Most #asylumseekers at the Polish-Belarusian border have been forced to flee their homes, either by #war, persecution, or natural disasters. They are mainly from the #MiddleEast, #Afghanistan, and Eastern #Africa. Yet, there is ongoing rhetoric with the question, “Why can’t refugees return to their home countries”? Here’s why they cannot.
Afghanistan:The Taliban’s takeover of #Kabul in mid-August 2021 meant immediate danger to a large percentage of the population, including #women and the #Hazara minority population. As a result, there have been 113,500 Afghan evacuees between August 14-28 alone.
Iraqi Kurdistan: Kurds are fleeing an increasingly corrupt and authoritarian government that has become violent towards dissenters, journalists, and anti-government protesters. All this comes on top of economic hardship and high unemployment rates.
Ethiopia: Since November 2020, the armed conflict in the #Tigray region of #Ethiopia has put Ethiopians and refugees alike in danger of massacres, torture, starvation, mass rape, and shelling.
Yemen: #Yemen has suffered a catastrophic civil war since 2015. As a result, more than 4 million people have been displaced from their homes, all while experiencing economic collapse, famine, devastating natural disasters, and social services on the brink of collapse.
DRC: Apart from the ongoing violence, the Democratic Republic of #Congo has a long history of poverty, malnutrition, and disease outbreaks. In addition, the current conflict between militia groups and Congo’s armed forces in eastern #DRC has resulted in millions of displaced people.
Syria: Since the start of the civil war in 2011, 80% of the population lives in extreme poverty, and many cannot access shelter, clean water, and food. Recently, dozens of civilians have been killed as fighting rages after an #ISIS prison was attacked in eastern Syria.
The physical, psychological, and financial toll refugees have taken in search of a better and safer life is enough to impede them from returning home. The terror of living under threatening situations makes people continue their attempts to seek asylum in neighbouring countries and the #EU.
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