1. Lesson 1: An Overview on Refugee Crisis (For Secondary Students)

2. Learning Objectives Knowledge: Attitude: Skill:
Understand the global refugee issue and relevant data
Learn the international conventions which protect the rights of child refugee
Attitude:
Respect the rights of others
Skill:
Listen others and express opinions
Reflect on personal perception of child refugees
Distinguish between reality and perception

3. Lesson Plan

4. Warm-up Activity: Child Refugee Is…
What would you associate with the word “Child Refugee” ? Please write down 5 words that come up to your mind on the blank paper.
Create a short story on “Child Refugee”. The story should include the 5 associated words that you have just written down.
Warm-up Activity: Child Refugee Is… (15 minutes)
Objective:
Students reflect on their personal perception of child refugees and evaluate the reasons for their perception.
Teachers check the students’ understanding of child refugees, assess their prior knowledge and adjust the learning content accordingly.
Resources: PowerPoint (slide 4-5), blank papers
Rundown:
1. Teacher distributes blank papers to each student.
2. Ask Students:
What would you associate the word “Child refugees” with? Please write down 5 words that come to your mind.
Instruct students to write their personal opinion without discussion.
3. After all students have completed, teacher instructs:
Write a short story on “Child refugees”. The story should include the 5 associated words that you have just written down.

5. What lead you to form your opinion on refugee children?
Think about…
What lead you to form your opinion on refugee children?
Warm-up Activity: Child Refugee Is…
Rundown:
4. Student Sharing: Teacher invites 3-4 students to share their short story on “Child refugees”. After the student sharing, teacher can ask questions that motivate students to reflect on their own understandings on child refugees and the reasons for their perception. Some exploratory questions:
What lead you to form your opinions on child refugees?
(Suggested answer: news/ newspaper/ online forum/ other reasonable answer)
Where is the source of the information?
(Suggested answer: newspaper/ government/ political parties/ non-governmental organization (NGO)/ parents/ friends/ teaches/ other reasonable answer)
Why do they provide the information on child refugees? What are their perspectives on child refugees?
5. Debrief:
Teacher elaborates that each persons’ understanding of child refugees is different. News, media, government, NGO, parents, or friends shape our understanding which may or may not be actual reality.

6. Activity 1: Understanding Refugee
Activity 1: Understanding Refugee (15 minutes)
Objective:
Students learn about the global refugee issue through Q&A activity.
Teacher can adjust the questions based on students’ prior knowledge of child refugees and clarify some common misunderstandings.
Resources: PowerPoint (slide 6-29)
Rundown:
1. The activity can be conducted in simple Q&A method or in-class quiz competition.
Listed below are the suggested questions. Teacher can adjust the questions based on the learning needs of students. Answers are explained in the PowerPoint.
© UNICEF/UN012725/Georgiev

7. Q(1) Who are refugees? People who…
Are at risk of prosecution and internally displaced in their home country
Are at risk of prosecution and leave their home countries
Migrate to other country for better living
ANS：B

8. Explanation(1)：Who are refugees? People who…
An asylum seeker is
...someone who is hoping to leave or has left their country because of persecution and is asking another country to recognize them as a refugee. If the host country recognizes that it would be dangerous for you to return to your country, then you are given refugee status.
A refugee is ...someone who flees their country because of persecution and has been given refugee status. Most refugees seek protection in neighbouring countries.
An internally displaced person is
...someone who is forced to flee their home because of persecution – like a refugee – but who remains within their country’s borders.
Source：UNICEF United Kingdom, Factsheet of In Search Of Safety: Children And The Refugee Crisis In Europe, 2016

9. Q(2) Which one is not the reason why refugees leave their home?
Fleeing from war, civil war or fighting between different groups of people
Being treated unfairly because of the race, religion or political opinion
Finding better job
ANS：C

10. Explanation(2)：Why do the refugees flee?
Refugees have different reasons to flee from home, which includes：
Notes for Teacher
Refugees, IDPs and asylum seekers flee their country due to persecution.
Migration is moving to other counties for a better life.

