1. What is a Refugee? More than a Refugee Erasmus+ Traınıng Course
12 – 19 Aprıl 2018 Istanbul, Turkey

2. What are we going to learn?
Terms related to Refugee topic
Regulations & Laws that protect refugees
Why refugee issues are important in today’s World
True or False? -> Refugees = Syrians trying to go to Europe
Do refugees pose a danger to the world?

3. Let’s get to know first… What is Persecution?
While there is no universally accepted definition of persecution, threats to life or freedom are always considered persecution when they occur because of a person’s:
Race
Religion
Nationality
Political opinion
Membership in a particular social group

4. Other serious violations of human rights also constitute persecution
Such as:
Slavery
Prolonged detention without a charge or trial
Torture
Overwhelming discrimination

5. So… Who is a Refugee?
A refugee is 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, owing to such fear,
is unwilling to benefit from the protection of homeland country ... " - The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees

6. There are some terms that are confused with «refugees»
And these are:
- migrant
- asylum seeker
- internally displaced person

7. Who is an internally displaced person?
- Has been forced to flee his or her home for the same reason as a refugee
- But remains in his & her own country and does not cross any international border
- They do not have any international laws / cannot get the same aids as refugees can
The main difference between refugees and internally displaced people:
Refugees cross the border & internally displaced people stay in the borders of the same country

8. Who is an asylum seeker?
When people leave their own country and seek sanctuary (shelter) in another country, they apply for asylum – the right to be recognized as a refugee and receive legal protection & material assistance.
An asylum seeker must demonstrate that his or her fear of persecution in his or her hometown has a concrete reason.

9. The main difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker:
Refugees are resettled with the help of a refugee resettlement agency.
The refugee has to prove the hardship to cross the border.
An asylee is already in the foreign country when s/he applies for protection.
Asylees have to prove that they have reason to fear persecution in their home country. If not, they can be resent to their home country.
Not every asylum seeker will ultimately be recognised as a refugee, but every refugee is initially an asylum seeker.

11. Migrants vs. Refugees MIgrants Refugees
- To find a job, to meet with family members in a particular country
- Voluntarily or because of economic hardships
- With legal permission or illegally
- Have human rights & protection from receiving or sending government:
Freedom from slavery, arbitrary detention, exploitation, forced labour
Freedom of education, access to court, work
- Can go back home safely
- The concerns of refugees are human rights and safety, not economic advantage
- Forced to leave
- Has to get permission before entering a country
- They cannot go back home until they are called back
- They need sanctuary elsewhere
- Their rights are protected by  1951 Refugee Convention international law.

12. Who protects refugees?
UNHCR: The United Nations Refugee Agency -> Protecting refugees is the core mandate of UNHCR
Most of the refugees get their help to return to their home, to seek assistance.
UNHCR leads international action to protect their rights, improve their well-beings.

13. Protection… How?
UNHCR’s main role in pursuing international protection is to ensure that states are aware of their obligations to protect refugees and persons seeking asylum.
Countries should ensure that refugees benefit from economic and social rights, at least to the same degree as other foreign residents of the country of asylum.
For humanitarian reasons, states should allow persons to whom temporary refuge or asylum has been granted. Finally, states have an obligation to cooperate with UNHCR.

14. There are two main legislations that protect refugees in history…

15. The Convention 1951
The Convention is the only international agreement covering the most important aspects of a refugee’s life. According to its terms, refugees deserve, as a minimum, the same standards of treatment given country and, in many cases, the same taken by other foreign nationals in a treatment as nationals.
- Protecting refugees is the primary responsibility of States. Countries that have signed the Convention are obliged to protect refugees on their territory and treat them according to internationally recognized standards.

16. What has changed in 1967? 1951 Refugee Convention - the basis of UNHCR
- the main international instrument of refugee rights
- clearly states who is a refugee
- 145 countries signed
- War criminals not stated as refugee
- Covers mostly European refugee rights
1967 Protocol
- states today’s applications
- denies 1951’s restrictions (in terms of refugees’ nationality)
- covers more of refugee rights + gives more responsibility to governments
- clearly states refugee rights

17. And what are their rights?
The right not to be forcibly returned, or refouled, to a country in which the refugee has reason to fear persecution
• The right not to be expelled, except under certain strictly defined conditions
• Exemption from penalties for illegal entry into the territory of a contracting State
• The right to work
• The right to housing
• The right to education
• The right to public relief and assistance
• The right to freedom of religion and free access to courts
• Freedom of movement within the territory
• The right to be issued identity and travel
documents

18. How does UNHCR collaborate with the laws?
UNHCR serves as the guardian of the Convention and its Protocol. States are expected to cooperate with UNHCR in ensuring that the rights of refugees, as defined in the Convention, are respected and protected.

19. What are the current laws on refugees?
Non – refoulment: A right of refugees came in 1967= No state can return a refugee (or a group of refugees) to from the border where they came to seek protection. Freedom of movement: States shall afford refugees the right to choose their place of residence within the country. – In countries that host masses of refugees, the freedom of movement can be restricted with refugee camps. Right to family life: Where an individual is granted asylum, his or her dependent relatives will receive protection as of the asylee.

20. What are the challenges of being a refugee?
Fear of detection
Anxiety about conditions
Exploitation from family
Pressure about escape
Fear of persecution
Anticipated sadness over losses
Finding a new job, a new home
Adapting to a new society
Maintaining basic human needs as food, shelter, water, security.
Mental problems, urge to suicide, chronic fatigue syndrome.

21. What happens when you cross the border?
Refugee camps
Local integration & getting asylum
Replacement to another place
Repatriation (going back to homeland)

22. Are ‘refugees’ only Syrian?
The crisis of refugees started in the time of World War I, raised tremendously in World War II. Back then, Europeans were seeking asylum in safer places.
1978 – 1980 Saur Revolution in Afghanistan (5.5 million)
Iraq citizens with the US – Iraq war between 1990 – 2003 (4.7 million)
War in Libya, 2010, fleeing to Tunisia is equivalent to 1/5 of Tunisia’s populations
War in Syria: since 15 March More than death, 6.5 millions of refugees got lost.

23. Are refugees dangerous?
The refugees themselves, fleeing war and extremism, are not strong supporters of the most violent groups: if they were, they would have stayed in Iraq or Syria.
If the refugees are treated as a short-term humanitarian problem rather than as a long-term integration challenge, then we are likely to see this problem worsen. 
If they cannot be integrated into local communities, then they risk perpetuating.
The actual security risks now are low, but the potential ones are considerable if the refugee crisis is handled poorly. 

24. Why refugee issues are important?
Global and international issue
Currently affecting Europe, North – Africa and Middle East in terms of economy, social constitution, labor capacities, humanitarian issues, and so many on
Violation of human rights
Affecting international and political relationships between countries
Affecting our world’s future

25. Thank you for your attention!