MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE

Issues and Reactions

 SECTION 1:
ISSUES

• Movements of people are increasing – more and more people are moving to countries
outside of their birth.
• Some move with a passport and visa, others move undocumented.
• Some move permanently some move temporarily

People move for many different reasons.

 PEOPLE SMUGGLING

• Globalisation has led to more awareness of other countries, and more people
want to travel or migrate.
• Because the opportunities for legal migration are restricted, many people turn to
people smugglers to help them travel internationally.
 PEOPLE SMUGGLING

• A person who helps people to cross land or sea borders illegally.

• People smugglers usually charge large fees and the journey to the new
country is often very dangerous.
 PEOPLE SMUGGLING

• Sometimes people smugglers are regarded as heroes, because they save

people who might otherwise die.
• At other times people smugglers are regarded as terrible criminals, who
exploit vulnerable people.
• Some people smugglers put too many people on boats, to make more
money, but put lives at risk.
 HUMAN TRAFFICKING

• The trade of humans, similar to slavery, most commonly for the purpose of
forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation.
 HUMAN TRAFFICKING

• The UN Palermo Trafficking Protocol provides a

definition of trafficking as: "the recruitment,
transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of
persons, by means of the threat or use of force or
other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud,
of deception, of the abuse of power or of a
position of vulnerability or of the giving or
receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the
consent of a person having control over another
person, for the purpose of exploitation.
• The International Labour Organization (ILO)
estimates that "that there are 40.3 million victims
of human trafficking globally. 81% of them are
trapped in forced labour. 25% of them are
children. 75% are women and girls" (Polaris,
2019).
 PEOPLE SMUGGLING AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
SIMILARITIES

• Both involve the movement of people illegally

• Both are against the law
• Both target vulnerable people, however people smuggling has been
done with the right intentions
• Both will result in prison time if caught
 PEOPLE SMUGGLING AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
DIFFERENCES

According to Human Rights Watch:

• ‘Consent. The smuggled person agrees to being moved from one place to another.
Trafficking victims, on the other hand, have either not agreed to be moved or, if they
have, have been deceived into agreeing by false promises, only to then face
exploitation.’
• ‘Exploitation. Smuggling ends at the chosen destination where the smuggler and the
smuggled person part ways. In contrast, traffickers exploit their victim at the final
destination and/or during the journey.’
• ‘Transnationality. Smuggling always involves crossing international borders whereas
trafficking occurs regardless of whether victims are taken to another country or moved
within a country’s borders.’
 TASK

• Use the following link to learn more about people smuggling and human
trafficking;
https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/07/07/smuggling-and-trafficking-human-beings
• Take notes using the Cornell method
 SECTION 2:
REACTIONS

• This section will explore the reactions and responses of host countries.
• Try and think of how the reactions and responses differ depending on
the situation of the country.
 BORDER PROTECTION

• Regulation of international migration – governments like to control immigration.

• For example, Australia does not allow undocumented people coming by boat to settle in Australia.
• In recent years Australia has tightened up its border control in order to manage the arrival and
settlement of all migrants
• In 2025 Australia will spend $6 billion on drones to patrol borders, looking out for people smugglers
and illegal arrivals into the country.
 COUNTRY REACTIONS:
NEGATIVE

• In USA, some European countries, in Australia and many countries around

the world there have been reactions against immigration.
• E.g. In Australia Pauline Hanson & ‘One Nation’
• These political parties oppose immigration, based on race.
• France & other European countries have similar groups.
 COUNTRY REACTIONS:
POSITIVE

There have been rallies in support of immigration, and in support of

multiculturalism.

For example the “Families Belong Together” rallies in the USA in

response to the Trump administration’s policy of separating families
at the southern border.

