Local Integration as The Best Solution For The Refugee Problem

The current number of refugees globally is higher than at any other time in history after World War II. Despite the technological advancements and perceived growth of the human race, there remain a couple of persistent problems that have persisted for centuries and probably millennia. As far as the times of the writing of the various Holy Scriptures for the diverse religions there are mentions of refugees. The Christian bible cites Jesus and his parents being refugees in Egypt. They were fleeing in a bid to protect the life of the young messiah. Refugees will always exist as long as there are those who fear persecution from those who are bound to abuse their power. The reasons for the refugee crisis that is a multi-century problem have diversified from those cited in the United Nation’s definition of who a refugee is. As per the UN, a refugee is an individual fleeing from their home country for a "well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion" (Reid, 2017). However, there are several reasons for the current refugee crisis beside persecution. There might be a disparity of precisely who qualifies to be a refugee due to these reasons, but the fact that remains regardless is that we have a crisis that is getting out of hand. There are several possible interventions for this crisis. However, the local integration of refugees is the most effective approach to dealing with the crisis. This paper shall establish the background and history of refugees, the possible reasons for the current crisis, the possible interventions available with more focus on local integration and why it is the most effective approach for the refugee crisis. 

History Of Refugees 

By the duality of everything, power is only noticeable in the presence of weakness, and thus none can exist in the absence of the other. There is an argument that absolute power corrupts absolutely. This means that with the existence of power there is the possibility of its gross abuse at the expense of others. In the case where an individual or a party abuses their power at the expense of others in the capacity of a tyrant or bully and the oppressed knows that they are incapable of being accorded justice they are bound to fear. The resultant fear of persecution is often a reason to motivate one to take flight. This natural response is the mind’s self-preservation technique. This is the basis for the definition of what a refugee entails. As per the UN, a refugee is an individual fleeing from their home country seeking asylum in another citing a well-founded fear of persecution (Reid, 2017). The reasons for the persecution are varied spanning from religion, membership to particular social groups, race, political, opinion, nationality, etc. Despite the official description of the term citing fear of persecution as the primary reason for the people seeking exile, the advancement of times have seen other reasons for the existence of refugees. These other reasons are considered some of the core reasons for the current global refugee crisis. 

Reasons for the Current Refugee Crisis 

I. Poverty 

Poverty lies squarely at the center of the current refugee problem. Poverty often translates to an inability to meet the basic human needs. One of the primary underlying needs of humans is food. Despite research showing that the human body can go for 40 days without having to ingest any food, hunger is one of the most uncomfortable phenomena for virtually everyone. People living in poverty are often unable to meet their basic needs, and this goes to mean food too. According to The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) report on the current food and agricultural situation globally, well over 800 million individuals are currently starving with a majority of the individuals that make up the number being residents of the African continent (Esses, Hamilton & Gaucher, 2017). An estimated 400 million of the residents of the African continent lack either food or clothes (Afifi, Liwenga & Kwezi, 2014). The situation in Asia is slightly better with an estimated 300 million individuals being plagued with all-day long hunger. Latin America is also heavily beset with poverty with well over 70 million individuals there living under the poverty line. Refugees who flee harsh economic conditions in such of better ones are referred to as economic refugees. A great example is the number of individuals who seek asylum in the US through the Green Card lottery program which offers them citizenship along with work permits for professionals. 

The most updated edition of the United Nations High Council for Refugees (UNHCR) report shows that 8.44 million refugees reside in Asia, 5.33million in Africa, 1.04 million in the continent of North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean have 570 thousand refugees. Europe accounts for the remaining 564 thousand that makes up for the approximated 21 million total. The report emphasizes on the integral part that poverty plays in fueling the existing refugee crisis claiming that most of the refugees represented globally mostly come from Africa, Asia, and Latin America respectively. 

II. Food Shortage 

As previously established food is a primary human need. Food shortage is bound to the migration of individuals seeking reprieve. There has been some tremendous technological and agricultural advancement over time. However, the advancements have not thoroughly dealt with the issue of food security. This primarily comes from the fact that ensuring food security entails more than just the cultivation of produce. It involves planning, distribution, and there are other diverse factors at play at any given time. As per a report released by the FAO, food shortage ensues in part due to natural disasters (Nelson, Ingram, Dugmore, Streeter, Peeples, McGovern & Spielmann, 2016). The report stated that the occurrence of continuous natural disasters is responsible for the varying degrees of food insecurity in 33 countries. Approximately 60 million people living in these countries are at the risk of experiencing food shortage (De Schutter, 2014). As per the report titled Shortage of Food and Crops a section of sub-Saharan Africa that encompasses 16 nations is facing the most severe food deficit globally. Parts of East Africa still require international emergency food aid to help cater for well over 18 million people. Year-long droughts and floods are some of the challenges to food security (Nelson et al., 2016). Droughts are predominant challenges to food security in sub-Saharan Africa while recently Mozambique and other southern Africa countries have experienced threats to food security caused by flooding. Since food shortage directly endangers the lives of individuals with starvation, it is only natural that an individual will flee in search of food in a bid to ensure survival. 

