The Syrian refugee situation, has become one of the biggest humanitarian crisis’ in the last decade. An estimated 9 million Syrians have fled their homes since the outbreak of civil war in March 2011. We see it on tv. We read about it in the news…but do we understand who and what a refugee is?

1. we are
refugees

2. The Syrian refugee situation, has become one of the
in the last decade.
biggest humanitarian crisis’

3. Syrians
have fled their homes since the
2011.
An estimated 9 million
outbreak of civil war in March

4. we watch on tv

5. we read in the news…

6. But do we
understand who and
what a refugee is?
But do we understand
refugees are?whatand
who

7. expect refugees
to look like this…
Many

8. And get when
we see images like this.
baffled

9. It’s easy to view
images and get
confused.

10. So who as refugees?qualifies

11. A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for
reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social
group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is
unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the
protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being
outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such
events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it…
A refugee is:
”
-1951 United Nations Refugee Convention
”

12. war criminals.
guilty of committing serious
non-political crimes.
guilty of acts contrary to
the purpose and principles
of the united nations.
refugees cannot be:

13. 1951 united nations refugee convention
(aka the “geneva convention”).
This is the definition agreed upon at the

14. This decree was enacted
when hundreds of thousands
of war refugees were displaced
from all across Europe.
World War II,after

15. In 1967, the treaty was amended to
include refugees from around the world.

16. Over the past several decades,
142 states
have signed on to both the
1951 Refugee Convention
and the 1967 protocol.

17. The Geneva Convention
treaty also defines who is
NOT a refugee.

18. An internally
displaced person
An IDP is a person who has been
forced to flee his or her home for the
same reason as a refugee, but remains
in his or her own country and has not
crossed an international border.”
- UNHCR
A refugee is not:
”

19. Refugees are protected
by international law and
eligible to receive aid.
An internationally
displaced person is not.

20. An asylum seeker
A stateless person is someone
who is not a citizen of any country.
A refugee is not:

21. Asylum seekers are first
evaluated in order to
obtain refugee status.

22. they can be sent
back to their
home countries.
If an asylum seeker is
judged to not be in need
of international protection,

23. A forced migrant
A refugee is not:
A person leaving not due to
persecution, but because of
natural disasters (drought,
floods, earthquakes…)

24. A person leaving their country
due to economic reasons. Even
when leaving extreme poverty.
A refugee is not:
An economic
migrant

25. but why does the
definition of a refugee
matter?

26. Because, as a
refugee you are
given certain rights:

27. “non-refoulment”
refugees cannot be
forced to return to his
or her home country.
refugee rights:

28. illegally entering
countries that are
signed to the treaty.
refugee rights:
the right to not
be punished for

29. the right to housing.
refugee rights:

30. refugee rights:
the right to work.

31. refugee rights:
access to an education.

32. access to public assistance.
refugee rights:

33. freedom of movement
within the territory.
refugee rights:

34. The right to obtain
identification and
travel documents.
refugee rights:

35. A refugee becomes
entitled to other rights
the longer they remain
in the host country.

36. refugees?
so who are these

37. men
are refugees.

38. refugees
are
women.
women
are refugees.

39. children
are refugees.

40. a refugee
is not defined
by appearance.

41. they are not
defined by race.

42. what they
are fleeing.
they are defined by

43. accepting refugees
for countries

44. the fear is that with the refugees…

45. will follow.
violence

46. Those tasked with approving
or rejecting asylum seekers,
the job is even more difficult.

47. Screening is
imperfect.

48. Honesty
is not guaranteed.

49. Making it difficult to judge
who we can trust.

50. for us living with the
safety these
refugees seek,…

51. will our
moral obligation
to help fellow humans…

52. prevail over our
fears?