JUNE 20 was World Refugee Day and, according to the United Nations, “World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognise their resilience in rebuilding their lives.”. As of May 2022, over 100 million people were forcibly displaced or moved worldwide. About half of that figure are children. The UN Refugee Agency’s theme for World Refugee Day this year is, “Whoever. Wherever. Whenever.

Everyone has the right to safety.” While I’m sure there were a few informational postings or information sharing surrounding refugees on said day, I certainly didn’t come across any. As such, I wanted to dedicate this week’s piece to a topic that is talked about but not talked about enough. Perhaps, the first thing that comes to mind when one hears that word is citizens of countries like Afghanistan trying to seek asylum in the United States or Canada. Or, perhaps, the Ukrainians fleeing to nearby countries after Russia invaded their homeland. Refugees, their issues and the call to action are far more complex than that. In fact, we don’t even need to look that far and wide to find examples of who refugees are or why they had to make the choices they did.

It is a human right to seek safety. No matter who they are, they should be able to do so without being afraid and should be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Refugees come from all over the world. They are different shades of colours, from different ethnicities and races, and they may have their own cultures and beliefs. Refugees often flee their homelands to avoid the threat of war, violence or persecution. As such, they deserve to be protected. They may also flee their homelands due to natural disasters. They deserve to feel safe —like every other human being with rights. The entire concept of this is safety. I know what most of you are thinking. You’re wondering about the many refugees or new citizens from various other countries we currently have in Guyana. You’re probably worried about who they are or if they may pose a threat to you or your loved ones. The truth is, if the shoe was on the other foot, I am sure you would want them and their country to allow you to be protected and feel safe as well.

I think we should be honoured that our country is seen as a safe haven for other human beings. While geographically, borders exist to separate countries. I think, morally, we must assess and evaluate what it means to be a country with the ability to help other human beings in need. Seeking safety in other countries means seeking asylum, seeking safe access, receiving no pushbacks or returning to their country, and they shouldn’t face any discrimination or hostility. People would not have been vulnerable in pleading to stay in an unknown land if they weren’t desperate to flee in the first place. To be a refugee is the opposite of cowardice. It is courageous and is a badge of strength.

If Guyana really is the safe haven we portray it to be—then we ought to start acting like it by first changing our misconceptions and discriminatory behaviour towards those who seek safety in our land. ‘Refugee’ is a word we use to describe the displaced. We need to understand that behind that word are faces of women, men and children running away from the one place they thought was their haven. Only then will we understand the importance of having enough compassion to allow them to share our land as their newfound haven.