SAHRC calls for tolerance on World Refugee Day

The SA Human Rights Commission has called for tolerance towards refugees on World Refugee Day on Monday.

"The commission continues to unequivocally call for tolerance, understanding and respect for human rights," according to a statement to mark the day.

The commission saw the day as a chance for the South African government and governments across the world to reaffirm international agreements of refugee protection, and for all sectors of society to reflect on their role and find solutions for the problems refugees faced.

"South Africa is seen by many, particularly by those who are less fortunate and who have been forced to flee their countries of origin due to conflict, civil strife, poor governance and general human rights violations, as a shining beacon of hope, representing their dreams and aspirations of a better future.

"The continued threat of violence and displacement that foreign shop owners, for instance, are faced with, perpetuates a state of insecurity and general unrest."

Instead of finding empathy and understanding, they are often met with mistrust or scorn.

According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, its Global Trends report for 2010 showed many of the world's poorest countries were hosting huge refugee populations.

Pakistan, Iran and Syria have the largest refugee populations at 1.9 million, 1.1 million and one million respectively.

Pakistan also has the biggest economic impact, with 710 refugees for each US dollar of its per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP), followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, with 475 and 247 refugees respectively.

By comparison, Germany, the industrialised country with the largest refugee population (594,000 people), has 17 refugees for each dollar of per capita GDP, followed by the DR Congo and Kenya with 475 and 247 refugees respectively.

Sixty years ago, when the UN's refugee agency was founded, its caseload was 2.1 million Europeans, uprooted by World War Two. Today its work covers 120 countries and deals with people leaving their countries, or forced to move to another region in their own country.

"The 2010 Global Trends report shows that 43.7 million people are now displaced worldwide -- roughly equalling the entire populations of Colombia or South Korea, or of Scandinavia and Sri Lanka combined.

"Within this total are 15.4 million refugees (10.55 million under UNHCR's care and 4.82 million registered with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), 27.5 million people displaced within their own country by conflict, and nearly 850,000 asylum-seekers, nearly one fifth of them in South Africa alone."

The theme of this year's World Refugee Day is "One", with a campaign over the next six months spreading the message that "One Refugee Without Hope is too Many."

In South Africa, the agency plans to mark World Refugee Day with the launch of the kwaito-style song, "I'm My Brother's Keeper" by Zonke and Stoane, which promotes "tolerance and peaceful coexistence between locals and foreigners, including refugees and asylum-seekers".