AS IT IS 2015-09-06 Are They Migrants or Refugees?

AS IT IS 2015-09-06 Are They Migrants or Refugees?

Young and old, they walk along the highway, weary and struggling. Others lay down on the train tracks in Hungary.  A small lifeless body of a boy washes up at a beach resort in Turkey. Seventy-one bodies found abandoned in a truck by the side of the road in Austria.

They were all fleeing their war-torn countries, hoping to find a better, safer life in Europe, maybe in Germany or Austria. Many traveled in small boats to reach European shores.

Now, the European Union continues to struggle over how to handle the wave of people moving toward their borders.

Joost Hiltermann is with the International Crisis Group, in Brussels, Belgium.

“Clearly, the European Union is in a total panic. And, partly because of refugees landing on its shores, which it prefers to call ‘migrants.’ And, secondly¹, because the European Union is internally, terribly, terribly divided, with some countries taking certain steps, and others trying other steps. So, there is no coordination², and therefore, no effective response to the crisis.”

On Friday, the United Nations High Commissioner³ for Refugees, the UNHCR, called on the European Union to admit up to 200,000 refugees.

Commissioner Antonio Guterres asked the European Union, the EU, to start a “mass relocation program” to help the flood of migrants looking for shelter in Europe.  He said a divided EU only helps smugglers and traffickers.

Some of these people seeking shelter are called “migrants.” Some are called “refugees.” These words are used over and over in news stories about people fleeing their countries. They are seeking a better, safer life in Europe.

Are they “migrants,” or “refugees”?  Does it matter? 

The UNHCR, says yes, it matters.

Migrants or refugees?

Refugees are “persons fleeing armed conflict or persecution⁵,” said Adrian Edwards, chief spokesperson for UNHCR.

Their situation is “so perilous⁶ and intolerable that they cross national borders to seek safety in nearby countries.”

The UN organization says there were 19.5 million refugees worldwide at the end of 2014.

Refugees are protected by international law. Mr. Edwards said there is a fundamental principle of international law. Refugees “should not be expelled or returned to situations where their life and freedom would be under threat.”

“We say ‘refugees’ when we mean people fleeing war or persecution across an international border,” Mr. Edwards explained. “And we say ‘migrant’ when we mean people moving for reasons not included in the legal definition of a refugee.”

How are migrants defined?

UNHCR’s Mr. Edwards said migrants do not face safety problems when they return home. Refugees do. Migrants choose to move to improve their lives by finding better work, education or to join family members.

Are the people coming to Greece, Turkey and other coastal⁷ countries, refugees or migrants?

They are both, said Mr. Edwards. But most are refugees, he said. Only a smaller number of people going to Europe are migrants.

Stephen Ryan is with the International Red Cross in Budapest, Hungary. Refugees and migrants are passing through Budapest to get to Germany and Austria. But recently, Hungary stopped allowing refugees and migrants to leave.

In the Hungarian city of Bicske, hundreds of refugees refused to leave their train they boarded in Budapest. They hoped to go to Germany, which has said it will take up to 800,000 refugee applications. Mr. Ryan called the situation in Budapest, “distressing⁸.”

“There are families and individuals – people from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria — that simply want to find safety and security for their families in countries where they can see a future. The situations in these train stations is extremely difficult.”

Mr. Ryan says there is a lack of sanitation⁹ and not enough food available.

Why are these refugees risking their lives and money to travel this way?

The people fleeing war-torn countries cannot go to an airport, or get a visa to travel. They often must leave illegally on foot at night even if they can afford to pay for a plane or train ticket.

In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday that they will accept “thousands more” refugees from Syria. It has already accepted 5,000.

The U.S. is processing the applications of Syrian refugees more quickly, said State Department Spokesman Mark Toner on Thursday. He said officials were “shocked” by the “graphic and heartbreaking images” coming from the crisis.

“There are a lot of terrorist groups operating in that region, in that part of the world, and we need to make sure that, fundamentally that we protect the national security of the United States.”

Migrants or refugees in Asia

The Middle East and Europe are not the only places dealing¹⁰ with refugees. In Myanmar, formerly¹¹ known as Burma, a group of people known as Rohingya, are risking their lives trying to flee that country.

They are an ethnic¹² group of Muslims in the Buddhist¹³ nation. Many countries have turned them away, except for Bangladesh, a majority Muslim nation. But recently they were ordered to leave the border camps.

In 1975, after the fall of Saigon, many South Vietnamese citizens fled the country in rickety boats. They were refugees leaving political turmoil¹⁴ and danger. Years later, Vietnamese who left the country were considered migrants because they sought better opportunities.

As for the current refugee crisis in Europe, the EU, made up of 28 nations, is set to hold an emergency meeting September 14.

Words in This Story

beach resort- n. seaside place where people vacation

weary—adj. very tired

smuggler⁴ (s) –n. someone who moves someone or something illegally or secretly

perilous  - adj. dangerous

intolerable –adj. too bad or severe to be accepted

fundamental –adj. relating to the most important part of something

boarded – v. get on (a train or plane)

distressing – adj. very upsetting

sanitation –n. keeping something clean by removing waste, trash and garbage

rickety –adj. not strong or stable, likely to break

turmoil –n. state of confusion, not in order

1 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

2 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

3 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

4 smuggler   

n.走私者

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight, awaiting extradition to Britain. 这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• The smuggler was finally obliged to inform against his boss. 那个走私犯最后不得不告发他的首领。

5 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

6 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

7 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

8 distressing   

a.使人痛苦的

参考例句：

• All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
• It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。

9 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

10 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

11 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

12 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

13 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

14 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。