III. Deteriorating Economic Situations and Overpopulation 

Poor economic situations translate to among other things poor or inadequate infrastructure, security, and cost of living. This is often a product of two things; overpopulation or poor planning. However, sometimes the resources allocated are insufficient to sustain the population that is meant to rely on it. Some countries lack funds for development while there are those that have humungous debts. Currently, the national debt for a country like Kenya stands at KSH. 4.5 trillion. This means that every citizen of the country is subject to high taxation if they are to be able to pay back the debt. Such conditions are bound to motivate some impoverished individuals to flee the country. Africa’s accumulative debt is over 360 billion USD which is more than 24 times the value of the debt the continent owed 30 years ago (Rother et al., 2016). These debts mean that the number of individuals living in poverty or debt in Africa is higher than any other place globally. 

The current population of Africa stands at 700 million with a projected annual rate of 3% while that of agricultural growth going up by 2.5% annually. The fast growth rate has led to a shortage and even in some situations the depletion of some natural resources. Research shows that well over 4 million hectares of forests are destroyed annually in Africa. These results in abnormal weather and climatic conditions which can, in turn, lead to natural disasters such as drought, famine, floods, and landslides that are bound to motivate individuals to flee to other locations. The resultant desertification from the rapid and continual deforestation is another motivating factor for the movement of people. The vicious cycle is making some areas unlivable which forces people to relocate seeking better living conditions. 

IV. Intensification of Conflict and War 

The primary definition of the term refugee categorically states that a well-founded fear of persecution is necessary if one is to be considered a refugee. However, fear for one’s life is an excellent motivator for fight or flight. If an individual is not sure that they can fight they are bound to flee. The Middle-Eastern refugee crisis is motivated by people fleeing for their safety in the place of heightened security concerns from increased conflict and war. A great example is an Israeli-Palestine conflict that is responsible for the 3.5 million Palestine refugees with the problem spanning for well over 50 years (Hayes, Lundy & Hallward, 2016). This has, in turn, come to be the considered the conflict that resulted in the most refugees as per the records. 

V. Natural Disasters 

As previously stated natural disasters are a significant challenge to food security, infrastructure, and economic stability. Additionally, the damages that the disasters cause are bound to motivate the movement of individuals. Reports by several international organizations show that natural disasters account for 1.44 million deaths yearly, 57 thousand injuries, and the displacement of well over 5 million. Areas predominant with natural disasters do not encourage settlement, and thus individuals are bound to move from them. Factoring the magnitude of those left homeless following the occurrence of the disasters there is an excellent realization of how much they stand to influence the number of refugees. 

Refugees do not pose a threat to developing countries only but are a problem for developed countries too. They are perhaps on a more prominent platform for them to be influenced by the refugee crisis. The massive number of people moving from developing countries to developed countries in search of financial freedom and economic reprieve leads to some problems for the developed country. These include social issues as a result of the uncertainty of economic support and safety. The fact that the issue of refugees has proven to be a long-lasting phenomenon almost as long as time itself fashioned to accord the oppressed and the underprivileged a chance at equality and safety means that there is no simple solution for the crisis. However, there are approaches to alleviating the crisis. Next is a review of the possible approaches to handling the crisis. 

Possible Interventions to the Refugee Crisis 

There is a consensus on the fact that the refugee crisis is getting out of hand and there is a need for action to be taken. The UNHCR is the body that was created specifically to handle issues related to refugees in 1951 as a temporary body tasked with the resettlement of the refugees in Europe in the aftermath of World War II by the international community. The continued increment of the number of refugees globally ultimately led to its expansion into what is currently referred to as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. According to the body and its current chair, the refugee crisis will continue, and there is a need for increased funding to 110 million US Dollars annually up from its current 78 million dollar funding (Van Hear, 2014). The funds that come primarily from pledges by nations which account for 98% of the entire total while the United Nations cover the remaining 2%. The request for a more significant annual budget is however not among the predefined interventions to the crisis. According to the UNHCR, there are currently only three possible solutions to the current refugee problems. These solutions include voluntary repatriation, third-country settlement, and local integration (Cohen & Van Hear, 2017). The focus of this paper shall be on the local integration and why it is the best solution to the refugee crisis. However, a brief overview of what the two other solutions entail shall be provided next. 

