What does it mean to be a refugee? - Benedetta Berti and Evelien Borgman

Kaj pomeni biti begunec? - Benedetta Berti and Evelien Borgman

Translator: Nika Kotnik Reviewer: Matej Divjak

Around the globe,

Po celem svetu

there are approximately 60 million people who have been forced to leave their homes

je bilo približno 60 milijonov ljudi prisiljenih zapustiti svoje domove,

to escape war, violence, and persecution.

da bi pobegnili pred vojno, nasiljem ali preganjanjem.

The majority of them have become internally displaced persons,

Večina jih je postala notranje razseljene osebe,

which means they have fled their homes but are still within their own countries.

kar pomeni, da so pobegnili od doma, vendar so še vedno znotraj svoje države.

Others have crossed a border and sought shelter outside of their own countries.

Drugi so prečkali mejo in iskali zavetje zunaj svoje države.

Imenujemo jih begunci.

They are commonly referred to as refugees.

But what exactly does that term mean?

A kaj natančno ta izraz pomeni?

The world has known refugees for millennia,

Svet pozna begunce že tisočletja,

but the modern definition was drafted in the UN's 1951 Convention

a moderno definicijo so skovali na Konvenciji ZN 1951

relating to the status of refugees

nanašajoč se na status begunca

in response to mass persecutions and displacements of the Second World War.

kot odziv na množično preganjanje in razseljevanje v drugi svetovni vojni.

It defines a refugee as someone who is outside their country of nationality,

Ta definira begunca kot nekoga, ki je zunaj svoje države,

and is unable to return to their home country

in se ne more vrniti v svojo državo,

because of well-founded fears of being persecuted.

ker se upravičeno boji, da bo preganjan.

That persecution may be due to their race, religion, nationality,

Preganjan je lahko zaradi svoje rase, vere, narodnosti,

membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,

članstva v določeni socialni skupini ali političnega mnenja

and is often related to war and violence.

in je pogosto povezano z vojno in nasiljem.

Today, roughly half the world's refugees are children,

Danes je približno polovica svetovnih beguncev otrok,

some of them unaccompanied by an adult,

nekateri brez spremstva odraslih,

a situation that makes them especially vulnerable to child labor

situacija, ki jih naredi še posebej ranljive za otroško delo

or sexual exploitation.

ali spolno izkoriščanje.

Each refugee's story is different,

Zgodba vsakega begunca je drugačna,

and many must undergo dangerous journeys with uncertain outcomes.

in veliko jih mora na nevarno pot z negotovim koncem.

But before we get to what their journeys involve,

A preden pridemo do tega, kaj vsebuje njihova pot,

let's clear one thing up.

razčistimo nekaj.

There's a lot of confusion regarding the difference between the terms

Obstaja veliko zmede glede razlike med izrazoma

"migrant" and "refugee."

"migrant" in "begunec".

"Migrants" usually refers to people who leave their country

"Migranti" se ponavadi nanaša na ljudi, ki zapustijo državo

zaradi razlogov, ki niso povezani s preganjanjem,

for reasons not related to persecution,

such as searching for better economic opportunities

kot je iskanje boljših ekonomskih priložnosti

or leaving drought-stricken areas in search of better circumstances.

ali zapuščanje sušnih predelov v iskanju boljših možnosti.

There are many people around the world who have been displaced

Po celem svetu je veliko ljudi, ki so bili razseljeni

because of natural disasters,

zaradi naravnih nesreč,

food insecurities,

negotovosti glede hrane in drugih težav,

and other hardships,

but international law, rightly or wrongly,

a mednarodno pravo, prav ali napak,

only recognizes those fleeing conflict and violence as refugees.

kot begunce prepoznava samo tiste, ki bežijo pred konflikti in nasiljem.

So what happens when someone flees their country?

Kaj se torej zgodi, ko nekdo pobegne iz svoje države?

Most refugee journeys are long and perilous

Večina begunskih poti je dolgih in nevarnih,

with limited access to shelter, water, or food.

z omejenim dostopom do zavetja, vode ali hrane.

Since the departure can be sudden and unexpected,

Ker je odhod lahko nenaden in nepričakovan,

belongings might be left behind,

lastnino morda pustijo za sabo

and people who are evading conflict often do not have the required documents,

in ljudje, ki bežijo pred konflikti, pogosto nimajo potrebnih dokumentov,

like visas, to board airplanes and legally enter other countries.

kot so vize, da bi se vkrcali na letalo in legalno vstopili v drugo državo.

Financial and political factors can also prevent them from traveling

Finančni in politični faktorji jim prav tako lahko preprečijo potovanje

by standard routes.

po običajni poti.

