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

翻译人员: Jackie Zheng 校对人员: Guo Shenjia

Around the globe,

全世界

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

约有6千万人被迫离开他们的家园

to escape war, violence, and persecution.

为了躲避战争、暴力和迫害

The majority of them have become internally displaced persons,

他们中的大多数人都在本国内流离失所

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

也就是说他们虽然逃离了自己的家乡，但仍然在自己的国家里

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

而其他人则跨越了国境，去往别的国家避难

They are commonly referred to as refugees.

这些人通常被称为难民

But what exactly does that term mean?

但是难民这个词究竟意味着什么？

The world has known refugees for millennia,

难民已经存在千年之久

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

1951年的联合国大会根据难民的不同情况

relating to the status of refugees

对其起草了新的定义

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

以应对第二次世界大战后大量受到迫害和流离失所的人

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

新的定义认为难民是由于害怕受到迫害

and is unable to return to their home country

离开了自己国籍所在地

because of well-founded fears of being persecuted.

并且再也回不去的那些人

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

迫害可能源自他们的种族、宗教信仰、国籍

membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,

在特定社会团体的身份或者政治意见

and is often related to war and violence.

并且通常和战争及暴力相关

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

如今，世界上半数的难民是儿童

some of them unaccompanied by an adult,

很多都没有成人陪伴

a situation that makes them especially vulnerable to child labor

因此他们极有可能沦为童工

or sexual exploitation.

或者是未成年性奴

Each refugee's story is different,

每个难民都有自己的故事

and many must undergo dangerous journeys with uncertain outcomes.

很多人都历经了难以想象的艰险，且不知未来如何

But before we get to what their journeys involve,

在尝试了解他们的经历之前

let's clear one thing up.

必须说明一件事

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

很多人会混淆“移民”和“难民”

"migrant" and "refugee."

这两个词

"Migrants" usually refers to people who leave their country

“移民”是指那些并非出于迫害

for reasons not related to persecution,

而离开自己国家的人

such as searching for better economic opportunities

如为了寻求更好的经济机遇

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

或者选择离开让自己感觉压抑和受限的环境以寻求更好的境遇

There are many people around the world who have been displaced

世界上有很多人离开自己的家园

because of natural disasters,

出于自然灾害

food insecurities,

缺乏食物保障

and other hardships,

以及其它的一些困苦

but international law, rightly or wrongly,

但是按照国际法，不论对错与否

only recognizes those fleeing conflict and violence as refugees.

只承认那些因冲突和暴力流离失所的人为难民

So what happens when someone flees their country?

那么当一个人逃离自己的国家时会发生什么

Most refugee journeys are long and perilous

大多数难民的流亡之路是漫长且艰险的

with limited access to shelter, water, or food.

缺乏保障的避难住所、水和食物

Since the departure can be sudden and unexpected,

他们离开时往往十分突然

belongings might be left behind,

无法随身带够所需的物品

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

而那些急于躲避冲突的人往往来不及带上他们所需的文件

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

如用于登机和进入他国的签证

Financial and political factors can also prevent them from traveling

经济状况和政治因素也可能使他们无法通过一般的途径

by standard routes.

离开自己的国家

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

因此他们通常只能走陆路和水路

and may need to entrust their lives to smugglers

将自己的性命交付给走私犯

to help them cross borders.

以穿越国境

Whereas some people seek safety with their families,

有些人带着家人一起寻求安全

others attempt passage alone and leave their loved ones behind

有些人则只身离去，怀着将来能重聚的憧憬

with the hopes of being reunited later.

留下所爱的人

This separation can be traumatic and unbearably long.

分离总是十分痛苦且漫长地无法忍受

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

世界上一半的难民会流亡到城市里

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

逃离冲突的难民有时会进入难民营作为他们的第一站

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

这些难民营一般由联合国难民署或者当地政府负责运营

Refugee camps are intended to be temporary structures,

并且通常是临时设施

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

为难民提供短期避难所用，直到他们可以安全回国

be integrated to the host country,

融入难民接收国家

or resettle in another country.

或是在另外的国家安身

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

然而在他国安身或是通过较长的时间融入他国的机会十分有限

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

大量的难民没有选择，最终只能年复一年住在难民营里

and sometimes even decades.

有的甚至住上几十年

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

难民进入新的国家，依照法律

is to apply for asylum.

首先需要申请避难

At this point, they are an asylum seeker

此时，他们是寻求避难者

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

并非官方认可的难民，直到他们的申请通过

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

尽管大多数国家对于难民的定义都是一致的

every host country is responsible for examining all requests for asylum

但每个接收国都需要自己负责审查避难申请

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

并且决定是否给予申请人难民身份

Different countries guidelines can vary substantially.

不同国家之间的参照标准大相径庭

Host countries have several duties

作为接收国

towards people they have recognized as refugees,

对于被他们认可的难民有应尽的义务

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

如最低标准的待遇和无歧视保障

The most basic obligation towards refugees is non-refoulement,

对待难民的最基本原则是不遣返

a principle preventing a nation from sending an individual

防止国家将个人

to a country where their life and freedom are threatened.

送至他们生命和自由无法得到保证的国土

In reality, however, refugees are frequently the victims

现实中，难民常常沦为

of inconsistent and discriminatory treatment.

缺乏持续保障及备受歧视的受害者

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

他们被迫在种族歧视和排外仇恨中

and racism.

重建他们的生活

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

同时，难民也常常被工作机会拒之门外

and are fully dependent on humanitarian aid.

只能完全依赖人道主义援助

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

不仅如此，大量的难民孩子都没法上学

due to lack of funding for education programs.

因为缺乏教育类资金援助

If you go back in your own family history,

如果你们回去查找家族历史

chances are you will discover that at a certain point,

很有可能会发现

your ancestors were forced from their homes,

你们的祖先曾经被迫离开自己的家乡

either escaping a war or fleeing discrimination and persecution.

为了躲避战乱、歧视或者迫害

It would be good of us to remember their stories

请记住这些故事

when we hear of refugees currently displaced,

因为它们能让我们更好地看待那些

searching for a new home.

流离失所、正在寻找新家的难民们