a. Voluntary Repatriation 

A separation of the two terms that make the phrase brings about voluntary and repatriation. Individually, the words mean without being coerced for voluntary and return to home country for repatriation, and thus the term refers to choosing to return to their home country without coercion. This often occurs after an individual is given assurance of their safety from persecution or victimization for fleeing or the motivating factors for them becoming refugees in the first place. This is often the case for prisoners of war and political refugees. 

B. Third-country Settlement 

This approach which is also counted as one of the three primary permanent solutions to refugee problems entails the settlement of refugees into a third country and not the one they had fled to for cover. This is often after ascertaining that the individual is indeed a refugee. It occurs in cases where the refugee flees into a country that cannot give them permanent haven but rather can arrange for resettlement in another country. This is often suitable for settlement of individuals in refugee camps. A great example is through the provision of bursaries and scholarships to refugees to go and study abroad in a bid to settle them and ensure societal integration. 

c. Local Integration 

This is referred to as one of the three long-lasting solutions for dealing with the problem of refugees. The approach relies heavily on the assumption that the refugees will permanently remain in the country that they fled into in search of asylum and that in the process they will find the solution they seek (Soliman, 2016). This is the process of absorbing the refugees as part of the host country in all aspects with the aim of making them part of their asylum country. The choice to have local integration as one of the durable solutions to the refugee crisis is based on the fact that well over 1.1 million refugees have been able to achieve local integration and go as far as gain citizenship in the first country they fled into seeking asylum (Hovil, 2014). Local integration involves a process that entails three interlinked dimensions. These dimensions are security, economic, and social. Each of these dimensions is individually affected by local integration as we shall be further expounded on. Legality is an integral part of all human interaction, and it is a matter of ultimate sensitivity with particular regard to refugees. The legal process of local integration entails the establishment of the fact that the individual indeed a refugee. Afterward, the individuals are allowed a temporary stay in the country. Because refugees are not original residents of the state of their asylum, they have to be vetted. To complete the integration process, there is a need for naturalization. The conditions to be met are varied. However, the refugees can be given temporary citizenship pending the approval of their citizenship approval. 

Establishing The Effectiveness Of Local Integration As A Solution To The Refugee Problem 

To determine the effectiveness of local integration as an approach to dealing with the refugee problem research and review of some scholarly peer-reviewed sources on the subject were carried. An analysis of the case study of Tanzania, Serra Leone and Lebanon provided all the necessary information. Here are the literature review and its subsequent findings. 

Findings 

There are several benefits and drawbacks to the local integration as per the different dimensions mentioned earlier. Next is a review of the effects of local integration on the different aspects based on the findings from several available academic work and reports on the effectiveness of local integration as a plausible intervention for the refugee crisis. A review of the literature led to a number of findings. The findings are categorically grouped according to what sector of the society they touch. These are security, the economy and the socio-cultural aspect of the society. 

Security 

Security is a matter of utmost importance to any society, and thus a lot of consideration goes into place to determine to ensure security is maintained for amicable habitation. However, there are some security concerns about the implementation of local integration as a durable solution to the refugee crisis. First, local integration of refugees often results in increased militarization, the occurrence of violence, and a subsequent increase in petty and organized crime. A Guinea case study found that the integration of Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees into the country had resulted in increased criminal activity, street prostitution, delinquency, and drug abuse (Skran, 2015). Ultimately Guinea experienced a rise in poverty levels and eventually a disparity of real and perceived security threats. There were claims that the social dislocation that the country suffered which were associated with the local integration of refugees (Skran, 2015, p. 121). There, however, was no discernable proof that the assumptions were factual. 

In the case of weak nations, local integration of refugees can result in the destabilization of the state as a result of militarism and the resultant demographic imbalance. A great example is how Lebanon despite having naturalized well over 80000 Palestinians there were cases of militarism in the camps where over 360000 other Palestinians under strict restrictions that prompted the 1982 Israeli invasion (Buckner, Spencer & Cha, 2017). Ultimately local integration is bound to result in the demographic imbalance which poses a serious threat to any given state’s power balance. 