Some countries, particularly those with low birth rates believe

immigration is important for economic development. Businesses may
ask governments to increase the skilled migration program.
 REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS

• A refugee is someone who is forced to leave their

country because they fear they will be treated
unfairly (persecuted) because of their political views,
religion, race, nationality, or because of war.
• Sometimes people from entire villages or towns are
forced to flee armed conflict or persecution from
their own government. They must cross borders to
seek safety in nearby countries. When they do this,
they can apply to be officially recognised as refugees
and can access official assistance from states,
UNHCR and NGOs such as The Red Cross.
 REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS

• An asylum seeker is someone who says he or she

is a refugee, but whose claim has not yet been
assessed. The governments of countries where
these people seek asylum, or in some cases, the
UNHCR, must assess these people's claims and if
they are not found to be genuine refugees they can
be deported. However, the UNHCR (2019) states
that "during mass movements of refugees, usually
as a result of conflict or violence, it is not always
possible or necessary to conduct individual
interviews with every asylum seeker who crosses
a border".
• Around one million people seek asylum every
year. If an asylum seeker claim is successful, they
are then given official refugee status.
 A S Y L U M S E E K E R S A N D R E F U G E E S - D O C O U N T R I E S H AV E L E G A L O R M O R A L
O B L I G AT I O N S ?

• The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states that:

• "Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution."
• The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is a key UN document which affirms the
individual rights of all people. It consists of 30 articles (rights). Although it is not legally binding, it
has formed the basis of many consequent international treaties and laws.
• The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) is a United Nations treaty, signed by 145
countries which legally defines a refugee, outlines their rights, and the responsibilities which states
have to protect them.
• The Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (1967) is a key treaty in international refugee law.
146 countries are parties.
• Asylum seekers are assessed against this definition to determine whether or not they are genuine
refugees. States can reject an application for asylum if the applicant does not meet this legal definition.
 RESPONSIBILITIES WHICH STATES
HAVE TO PROTECT ASYLUM SEEKERS

States must:
• Provide free access to courts (Article 16)
• Provide the possibility of settlement ('assimilation and naturalization') Article 34
• Provide elementary education
States must not:
• Impose penalties on refugees who entered illegally in search of asylum (Article 31)
• Forcefully return refugees to the country they have fled from. This is called the principle
of non-refoulement. (Article 33) This means that countries should not return refugees to the
countries where "their life or freedom would be threatened'.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a UN agency with the
mandate to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people, and assist in
their resettlement.
 CASE STUDY: THE ROHINGYA

• The Rohingya are an ethnic, Muslim minority in a predominantly Buddhist country. Before 2017, the
majority of the Rohingya in Myanmar lived in Rakhine State. More than one million Rohingya have
fled their homes.
• Most have crossed by land and river into Bangladesh, while others have sailed to Indonesia, Malaysia,
and Thailand.
• The Rohingya are not recognized as citizens of Myanmar and are considered stateless. Since the late
1970s, Myanmar's government has had discriminatory policies against the Rohingya. In 2017, the
situation worsened with reports of violence by the security forces such as the burning of villages, rape
and abuse. "The Rohingya are faced with two options: stay and face annihilation, or flee.
• The UN has described the situation in Myanmar as genocide. The ICC (International Criminal Court) is
now investigating these claimed abuses of international law. The US ambassador to the United Nations
has called on countries to stop providing weapons to Myanmar. Other members of the Security Council,
such as China and Russia, do not want to increase pressure on Myanmar's government and have used
their veto powers to prevent stronger action.
 TASK

Choose a country and research how migration has impacted it.

1) Find a positive story of migration and summarise it.
2) Find a story of people reacting negatively to migration (you may want
to research protests). Summarise the issues that the group have had
regarding large group of migration.
 REFERENCES

• Castles, Stephen & Miller, Mark J. (2009) The Age of Migration: International
Population Movements in the Modern World
• 4th Edition Palgrave Macmillan
• Convention and Protocol relating to the status of Refugees; United Nations
High Commission for Refugees : http://www.unhcr.org/3b66c2aa10.html
• http://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/statistical-info/visa-grants/migrant.ht
m
• Australian Protectionist Party: http://www.protectionist.net/
• The World Bank (2013) ‘Migration and Development Brief, 20’