11. Q(3) By the end of 2016, which country do most of the refugees come from?
Pakistan
South Sudan
Syria
ANS：C

12. Explanation(3)：Which country do most of the refugees come from?
Notes for Teacher
By the end of 2016, more than half (55%) of all refugees worldwide came from just three countries: The Syrian Arab Republic (5.5 million, 32%), Afghanistan (2.5 million, 15%), and South Sudan (1.4 million, 8%).

13. Q(4) Why are Syrians fleeing their homes?
Outbreak of civil war
Invaded by other countries
Famine
ANS：A

14. Explanation(4)：Why are Syrians fleeing their homes?
In early 2011,a series of anti-government termed Arab Spring broke out in Syria. Violence escalated and the country descended into civil war as rebel forces battled government forces marking the start of Syrian civil war.
The war has killed more than 400,000 people
Nearly 5.5 million Syrians fled to foreign countries and received a refugee status, where half of them are children
Notes for Teacher
In early 2011, the Middle East was engulfed in an unprecedented outburst of protests against its leaders. It began in Tunisia and spread rapidly to Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and Syria. These series of anti - government protests and armed rebellion was termed ‘Arab Spring’. In Syria a group of youngsters in Daraa were arrested for drawing anti-government graffiti on a school wall. Police opened fire on demonstrators, who requested the release these youngsters, killing several and sparking further protests. In response, President Bashar al-Assad violently repressed the protest immediately. Violence escalated and the country descended into civil war as rebel forces battled government forces.
Over the years, the civil war came to a deadlock and gradually transformed into an international political tussle. Russia and Iran supported President Bashar al-Assad; while Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Britain and France supported the Sunni, anti-government force. With neither side able to inflict a decisive defeat on the other, the people of Syria continue to suffer.
According to the United Nations, both parties to the conflict have committed war crimes violating human rights. As of August 2015, the war has killed more than 400,000 people, and more than 6.3 million people are internally displaced in Syria. Over 5.5 million Syrians fled to foreign countries and received a refugee status, where half of them are children. More than 80 percent of the Syrian children have been harmed by the country's conflict, living in poverty, working instead of going to school or marrying young to survive.
BBC News, Syria: The story of the conflict, 2016
United Nations Radio, Syria envoy claims 400,000have died in Syria conflict, 2016
UNHCR, Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2016, 2017
UNICEF US Fund, Syrian Children Under Siege
© UNICEF/UN013175/Al-Issa

15. Q(5) By the end of 2016, which regions hosted more refugees?
Developing regions
Developed regions
ANS：A

16. Explanation(5)：Which regions hosted more refugees?
Notes for Teacher
Most of the host countries that refugees have been resettled to are developing countries, which received 84% of the world’s refugees. Wherein the neighboring countries of Syria – Turkey and Lebanon – have become the major host countries of Syrian refugees.
Mainstream media mainly report about the refugee crisis in Europe and as such many believe that most refugees flee to Europe. In fact, majority of the refugees backpack to the neighboring countries and only part of them reach Europe. For example in Germany, which receives most of the refugees in Europe, the refugee population only accounts for 0.8% of the total local population. On the other hand in Lebanon, the neighbouring country of Syria, the refugee population accounts for 16% of the total local population.
UNHCR, Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2016, 2017

17. Q(6) By the end of 2016, what proportion of the world’s refugees are children
(age 0-18)?
One-fourth
One-third
Half
ANS：C

18. Explanation(6)：What proportion of the world’s refugees are children?

19. Q(7) By 2016, what proportion of the Syrian child refugees were grown up knowing only crisis as conflict?
One-fourth
One-third
Half
ANS：B

20. Explanation(7)：Syrian child refugees who grown up knowing only crisis as conflict
Notes for Teacher
“For the 3.7 million Syrian children born since the conflict began, five years is literally a lifetime … We cannot restore the precious years of childhood snatched away by this brutal war, but we can and must prevent their futures from also being stolen. For their futures are the future of Syria.”
-- Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director

21. True False Depends ANS：B
Q(8) Child refugees do not have full citizenship Therefore, the host countries have no responsibility to protect them.
True
False
Depends
ANS：B

22. Explanation(8)： host countries have the responsibility to protect child refugees
All children, including the displaced ones, entitles protection from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
The signatory states have the obligation to protect child refugee.
Notes for Teacher
All children, including the displaced ones, entitles protection from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which was adopted by the United Nations in It is the first legally binding international instrument incorporating the full range of human rights. As of June 2017, 196 countries, almost every member of the United Nations expect United States, have ratified CRC. By ratifying this Convention, governments worldwide are committed to securing and ensuring children’s rights, as well as to shoulder relevant responsibilities.

