Why Refugees Should Be Accepted?

After World War II, the United Nations was instituted and one of their tasks was to set up universal regulations and laws to define the status and rights of refugees.

The U.N. High Commission for Refugees organized in 1951 received a three-year mandate to solve postwar refugee problems and was renewed thereafter for five-year periods. Nevertheless, new scope of responsibilities, definitions and restrictions followed with the institution of new conventions and proposals. As of today, the number of refugees remains at an increasing rate and laws have never been stricter and tougher. The refugee crisis remains an ongoing and delicate issue. It encompasses a global predicament that leaves humanity physically and emotionally scarred. Laws that deal with refugee issues are firmer and concerning from different political groups. There were so many real and reel concerns that has been raised and the negative reactions from different nations has become contagious.

Throughout history, acceptance of refugees revolved around issues of morality, economics, security and political delineations. We have yet to bypass these obstacles to continue to preserve the unity that has once been restored.

Anne Frank is an ordinary girl living her prime as a teenager in a place that other girls of her age would never imagine to be; a place void of fun, dignity, freedom and normalcy. In spite of the living situation she and her family is in, Anne kept abreast of the horror outside of the four walls of the hidden annex and put her perception and unfaltering hope into writing. The diary that was given to her as a gift on her 13th birthday linked the dreads and fears of her own and the outside world during her time. She hang on to that flicker of hope that someday, it will all come to pass. Little did anyone know that a thirteen year old girl will turn out to be a representation of a universal message and her diary an instrument of appeal for equality in dignity and acceptance of each other regardless of our differences.

One would have thought after witnessing and/or reading about the horrors of the one of the most devastating part of history, that the world has learned its lesson. The holocaust may now be a thing of the past, a part of history; however, there still are many “Anne Frank and her family” in different parts of the world being judged, discriminated upon and maltreated. Desperately trying to search for humane treatment, they chose to seek shelter in other nations hoping for a newfound home. Anne Frank’s legacy through her diary stirred an awakening on one of the most distressing part in history and a reflection on how we can make a change to prevent its recurrence. Anne Frank finds freedom in her diary. It is in her writings that silence is broken and autonomy sets in. Reading between the lines, one can find a soulful account of the joy, fear, hope, desperation and a plea.

Anne Frank’s story calls for respect to dignity and equality. Having the courage to face our fears will set the trend in breaking the stigma attached to the refugees. No one ever has to face being judged and discriminated upon based on gender, race, beliefs and faith. The best gift you can give the future is to do something worthwhile in the present.

The Catalyst program of Regis supports humanitarian causes through downright expression in words and deeds. We reach out to different countries in need raising funds and awareness to ensure optimization of health and education for those in need. With passion for a great cause, we hope to expand the mission and express the vision worldwide. Together, let us open our minds and listen to our hearts in promoting an attitude of universal acceptance and continue to advocate for the preservation of democracy and human rights for all.

Works Cited

1. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2021). About UNHCR. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/about-us.html
2. United Nations. (1951). Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/3b66c2aa10
3. Bhabha, J. (2017). The Rights of Others: Refugees and Stateless Persons. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
4. Hathaway, J. C. (2017). The Rights of Refugees under International Law. Cambridge University Press.
5. Betts, A., & Collier, P. (Eds.). (2017). Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System. Oxford University Press.
6. Loescher, G., & Milner, J. (Eds.). (2018). The UNHCR and World Politics: A Perilous Path. Oxford University Press.
7. Neuman, M. (2017). Strangers in the West: The Syrian Refugee Crisis in the European Union. Oxford University Press.
8. Frank, A. (2019). The Diary of a Young Girl: Definitive Edition. Bantam.
9. Ferris, E. G. (2018). The Politics of Protection: The Limits of Humanitarian Action. Brookings Institution Press.
10. Hathaway, J. C. (2017). Refugee Status Determination: A Comprehensive Guide to the Global Refugee Crisis. Cambridge University Press.