I originally wrote this article in May, 2018. 

We are in the midst of a global refugee crisis (Lischer, 2017). According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are 22.5 million refugees worldwide (2020). I live in Bangkok, Thailand, a city that houses and hides an estimated 8,000 refugees (Asylum Access, 2014). Bangkok has contributed to something I call “refugee education fracturing”. Just like a bone fracture, education fracturing is painful. It is the breaking of the educational progress of refugees. For some it is a complete academic halt, for others it is a nearly complete stop, either way refugees in Bangkok are in drastic need of educational aid and freedom.

One would assume, because Bangkok is the third largest United Nations (UN) hub in the world, they would follow key United Nations documents like The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants (2016). The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants says “We reaffirm our commitment to protect the human rights of migrant children, given their vulnerability. . . to provide access to basic health, education and psychosocial services, ensuring that the best interests of the child is a primary consideration in all relevant policies” (p. 11). In Bangkok these documents and commitments fall on deaf ears. It cannot be in the best interests of refugee children in Bangkok to be without any educational opportunities for years on end. I have met families whose children have not been to school in four years. Charles (fictional name), a refugee who should be in grade 11 has been trying to teach himself via online schooling for years, can you imagine the difficulty and discipline required to teach yourself as a 16 year old? Sadly, without help from the Thai government, Charles will never be able to earn a high school equivalency diploma unless he earns it by himself.

Later in the The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, under the heading “Durable solutions” (p. 20) it says “Take measures to foster self-reliance by pledging to expand opportunities for refugees to access, as appropriate, education” (p. 20). Clearly this solution has not been taken seriously. The UN has claimed that they will empower host countries to provide for the refugees in their midst, but in Bangkok this is not happening. Countless refugees are falling through the cracks. If education is truly the vehicle for change and empowerment (Egbo, 2009) then the UN must intervene in Bangkok and Thailand as a whole to change refugee policies to serve the multitudes in need.

 The biggest contributing factor to refugee education fracturing in Bangkok is the fear of detention in the Immigration Detention Center. More on this in a later post.

**2021 Update: 

In 2020, the UNHCR reported that there were 28.4 million refugees worldwide. This number consists of 20.7 million refugees under their “mandate” (UNHCR, 2004). Being under the “mandate” means that the UNHCR recognizes those seeking refugee status as refugees and are attempting to care for and relocate them. The remaining 5.7 million refugees are Palestinian refugees under the purview of the UNRWA, another branch of the United Nations. 

As of the end of 2020, there were a total of 82.4 million forcibly displaced people. This is a harrowing statistic. Note, that the 28.4 million refugees referenced above are included in this statistic. However, these statistics do not take into account the (estimated) 3.5 million Afghans who are internally displaced within Afghanistan. With an additional 2.2 million Afghan refugees who have fled the country. 

As for Thailand, the UNHCR reports that Thailand currently has approximately 97,000 refugees (UNHCR, 2021). Which makes the Asylum Access figure above seem like a conservative estimate.

A key point to take away from this article is that refugees are more than just statistics, they are real people in need. Ozensoy (2021) highlights the fact that, “Refugees are usually a disadvantaged group who is vulnerable to many disparities.” (p. 275). The sad reality is that there are many real people around the world today who are vulnerable and in need of assistance. Each refugee is a human being, like you and I, who deserves respect, shelter, and protection. If the global refugee crisis is something that you would like to learn more about, click on this link to the UNHCR’s FAQ page. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. It was a pleasure spending time with you today.

Peace & Blessings, 

– Josiah 

References

Asylum Access. (2014). Urban Refugees in Bangkok. Asylum Access. http://asylumaccess.org/urban-refugees-bangkok/

BBC Visual Journalism Team (2021, August 24). Afghanistan: where will refugees go after taliban takeover. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58283177

Egbo, B. (2009). Education and Diversity: Framing the Issues, Teaching for Diversity in Canadian Schools. Windsor: ON: Pearson Education Canada.

Lischer, S. (2017) The Global Refugee Crisis: Regional Destabilization & Humanitarian Protection. Civil Wars & Global Disorder: Threats & Opportunities. 146(4), 85-97.

UNHCR. (2004). UNHCR Global Appeal 2004. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/3fc754593.pdf

UNHCR. (2020). Figures at a Glance. UNHCR. http://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html 

UNHCR. (2021). Refugees In Thailand. UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/th/en

United Nations. (2016, October 3). The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. United Nations. https://refugeesmigrants.un.org/declaration