Rethinking Human Capital within Displaced Populations
We should not fear those with well-founded fear…
no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well
British-Somali poet, Warsan Shire
Introduction
The advent of modern times has brought disagreement over nation-states’ borders and who should be permitted in or even allowed to seek entry. According to UNHCR, the number of forcibly displaced persons has risen from 33.9 million in 1997 to 65.6 million in 2016. These numbers have been driven by conflicts in Latin America, Myanmar, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Sudan, many of which have been prolonged conflicts. Something that appears to be temporary may very well last years. This is why funding development immediately after basic humanitarian needs are met may be vital to regaining stability, and a multi-year approach is necessary for conflicts without a clear end in sight.
As the nature of conflict changes with displacements that can last for years, not only does the way the international community perceives displaced persons potential need to change but the fundamental ways that people are financially supported beyond direct humanitarian assistance. Building career capital is key to revitalizing a workforce that is prepared to rebuild war-torn areas. Currently, the status quo ignores a prime opportunity to train people affected by displacement for jobs that can outlast the rapid mechanization of the global workplace.
To this end, I propose a reimagining and recharacterization of the stereotypes attached to words like “displaced person,” “refugee,” and “economic migrant.” This is a chance to recognize and legitimize someone’s desire to work towards a future for themselves and their family, not to exploit them, or to deny them hope. Refusing people the right to flee violence and further failing to create opportunities for jobs that can help recover conflict-ridden economies freezes and stunts communities who are then forced to rely on financial assistance from donors. When it comes to rethinking human capital within displaced populations key elements are a reframing of stereotypes for displaced persons in the context of their human capital and a timeline change for offering developmental assistance alongside a reexamination of the target population when it comes to improving career capital.
Reframing Stereotypes
We should not fear those with “well-founded fear”
My grandparents fled their home country of Estonia during World War II to seek a better life. Perhaps a common story among the offspring of migrants, it was reiterated while growing up in our multi-generational household that my family had come to a new land for that purpose. There was a responsibility that was then extended to us grandchildren to work hard and to take advantage of the opportunities that were available to us in our youth that were stolen from my grandparents by the turbulent occupation that had swept their homeland. My grandparents worked with dedication to make ends meet and to pick up new skills and language all within a strange land. Their desire to find safety and legitimate work thankfully did not deny them the opportunity to enter a first world country. However, times were different.
The period leading up to World War I saw migration increasing in new ways. With the Industrial Revolution had come faster ways of traveling and not only that, but the increase in industry drove the need for more cheap labor. In addition, political crisis across various states in Europe in the late 1800s and later the Russian Revolution in the early 1900s, as well as various ethnic cleansings of certain regions contributed to migration. Political crisis, revolution, ethnic cleansings, war, and redrawing the map after the collapse of the Ottoman empire were all conflict-based factors that contributed to migration and drove the need for states to consider legislation and an international agreement towards the treatment of these migrants. Migrants were predominantly white at this time and were generally moving across Europe.
States also developed rhetoric surrounding refugees post World War II to those fleeing during the Cold War from parts of the USSR, as my grandparents did. Section 33 of the 1951 Geneva Convention states that a refugee is 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 to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country …” In modernity, the original reasons why refugee law was developed have faded into the background. For states. the idea that the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” is no longer as relevant now as it was in the past.
The Logical Fallacy and Overuse of the Term “Economic Migrant”
An applicant’s claim for asylum can come into question if they mention economic motivators. Economic migrants, who enter with that sole and specific purpose, are typically not considered refugees and are therefore not afforded the same protections under customary international law. Fear does not negate other desires such as to engage in the system of capitalism and to find a future for oneself.
This is the logical fallacy of “affirming a disjunct.” For instance, with the two statements, “fleeing for economic reasons” and “fleeing from fear of persecution” assuming one is true cannot make other untrue. As Gammeltoft -Hansen & Hathaway wrote in their 2014 work, it is logical that economic reasons are not separate from security reasons since “many persons seeking opportunity, safety, or some combination of the two will nonetheless feel compelled to vote with their feet, often traveling to precisely those more prosperous and secure states that resist their arrival.”