23. Q(9) Which of the following children’s rights are difficult to protect for child refugees?
Rights to survival
Rights to protection
Rights to development
All of the above
ANS：D

24. Explanation(9)：What child rights are hard to be protected for child refugees?
The Syria crisis has been going on for six years. The rights of Syrian children, no matter they are in the territory or fled to neighboring countries, have been deprived due to the persisting conflicts.

25. Q(10) In general, the refugees have low education level and face poverty.
True
False
Depends, refugees have different background
ANS：C

26. Explanation(10)：Is it true that refugees have low education level and face poverty？
© UNICEF/UN07758/Al-Issa
Refugees have different backgrounds
Before the civil war outbreak, 67% of age-appropriate Syrian children were studying in Secondary school
Refugees cannot bring many things in fleeing, and therefore people may think they’re poor

27. Q(11) What percentage of refugee are 'bogus'?0%
15%
30%
ANS：A

28. Explanation(11)：How many 'bogus' refugees?
© UNICEF/UN07758/Al-Issa
There is NO such ‘bogus’ refugee. The refuge status is granted after screening mechanism.
According to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everybody has a right to seek asylum in another country.
Asylum application being refused ≠ ‘bogus’ refugee

29. Any international conventions protect the rights of child refugees？
Refugees are forced to flee to other countries as they are facing war or persecution in their home country. What have they lost？
Activity 1: Understanding Refugee
Rundown:
2. Debrief:
Teacher elaborates that refugees flee to other countries with no choice as they are facing war or prosecution in home country. This is a difficult decision, they have to give up all the things they have, including friends, school, family members and home. Teacher can encourage students to be more aware of the child refugee issue, and understand their needs and rights.
Any international conventions protect the rights of child refugees？
© UNICEF/UN011184/Georgiev

30. Learning the international conventions which protect the rights of child refugee
Learning the international conventions which protect the rights of child refugee (10 minutes)
Objective: To learn the relevant child rights articles in United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child and Refugee Convention.
Resource: (slide 30-34)
© UNICEF/UN012725/Georgiev

31. Refugee Convention
Refugee Convention was adopted by the United Nations in 1951
145 signatory states and countries (as at May 2016)
It defines who is a refugee, and sets out the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum.
The Convention is not yet applicable to Hong Kong
General Principle “No Contracting State shall expel or return a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened” (Article 33)

32. Refugee Convention
Refugee Convention guarantees the basic rights they should enjoy in the signatory states, which includes:
Not to be discriminated
Not to be penalized for illegal entry into the territory of a contracting State
Not to be expulsed and refouled
To be entitles basic rights such as employment, housing and opportunity for education
To be legally protected of personal

33. Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC)
Convention on the Rights of Child was adopted by the United Nations in 1989
196 signatory states and countries (as at June 2017)
It is the first legally binding international instrument incorporating the full range of human rights for children
It is applicable to Hong Kong since 1994
General Principle
No matter what race, religion, ability, family unit, or the things they think and say, a child has rights under the Convention. (Article 2)
Everyone must work towards what is best for a child. (Article 3)
Every child entitles the right to survival and development (Article 6)
Children can give opinions and expect them to be heard. (Article 12)

34. Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC)
All children, including the displaced ones, entitles protection from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
CRC also protects child refugees’ basic rights and needs

35. Unite for Children Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF
7/F, SUP Tower, King’s Road, Hong Kong
Tel:
© Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF
June 2017
Cover Photo © UNICEF/UN012725/Georgiev