The Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) joins the international community in commemorating World Refugee Day, and would like to use this occasion to honour the strength and courage of people who have had to flee their homes due to conflict and persecution. In light of the various conflicts currently taking place in the region, ACHRS would also like to use this occasion to remind everyone that armed conflicts are one of the main drivers of refugee crises, and that refugees, asylum seekers, stateless people, and other displaced persons have the right to seek safety.
Jordan provides a useful case study on how armed conflicts create refugee crises. Although Jordan’s population is over 11 million people, over a quarter of the population are registered refugees, with around 2.4 million Palestinians registered with UNRWA, and 404,179 refugees of multiple origins registered with UNHCR. This refugee population was predominantly formed by the conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and what the International Court of Justice ruled to be an illegal occupation of Palestine by Israel. The commitment by Jordan to accept so many refugees is remarkable considering Jordan is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention.
The combination of the current economic situation along with political polarization may lead many across the world to view refugees as a social problem and a waste of a state’s resources. ACHRS would like to reiterate that refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and other displaced people are vulnerable groups of people who remain worthy of protection and whose dignity must be preserved. Rendering assistance to the most vulnerable people should never been seen as a weakness of policy, it demonstrates humanity towards people who have been forced into fleeing their homelands through no fault of their own. Such policies demonstrate that no one will be left behind, which is a central principle of the international human rights regime.
Based on this, ACHRS calls on all states to:
- Abstain from engaging in armed conflict. States are urged to rely on the various forums available to them in order to peacefully resolve disputes.
- Refrain from forcibly returning refugees and other displaced persons to situations of danger, thereby contravening the principle of non-refoulment, which has become a norm of customary international law and is binding on all countries, including those not party to the Refugee Convention.
- Adhere to their international human rights and international humanitarian law obligations as they relate to refugees.
- Forge and deepen strategic partnerships with relevant international organizations, NGOs, and civil society actors to progress refugee rights.
- Implement public information campaigns aimed at dispelling harmful narratives and perceptions about refugees in order to foster tolerance and understanding from citizens.
ACHRS will continue to progress refugee rights in the Working Groups on Education, Economic Empowerment, Protection, and the Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence Sub-Working Group.