Affirming a disjunct is the logical fallacy that affirms that if A then B, and if B is true, then A must also be true. But if let’s say when you have a mosquito bite (A) you feel itchy (B), that does not mean if you feel itchy (B), the only explanation is that you have a bite.
Looking at campaign slogan of “Make America Great Again” in the United States, the idea of “America first” certainly has some bearing on the limitation of specific immigrants from entry at all, much less refugees. One only has to look as far as executive orders in the United States in 2017 with “travel bans” to see how nations can even legitimize going against specific wording in the 1951 Geneva Convention. The term “economic migrant” is often used by nation-states to explain why someone is denied asylum or even sent away. An economic migrant is someone who leaves their country of origin in search of a better or more prosperous life.
In light of the recent crises, one can extrapolate that those who might be seen as a threat against the host country may face an uphill battle in terms of gaining admittance if they have any background that casts them in light of standing behind any extremist ideologies based on the wording in the discussion between state representatives. There is sufficient state power to deny or revoke claims if the national security of the host country is deemed to be at risk. In an age of nationalism that values the national interests of countries at times over international relations, the idea that migrants are security threats is also bolstered by extremist views that refugees and immigrants, in general, might threaten certain cultural ways of life or take jobs away from other citizens within a nation-state. Yet, displacement is not just a singular issue, it is a global one. Keeping people in camps without job opportunities or failing to provide the training to address social needs within their own homeland only serves to further the issue of economic instability and to breed extremism.
We must reframe the idea of the economic migrant in society, from a negative to a more positive light and further looking towards ways to give displaced persons dignity and a source of capital that goes beyond humanitarian assistance. Displaced persons, economic migrants or not, should not be perceived in the as leeching off of society. Rather, companies and countries have the challenge and opportunity to accept and train this workforce, allowing them to grow into new sectors and explore new services.
Timelines and Target Populations
In times of violence and weakened security, many development organizations and donors scale back their efforts and humanitarian assistance becomes the priority. However, it may be during these times that development is still needed to ensure a quick recovery. Humanitarian action alone, despite best intentions to “do no harm,” can create vacuums. The goal then is to change the tactics and methods by which capital is given. For the types of long term conflicts of late, developmental assistance alongside humanitarian response may be the best way to build capacity within a country before the advent of donor fatigue.
Humanitarian assistance alone may at times have a negative effect. In the case of South Sudan, humanitarian assistance has impacted the market. Some direct humanitarian assistance in part led to the current inflation in food price that has reached over 300%. As food aid is given, some choose to sell the food to be able to have cash on the black market. Unfortunately, this subsidized food is sold for far less than what local farmers are charging for crops. This has, in some areas, caused farmers to leave their fields since there is no market for their products as long as food assistance is being given. Those who may be in need of food assistance if international aid is decreased, may also then find themselves without cash to purchase food on the regular markets since the unemployment rate is low. Some of these issues could be avoided by also looking to increase domestic output through development assistance during times of conflict or internal tension.
Through programs that target not just giving financial capital for direct needs, but aim to increase human capital, the displaced themselves can begin to address the issues of unemployment through creating business opportunities that create products for both international and domestic markets. A program that creates systems, implemented by the community through development and training, to strengthen capacity has the potential to increase economic prosperity while giving displaced persons tangible skills to help rebuild their lives.
In the case of Syria, UNHCR has taken steps to promote easing work permit acquisition in countries where camps are being run and to dynamically shift the conversation around humanitarian aid to acknowledge the long term nature of displacement. Although countries like Jordan have been some of the first to waive fees for work permits and to promise job creation for Syrian refugees within the Jordanian community with support from the international community, there is more that can be done by giants of the private sector to be directly involved in supporting these efforts. In reincorporating these individuals back into the economic system, there is a high chance that they will partake in the flow of capital through purchasing goods and services within the state or area they are in as they acquire capital through income. Further, if social entrepreneurship is supported, these individuals can seek funding and create companies to address local needs.
