JRS urges the international community to give refugees a hand up, not hand outs, Nairobi, Kenya (JRS Eastern Africa)

Helping refugees help host communities

Rome, 20 June 2010

On 20 June, World Refugee Day, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) urges governments and civil society groups worldwide to tap into the resources of refugees and other forced displaced persons in urban areas. This not only promotes the self-sufficiency of the refugees but also contributes to the well-being of their host communities.

For years, refugee assistance has been channelled almost exclusively to programmes in camp-like settings. Yet the vast majority of forcibly displaced persons now choose to go to urban areas instead of relying on hand-outs in camps. With little or no support, they face a myriad of obstacles.

Frequently denied access to the formal labour market, forcibly displaced persons regularly survive on poorly paid, insecure and precarious casual employment. Even when they are provided with legal documentation, this is often ignored by the police or other government agents. 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.

"Forcibly displaced persons who are unable to access the formal labour 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, Peter Balleis SJ.

"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, public servants. Any society which hinders the development of this potential is poorer as a consequence", added Fr Balleis.

Frequently unable to find stable employment, forcibly displaced persons tend to live in the most marginalised communities. Viewed as competing for scarce resources, tensions can easily be aggravated between local and displaced populations – fuelling xenophobia, sometimes with catastrophic results, as was the case in South Africa in 2008.

"To promote better relations between marginalised 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 programmes for refugees, tensions between the communities diminish", Fr Balleis stated.