To pomeni, da lahko običajno potujejo samo po kopnem ali morju

This means they can usually only travel by land or sea,

and may need to entrust their lives to smugglers

in morajo morda zaupati svoje življenje tihotapcem,

to help them cross borders.

da jim pomagajo čez mejo.

Whereas some people seek safety with their families,

Medtem ko nekateri iščejo varnost skupaj z družino,

others attempt passage alone and leave their loved ones behind

drugi gredo na to pot sami in pustijo svoje bližnje za seboj

with the hopes of being reunited later.

z upanjem, da se kasneje spet združijo.

This separation can be traumatic and unbearably long.

Ločitev je lahko travmatična in neznosno dolga.

While more than half the world's refugees are in cities,

Medtem ko je več kot polovica svetovnih beguncev v mestih

sometimes the first stop for a person fleeing conflict is a refugee camp,

je včasih prva postaja za nekoga, ki beži pred konflikti, begunsko taborišče,

usually run by the United Nations Refugee Agency or local governments.

ki ga ponavadi vodi Agencija za begunce Združenih Narodov ali lokalna vlada.

Refugee camps are intended to be temporary structures,

Begunsko taborišče naj bi bilo začasna struktura,

offering short-term shelter until inhabitants can safely return home,

ki ponuja kratkotrajno zavetje, dokler se prebivalci ne morejo vrniti domov,

be integrated to the host country,

se integrirajo v državo gostiteljico,

or resettle in another country.

ali jih premestijo v drugo državo.

But resettlement and long-term integration options are often limited.

A premestitev in dolgoročna integracija sta pogosto omejeni.

So many refugees are left with no choice but to remain in camps for years

Zato begunci nimajo druge izbire, kot da ostanejo v taboriščih leta

and sometimes even decades.

in včasih celo desetletja.

Once in a new country, the first legal step for a displaced person

Ko so enkrat v novi državi, je prvi legalni korak za razseljeno osebo

is to apply for asylum.

prošnja za azil.

At this point, they are an asylum seeker

Na tej točki so prosilci za azil

in niso uradno priznani kot begunci dokler njihova prijava ni sprejeta.

and not officially recognized as a refugee until the application has been accepted.

While countries by and large agree on one definition of refugee,

Medtem ko se države strinjajo v definiciji begunca,

every host country is responsible for examining all requests for asylum

je vsaka država gostiteljica odgovorna za pregled vseh prošenj za azil

and deciding whether applicants can be granted the status of refugee.

in odločanje o tem, ali bo prošnja za azil sprejeta.

Different countries guidelines can vary substantially.

Smernice se med državami lahko zelo razlikujejo.

Host countries have several duties

Države gostiteljice imajo kar nekaj dolžnosti

towards people they have recognized as refugees,

do ljudi, ki jim je prepoznan status begunca,

like the guarantee of a minimum standard of treatment and non-discrimination.

kot je zagotovilo minimalnega standarda in ne-diskriminacija.

The most basic obligation towards refugees is non-refoulement,

Najbolj osnovna dolžnost do beguncev je načelo nevračanja,

a principle preventing a nation from sending an individual

princip, ki narodu preprečuje, da bi posameznika poslala

to a country where their life and freedom are threatened.

v državo, kjer sta ogrožena njihovo življenje in svoboda.

In reality, however, refugees are frequently the victims

V realnem svetu pa so begunci pogosto žrtve

of inconsistent and discriminatory treatment.

nekonsistentnega in diskriminatornega ravnanja.

They're increasingly obliged to rebuild their lives in the face of xenophobia

Vse bolj pogosto si morajo na novo zgraditi življenje kljub ksenofobiji

and racism.

in rasizmu.

And all too often, they aren't permitted to enter the work force

In prepogosto ne smejo vstopiti na trg delovne sile

and are fully dependent on humanitarian aid.

in so popolnoma odvisni od humanitarne pomoči.

In addition, far too many refugee children are out of school

Prav tako vse preveč begunskih otrok ne obiskuje šole

due to lack of funding for education programs.

zaradi zmanjšanega financiranja izobraževalnih programov.

If you go back in your own family history,

Če greš skozi zgodovino svoje družine,

chances are you will discover that at a certain point,

je možno, da boš odkril, da so bili na določeni točki

your ancestors were forced from their homes,

tvoji predniki prisiljeni zapustiti domove

either escaping a war or fleeing discrimination and persecution.

zaradi vojne ali bega pred diskriminacijo in preganjanjem.

It would be good of us to remember their stories

Bilo bi dobro, če si zapomnimo te zgodbe,

when we hear of refugees currently displaced,

ko slišimo o današnjih beguncih,

searching for a new home.

ki iščejo nov dom.