The Future of Displacement
By the time you have read up to this point in this article, an estimated 20 people might have found themselves displaced from their homes. According to a UNHCR report in 2016, on average 20 people become displaced each minute of every day. The cost of providing humanitarian assistance is high, around US$27.3 billion in international humanitarian assistance was given to assist those suffering from various crises in 2017 alone. The World Bank estimated in 2018 that the number of migrants fleeing their homes from climate change will climb in the future to 140 million by 2050. This is an issue that is not going away and rethinking how we spend capital to focus on improving human capital will be instrumental in lessening the financial impact of displacement. Clearly, we need to think differently about this social issue because it concerns all of us.
The idea is to invest in the human capital for those who find themselves displaced so that they have the ability to work in our increasingly globalized world. Although there are reported decreases of industrialized jobs and worries that there may not be enough jobs for everyone, jobs that require creativity and empathy and that look to solve some of the world’s greatest risk are areas that we could be building career capital for young displaced persons. I know from living with my grandparents, that many people fleeing conflict are resilient, and despite having survived horrific circumstances, are hopeful for the future. It is through improving and investing in human capital within these populations now that we will be prepared to provide a more prepared response for the inevitable future influx of displaced persons to come.
Kalika Kastein is an educator, peace advocate, and visual media specialist. She is the founder of the student-run peace association and online journal, Ad Pacem. Her writing has been featured in the national newspaper for the Federated States of Micronesia, the Kaselehlie Press and in the St. Gallen Symposium’s annual selected essays.
References and Further Reading
Anderson, M. B. (1999). Do no harm: how aid can support peace — or war. Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Development Initiatives, (19 June 2018). GHA Report 2018. Retrieved from: http://devinit.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/GHA-Report-2018.pdf
Gammeltoft-Hansen, T., & Hathaway, J. C. (2014). Non-refoulement in a world of cooperative deterrence. Colum. J. Transnat’l L., 53, 235.
Sarrado, O. and Dunmore, C. (13 Oct 2017). New deal on work permits helps Syrian refugees in Jordan. Retrieved from: https://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2017/10/59df254b4/new-deal-work-permits-helps-syrian-refugees-jordan.html
Schrover, M. (8 October 2014). Migration and Mobility. Retrieved September 25, 2017 from: https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/migration_and_mobility
Shire, W. in Triulzi, A., & McKenzie, R. (2013). Long Journeys. African Migrants on the Road. Brill.
UNICEF, (July 2003). 4.2 UNICEF’s Humanitarian Principles. Retrieved from: https://www.unicef.org/pathtraining/Documents/Session%204%20Humanitarian%20Principles/Participant%20Manual/4.2%20UNICEF%20Humanitarian%20Principles.doc.
UNDP, (n.d.). About South Sudan, Retrieved from http://www.ss.undp.org/content/south_sudan/en/home/countryinfo.html#Nature%20and%20Resources (accessed 10 July 2018).
UNHCR, (2011). The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. [online] Retrieved 25 September 2017 from: http://www.unhcr.org/about-us/background/4ec262df9/1951-convention-relating-status-refugees-its-1967-protocol.html
UNHCR, (2016). Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2016. Retrieved from: https://www.unhcr.org/globaltrends2016/
U.S. Department of State, (n.d.). Protracted Refugee Situations. Retrieved from: https://www.state.gov/j/prm/policyissues/issues/protracted/
World Bank, (19 March 2018). Climate Change Could Force Over 140 Million to Migrate Within Countries by 2050: World Bank Report. Retrieved from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/03/19/climate-change-could-force-over-140-million-to-migrate-within-countries-by-2050-world-bank-report
