Refugees who don't meet the criteria of a refugee; a recent form of refuge
The photo was captured by
Narendra Karki/Al Jazeera, used as the cover image for news "Hundreds of
Nepalese stuck at India border amid COVID-19 lockdown" In the photo, Nepalese migrant workers are waiting on
the Indian side of Nepalese Border across Mahakali River, in the hope of
reentering their country from the last three days.
"The Qatari authorities used the global health pandemic
of Covid-19 as a cover-up to expel Nepali migrant workers illegally, according
to Amnesty International."
"Qatar: Migrant
workers illegally expelled during COVID-19 pandemic"
"Workers returning
from India stranded at border points as India-Nepal border closed to prevent
spread of coronavirus."
If we compare, many were lucky as after waiting for a few days near the Nepalese border to India or
in Gulf Countries or in other parts of the world, they were finally able to
cross the borders of their own country. Some of them were quarantined in places
near the border or transits with limited facilities and some returned back to
their families. Indeed, it added risk for their families and people who are
already inside the country but do they really have any other places to go? The
answer is a big no.
What about the rest who are
still there? Expecting their country to rescue them or arrange something to
survive COVID 19 emergency. 'In COVID 19 emergency and National lockdown,
probably most suffered migrant workers would be Nepalese people who went to
India and Gulf countries for jobs, now abandoned by Nepal and their respective
host countries. They are mostly from underprivileged families. In this time,
they are in dire need of intervention from the Government of Nepal.
There are many Nepalese
people still out there in India, Gulf countries and other parts of the world
who are living under difficult circumstances and willing to return back to
their own land. They are being denied basic human rights by both countries in
one way and another. It is obvious that they may have been feeling betrayed by
their own country after contributing a significant amount to the national
economy. Further, by the country where they had spent their labor, sweats and
support its economy too as it suddenly started discriminating, detaining,
jailing, and ignoring them.
"Nepal Abandons
Migrant Workers in Fight against COVID-19, workers stranded without Income are
denied the Right to Return Home"[4]
Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director (Human Right Watch)
“The jail was full of
people. We were given one piece of bread each day, which was not enough. All
the people were fed in a group, with food lying on plastic on the floor. Some
were unable to snatch the food because of the crowd,...” said another Nepali
worker, presenting with Amnesty International on the situation of Nepalese
Migrant in Qatar."
"I was in my room
when the manager of the company forcefully entered my room and snatched my
purse and mobile. He expelled me from the room I spent the whole night in the
street. The next day, I spent in a friend's room. I was expelled from there
too. Promptly, I am in the street again."
Govind Nepali, Saudi Arab[6]
In recent news about extended
lockdown in India, in the comment section, I saw this comment from a Nepalese
migrant worker who was appealing to the government of Nepal for support,
stating insufficient food in Mumbai, India, for them.
Not only the migrant workers
but also Nepalese students in countries like Australia were affected.
"Australian Prime
Minister Scott Morrison Tells Visitors And International Students To Go Home Tells
Visitors and International Students to Go Home."
New Spotlight Online[7]
After spending so much of
resources and facing so many hurdles, where they can really go when borders of
their own countries are virtually closed.
The condition Nepalese
migrant workers and students currently facing in some countries is much near to
the definition of a refugee as of UNRefugees. Even more, they are being
discriminated not only by the country they currently are but also by the country they wish to go.
"A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee
his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a
well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality,
political opinion or membership in a particular social group."
Many countries are working for the wellbeing of refugees in
these difficult times; Nepal should at least rescue Nepalese citizens who want
to come home and provide them good quarantine facilities. After all, faced with
difficulties, it is a natural instinct of every person to look back to their own
homeland. Let's not cause our brother and sister abroad to feel abandoned by
their own country.
"The migrant workers at the border say that the government does not have to give them jobs, but they must be allowed to return
their homes."
Dr. Prabin Manander[8]
Though in all these, a light of hope is aroused by the decision of the Supreme Court issued by the single bench of Justice Sapana
Pradhan Malla through an interim order in the name of the Government of Nepal
to rescue Nepalese in a vulnerable situation abroad[9].
This is not an issue of Nepal alone but many developing
countries and underdeveloped countries of the world. Therefore, UN Agencies and
Human Right Agencies should step in and collaborate for an appropriate
solution. Being human we all should realize that if we in the country feeling stressed,
worried and anxious about COVID 19 emergency than people outside of their
country must be feeling more of it. We should raise these issues where ever we
can as most of the migrants don't want more than getting back to the safety and
assurance of being in their own country.
Laxman Nath (Psychologist, Program Manager at KOSHISH)
Comments
Post a Comment