, distant from city services. Festus, an asylum seeker in Kampala, Uganda, is typical. He begins his search for employment each day at 5:00 a.m., walking six miles to the downtown market where on a good day he may earn between fifty cents and a dollar. Later in the day, he spends long hours waiting in lines seeking to move his refugee claim forward. For Festus and many refugees like him, Jesuit Refugee Service offers a quiet assistance that can be a real lifeline,' said Fr Gavin.

'We can see the difference education makes to the lives of refugees. Last year, we provided education services to approximately 280,000 young people. They'll become teachers, social workers, farmers, and public servants. Any society which hinders the development of this potential is poorer as a consequence,' said Fr Balleis.

'To promote better relations between marginalized host and displaced communities, it is essential that assistance benefit both. The welfare of forcibly displaced persons is intrinsically related to the well-being of their host populations. Our staff in Kenya, South Africa and Venezuela have witnessed that where host communities benefit from assistance programs for refugees, tensions between the communities diminish,' Fr Balleis said.