The Important Difference Between Asylum Seekers And Refugees And What We Can Do To Help

Currently, there are 68.5 million men, women and children escaping war, persecution and political turbulence. These are refugees and asylum seekers. Asylum seekers and refugees are two distinct groups of people who have fled their country seeking safety in nearby countries. These two groups of people are, more often than not, confused to be the same, when in fact there is an important difference between the two.

Asylum Seekers: ‘Amnesty International’ defines an asylum seeker as such: “An asylum seeker is an individual who is seeking international protection. In countries with individualised procedures, an asylum seeker is someone whose claim has not yet been finally decided on by the country in which they have submitted it. Not every asylum seeker will ultimately be recognised as a refugee, but every refugee is initially an asylum seeker.”

Asylum seekers are seeking for the right to be recognised as refugees and receive legal protection and material assistance. An asylum seeker must demonstrate that his or her fear of persecution in his or her home country is well-founded.

Refugees: ‘Habitat For Humanity’ defines refugees as such: “Refugees are people fleeing armed conflicts or persecution. There were 19,5 million of them worldwide at the end of 2014 according to UNHCR. Their situation is so perilous that they cross national borders to seek safety in nearby countries and become recognised as refugees with access to assistance from states and aid organisations.” Refugees have fled their country because staying there would lead to persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinions.

A vital part of being recognised as a refugee is Refugee Status Determination (RSD), a legal process that governments or UNHCR use to determine whether a person seeking international protection is considered a refugee under international, national or regional law. All refugees are primarily asylum seekers until they are recognised as refugees.

At the same time, apart from the differences stated above, a significant difference between these two groups arise when looking for work. While refugees who have gotten their refugee status can freely apply for work in the UK, in any profession and in any skill level, for asylum seekers it is a bit more complicated. Normally, it will not be allowed for asylum seekers to work while their asylum application is pending, although there are some exceptions. The Home Office in the UK, for example, may grant permission to work for asylum seekers whose claim has been outstanding for more than 12 months through no fault of their own. Those who are allowed to work are restricted to jobs on the shortage occupation list published by the Home Office. For asylum seekers whose claim has been denied, they will not be able to work in the UK since they are expected to leave the country.

With the asylum seekers/refugee crisis affecting our world significantly, countless men, women and children face an uncertain future.

Here is what YOU can do about it:

Get Educated

Getting your facts right is the first thing you can do. Get educated on the topic, read news about the situation both in your country as well as in a global scale. Here you can find some important information to help you kick-start your research.

Welcome Refugees to your Community

First and foremost, refugees need to feel welcome. A friendly smile and a ‘Hello’ is a simple way of letting asylum seekers and refugees know they are welcome in your community. You can also use ‘Refugee Action’ and post a welcome note to their Welcome Wall.

Donate Clothing or Goods

Get in contact with your local projects helping asylum seekers and refugees, ask what items they are most in need of and donate. Every little counts. For those living in the UK you can also use the Help Refugees tool from the Gov.uk website to offer help to refugees in your local area.

Host a Family

There are an estimated 200,000 refused asylum seekers in the UK who are destitute. If you have a spare room and want to give it to a refugee, get in touch with groups helping provide accommodation to destitute people who may have been refused asylum. 'Assist' in Sheffield, 'The Boaz Trust' in Manchester and 'Housing Justice' in London are just some organisations in the UK who rely on volunteers to give space and are always looking to recruit more hosts.

Volunteer with Refugees

There are many organisations looking for volunteers to help with asylum seekers and refugees. Give some of your time to volunteer and help make a change. ‘Sheffield Volunteer Center’ advertise when organisations need volunteers through their Volunteer Centre Website. Whatever your expertise, there is always need for volunteers so check and act wherever you consider you could be of help.

Donate Money or Organise a Fundraiser

There is a great number of international organisations who are responding to the refugee crisis. To the asylum seekers and refugees who have fled their countries and have lost everything to war, even a small donation can make a huge difference.

Keep up to date with the latest myGnews

________

LGBT professionals, LGBT Graduates, LGBT professional network, LGBT professional events, LGBT networking events, LGBT Recruitment, LGBT Friendly organisations, LGBT Friendly companies, LGBT jobs