Five Common Anti-Refugee Lies Debunked
What people are saying about the Central American refugees is wrong.
In my time working with the Central American refugees and Asylum Seekers of the Caravan in Tijuana, I have come across many false arguments against helping these people. Some arguments can easily debunked and can be dismissed as a stereotyped argument filled with prejudiced statements, but some points forced me to go back into history to prove as false. The myths that I will be debunking will come directly from what people have said to me about my refugee aid work in Mexico and the common arguments I have heard from people in media and in person.
I would like to cite most important document when talking about refugees and seekers of asylum — The Refugee Convention. This legal document is important to all of the arguments that have to do with refugee status, asylum seekers, and the protection of their wellbeing. This legal document was signed by 145 countries (The Untied States included), and is the start of all jurisprudence on international laws around refugees. Lets start with the international definition of of a refugee.
A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it. [Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (adopted 28 July 1951) Article 1]
This will be the definition of a refugee that I will be using for this written article. The Geneva Conventions also clearly outlines the protections of a refugee. I will list some basic protections that the United States has signed as part of my argument. Once a refugee is outside of their home country — legally or illegally, they are protected under international law from deportation and expulsion to their home country. This law is of supreme importance when talking about refugees in the current world’s situation.
The Contracting States shall not impose penalties, on account of their illegal entry or presence, on refugees who, coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened in the sense of article 1, enter or are present in their territory without authorization, provided they present themselves without delay to the authorities and show good cause for their illegal entry or presence. [Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (adopted 28 July 1951) Article 31]
No Contracting State shall expel or return (“refouler”) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. [Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (adopted 28 July 1951) Article 33]
Lie #1 “We do not have enough room or resources for the refugees. Just look at what’s happening in Europe.”
If the United States accepted 100% of the 6,000 Caravan refugees in Tijuana(which it wont), it will account for 0.000009% of the American population. Currently Donald Trump and the Republican Party are trying to pass legislation to build a multi-billion dollar wall with Mexico, when illegal immigration has been at an all time low. The United States has the much needed infrastructure and money to help refugees entering the country. In fact, just a small amount of programs could be installed and the existing organizations could be enhanced for a fraction of what the border wall costs. This would help their integration process in the United States.
Lie #2 “They are not real refugees, they just want our way of life”
This false statement has unfortunately been said to me many times when dealing with the refugee crisis in Tijuana. The statement was said to me in regards to a call to support the Caravan of mostly Honduran, Salvadorian, and Guatemalan refugees that are trapped in limbo in Tijuana. Some on Medium, and some in person have said this line to me. Honduras has a situation of gang warfare and extreme governmental corruption. Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world which has added to a large amount of displacement. Gang warfare in Central America is real war. Gangs will often control territory and fight with the government for territory to control, just like traditional army warfare. Innocent people’s lives have been ruined day after day due to violence. Just because a foreign government is not invading countries like Honduras, does not mean that warfare is not destroying the lives of many.
Lie #3 “ So some may be refugees, but the majority of them are not. They are mostly wanting to come here to work”
This statement has some heavy stereotyped undertones to it. This statement implies that the majority of people in the Caravan were poor in Honduras. It is a statement that objectifies the people and denies their real danger in their home country. To claim that most are coming here to work, is to assume someone economic status is based on a country’s ethnic group. While some may very well be from poor backgrounds, to assume none of them are fleeing violence because there are poor people is wrong. While working in Tijuana on a humanitarian aid mission, I had met people who use to be business owners, doctors, and even a lawyer. Why would thousands of people leave everything they knew behind them to travel on a very dangerous road through Mexico, to live in a sealed off overcrowded refugee camp in Tijuana for months not knowing when the next meal will come, for a desire to possibly get accepted into a foreign country? People fell in love in their home country, studied, had families, danced, and prayed. It is violence that put them in this situation, not a desire to work.
Lie #4 “They can seek asylum status in their home country, they should be punished by crossing illegally.”
As much as it would be nice to seek asylum for the United States in another country, it is not possible. One must be in United States territory to even be considered as a case for asylum. This information can be taken quickly on the United States Citizen and Immigration website (https://www.uscis.gov). The problem is, getting into the United States as an asylum seeker is not easy. It can take months to get a regular visa to the United States. When peoples lives are at risk, they do not have time to wait. People make the journey through Mexico risking kidnapping, extortion, and more violence on their journey north. This is why article 31 of the Refugee Convention protects them, but their rights under international law are not being protected. People who enter the United States fleeing violence are often arrested and deported. This is a direct violation articles 31, 33, and 26 of the Refugee Convention. It is important that the United States adheres to the international legislation that it signed for the protection of human rights.
Lie #5 They are in gangs and will bring crime
First off, it is important to remember that the refugees are the victims, not the instigators. Donald Trump claimed that there are “500 criminals” in the caravan along with “Unknown Middle Easterners”. Countless groups condemned the president’s remarks for having to proof and evidence. Since then, to further evidence has been shown to prove his statement. In the United States, migrants commit crimes less than natural born Americans. They also open up businesses at higher rates then natural born Americans. This is quite the opposite then the argument that they bring crime. Then Central American refugees are running from gangs and crime, not wanting to enter the United States to create crime.
We must keep in mind that thousands of refugees are still on our border. Even when media attention is fading out on this topic, people are in refugee camps wanting to enter the United States. As someone who has been in the refugee camps in Tijuana many times, I can say with confidence that they need more support. The sealed off refugee camps are filled with people that have untreated sickness, injuries, children, mothers, and people that are hungry. Clean water is scarce for the refugees in Tijuana, and living conditions are poor. People are living in densely populated camps, sleeping side by side with each other living without showers in some camps. The people fled violence, and need the help they deserve.
The international documents that The United States has signed need to be followed. When international law is ignored, people suffer in a way that is not necessary. Already two children have died in US custody when article 31 of the Refugee Convention guarantees no penalty of their crossing into the United States as a refugee. The myths and lies surrounding refugees cause harm and causes people to dehumanize those running from violence. Most of all, we must stick to the actual facts of the situation. There are refugees on our border, and we can help.
