knowledge

The right to safety

Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and to choose any place of residence within any country.

Refugees or migrants?

 

Refugees are people who, due to  justified concerns of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, or political views, reside outside their country of origin and do not want or cannot return to it.

Migrants are all people who have changed their country of residence.*

Arriving to a new home:

People leave their homes seeking above all, a sense of security. It is important to remember that those fleeing their countries often lose their wealth, family and friends. They come to a new place alone and unsure of what the future holds. On top of that, they just miss their usual life.

 

The future of those seeking refuge in another country is insecure. If they do not receive asylum or international protection, they will face deportation which means a return to the danger they were fleeing from. Therefore, an important role is played by non-governmental organizations that not only educate and support migrants in their adaptation to a new place, but also help them deal with migration procedures.

What you should remember:

  • fear feeds on ignorance,

  • active neo-fascist groups fuel fear of migrants; sometimes they don’t openly call for hatred, they rather discredit immigrants in the eyes of the citizens of the host country, 

  • the media manipulates information, e.g. emphasizing the origin of the perpetrators if they are not white people or providing false information; such headlines spread quickly, but there are relatively few corrections when media misconduct is revealed,

  •  negative attitude towards immigrants is the result of chaos in the migration policy of the European Union countries.

Do you know that:

  • a study by the Federal Association of Psychotherapists has shown that nearly half of the refugees in Germany suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression,
  • 70% of the surveyed people witnessed violence,
  •  more than half of the respondents experienced violence, including torture,
  • rough experiences, dramatic memories, recurring nightmares which accompany refugees  in their new lives is an obstacle to successful integration.

ANYONE WHO FEELS THAT THEIR LIFE IN THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN IS AT RISK HAS THE RIGHT TO SEEK INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION.

The terms “illegal refugees / illegal migrants” are wrong.

While someone’s stay in a given territory may be illegal, but the person is not. Everyone who has applied for refugee status in a given country can legally stay there.