Economic Factors 

The integration of refugees as part of their asylum country has definite and discernable effects on the economy, and thus economic factors about the solution are integral in establishing why it is the recommended solution to the current refugee problem. Local integration has positive effects on the country that offers them asylum. Some of the economic advantages of local integration are discussed next. 

First, through local integration, there is the possibility that the refugees can become financially self-reliant and thus help alleviate the financial burden the individual incurs to the state (Hovil, 2014). As a result of the incorporation into the society which includes the country’s workforce, the host country’s economy may experience a boom because of the additional labor force. A great example is how the refugee policies in Tanzania in the 1970s and 1980s allowed for the local integration of over 150000 Burundi refugees by allocating each family 5 hectares of land for settlement. The area for their settlement is currently responsible for a third of all the food crops in the districts of their residence. Additionally, tobacco which is one of the key cash crops for Tanzania is cultivated primarily by the settlers who account for 50% of all tobacco produced in the country (Kweka, 2017, p. 86). Local integration is also bound to trigger increased financial assistance for the host country from international organizations such as UNHCR and individual states. The increased aid can be helped to improve and rehabilitate infrastructure which is beneficial to both the refugees and the residents of the nation as it was in the case of 1990s in Guinea Bissau. 

As much as there are several economic benefits of local integration, there are also as many drawbacks. First, if the countries of asylum are plagued with high unemployment rates, then the refugees have to struggle to get work which in turn means the standards of living remain low if not deteriorate due to strain in resources and limited or no income (Hovil, 2014). Secondly, an increment in the number of refugees in a struggling country leads to an influx in the number of individuals economically dependent on the government which in turn is bound to strain the state (Genschel & Jachtenfuchs, 2018, p. 184). Finally, the resultant increase in unemployment levels coupled with poverty results in the social tension between the refugees and workers. Brazil’s effort to integrate 4100 of its refugees have proved a key reason for social tension with work being only available to 54% of the refugees and with the working conditions being regarded as generally failing (Moreira, 2017). 

Socio-cultural Factors 

Fear is the primary reason for the flight of refugees from their home country, and thus socio-cultural factors are of utmost importance when considering why local integration is the best approach. There are several advantages to the solution. First, the process of local integration can grant the refuge a sense of belonging which in turn cultivates better social cohesion for the community as a whole. Secondly, the approach has been proven to be essential for vulnerable groups such as children. Exposure to violence is considered a risk factor for delinquency and criminal behavior. However, local integration was found to have a positive effect on the psychological functioning of the child. A study of 46 Cambodian refugees revealed a heightened chance of emotional and behavioral disorders while social support and local integration were found to boost mental performance in children (Silove, Ventevogel, & Rees, 2017, p. 122). 

The strength of the Sources 

The primary sources supporting the effectiveness of local integration are case studies carried by renowned professionals in the field and have ultimately been appropriately peer-reviewed. In addition to this, the data used for all the three case studies were collected straight from the field as in the case of Tanzania, and the UNHCR and other international bodies further confirmed it. This serves as a significant boost to the credibility of the sources. The sources were unbiased as they tackled both the positive and negatives of local integration as an intervention to the refugee crisis. 

Despite the data used in some of the case studies being as old as 40 years old, the validity of the data is virtually unquestionable because it is derived from credible sources as aforementioned. The fact that the source material used is not more than five years old also helps to boost its validity. 

Weaknesses of the Sources 

The sources did not necessarily have profound and discernable weaknesses. There were no obvious limitations to the research as every point and deduction is fact-based. 

The Ethical Outcome of the Solution 

Human beings were all created equal. This means that we all have equal rights and no one is supposed to have their privileges and rights taken away for reasons not well-founded. In the spirit of love and oneness, it is recommended that we help each other when we can. Local integration helps the refugees to get a chance at a comeback. This helps to boost interpersonal relationships which ultimately encourage social cohesion as seen earlier. As such, this approach is ethically sound. 

Conclusion 

The persistence of the problem of refugees is an indication that this is perhaps a permanent phenomenon and thus rather than await its end maybe it is more advisable to seek a solution. The current 21 million refugees worldwide represent the highest number of refugees ever since the end of World War II and that is cause for alarm. Despite the existence of three durable approaches to dealing with the refugee problem, local integration is the best approach as it proffers the refugee the chance at being self-reliant economically which would do well for the host country. Additional addition to the workforce is bound to lead to economic improvement for the host country. Despite drawbacks such as the possibility of increased militarization which threatens the security of the country, the resulting feeling of inclusion that comes with local integration is bound to inspire social cohesion, and thus the chances of the drawbacks outweighing the pros of the approach are exponentially lower. Introduction 

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