Refugees are children, women and men forced to leave their homes by violence or war, extreme poverty, discrimination because of their gender or sexual orientation, the effects of climate change and other natural disasters, or a combination of these difficulties. As a result, they need specialized help and protection to rebuild their lives, and it is the responsibility of states and organizations to provide it. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is the lead agency with responsibility for refugees and internally displaced people, alongside the International Organization for Migration and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
When countries fail to address the challenges of displaced people, the consequences are not just felt by refugees. Neighboring countries may be destabilized, and their economies damaged. Europe has seen repeated waves of displacement from the Balkans, for example. Refugees can also be exposed to human trafficking, with gangs targeting those who are unable to pay ransoms or are not perceived as having any economic value.
Efforts to address the refugee crisis must include addressing structural factors that cause conflict and displacement in the first place, while tackling problems like denial of legal rights and lack of access to employment. At the same time, it is essential to prevent scapegoating of refugees and other migrants, and to combat all forms of xenophobia and discrimination, which can spark violence and even loss of life. We must also rethink how to support refugees, including by putting more emphasis on cash transfers that give people more choice and make aid more accountable to them, as argued in a 2015 report by the Overseas Development Institute.