By Nikita Bondale
UKRAINE- Refugees: People who have fled war, violence, conflict, or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country. This is the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) definition of a refugee. Though the definition is the same for all UN members, individual nations are able to determine how they address refugee crises.
The United States specifically consults their previously passed 1980 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The INA describes how, in order for a person or group to be considered refugees, they must have faced a history of persecution due to differences in opinion or background, such as “race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”
Since the passing of this act, over 3.1 million refugees have been admitted into the United States. Unfortunately, the number of refugees accepted has decreased in recent years. In 2020, under President Trump, “the United States resettled fewer than 12,000 refugees, a far cry from the 70,000 to 80,000 resettled annually just a few years earlier and the 207,000 welcomed in 1980.”
Many argue that the impact of COVID-19 on the United States and other countries justifies decreasing the number of refugees admitted. However, countries must focus on the UN goals regarding global issues which state how one job of the United Nations, and their member countries, is to act as “peacekeepers.”
One part of peacekeeping is to aid in refugee crises and international issues. This has previously occurred with the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict with many people becoming “IDPs” or “Internally Displaced Persons.” Out of the 2.1 million population of individuals living in the Gaza Strip, approximately 1.4 million are refugees, mainly Palestinians. With this conflict rising, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reached out to larger nations, such as the United States, in hopes of finding a solution that they are now working towards.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to this day. However, a recent crisis in Europe has become the focus for large nations because it has resulted in an extremely large amount of refugees. Ukraine has been threatened and invaded by the Russian government and countries must step in to help the individuals impacted in any way possible.
Ukrainian resident, Anna Svitlyk, left her home with her five children and, after four rigorous days of travel, arrived at the Berlin train station tired and thirsty. They had to leave all belongings, friends, and even family members behind to protect themselves. Unfortunately, Svitlyk’s story is not a unique one.
According to a BBC World News article, “Poland has taken in 505,582 refugees, Hungary 139,686, Moldova 97,827, Slovakia 72,200, Romania 51,261, and Belarus 357” since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These countries have taken the initiative to help these refugees by preparing medical trains, providing cash allowances for food and clothing, and even placing children in local schools.
The United States has also taken steps to address the present refugee crisis, though its impact is more indirect. The Biden administration has recently stated that they will send $54 million in humanitarian assistance for those fleeing Ukraine. However, unlike other countries, the US is more reluctant to open its borders or spend additional specific funds to help refugees.
Nations, particularly those in the United Nations, must do more to help individuals fleeing from Ukraine during this time. The United States specifically is a country with great successes and, therefore, a great responsibility to act as a “peacekeeper” and to share their resources.
Funding is not enough. Direct actions in the form of clothes, food, or even increasing refugee quotas must be taken to ensure that all possible steps are taken to help other countries, particularly Ukraine.
