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

譯者: GuekLi Koh 審譯者: Marssi Draw

Around the globe,

全世界

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

大約有六千萬人因為戰亂、 暴力以及迫害，

to escape war, violence, and persecution.

而流離失所。

The majority of them have become internally displaced persons,

一大部分的人 在自己的國內流離失所，

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

雖然無家可歸，但仍身在祖國。

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

也有的人跨越了國界， 在他國找到了容身之處。

They are commonly referred to as refugees.

這種人被通稱為「難民」。

But what exactly does that term mean?

但「難民」這個詞的 真正含義是什麼呢？

The world has known refugees for millennia,

千百年來，世界各地都曾出現難民。

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

但「難民」一詞的現代定義 則要等到二戰以後，

為回應戰爭期間的迫害行為 和出現的難民，

relating to the status of refugees

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

聯合國起草的 1951年《難民地位公約》才出現。

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

公約文件定義「難民」為： 國民離鄉背景、

and is unable to return to their home country

無法回歸家園，

because of well-founded fears of being persecuted.

是出於被迫害的恐懼，

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

迫害的起因可能是 種族、宗教、國籍、

membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,

參與的社團，或政治立場不同，

and is often related to war and violence.

通常涉及戰爭和暴力。

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

現時的世界， 有將近半數的難民是兒童。

some of them unaccompanied by an adult,

他們有的沒有大人依靠，

a situation that makes them especially vulnerable to child labor

這種情況下的難民兒童 特別容易淪為童工，

or sexual exploitation.

或遭受性侵。

Each refugee's story is different,

每個難民的故事都不盡相同，

and many must undergo dangerous journeys with uncertain outcomes.

多數難民的逃難過程都險象環生，

即使到了外國也是去留未卜。

But before we get to what their journeys involve,

但在我們開始探討 他們的逃難過程之前，

let's clear one thing up.

讓我們先來釐清一件事。

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

「移民」、「難民」這兩個詞，

"migrant" and "refugee."

還是會讓許多人混淆不清。

"Migrants" usually refers to people who leave their country

「移民」通常是指 一個人離開他們的祖國，

for reasons not related to persecution,

但不是為了逃離暴行迫害，

such as searching for better economic opportunities

而是為了其他種種原因， 例如尋找更好的就業前景、

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

或是離開飽受旱災之苦的地區，

尋找更好的生活環境。

There are many people around the world who have been displaced

這個世界上有許多人，

because of natural disasters,

因為自然災害、

food insecurities,

糧食短缺、

and other hardships,

或其他困境而流離失所。

but international law, rightly or wrongly,

我們先不討論對錯，

only recognizes those fleeing conflict and violence as refugees.

國際法上只會將逃離衝突 與暴行的人們視為「難民」。

So what happens when someone flees their country?

那麼，難民逃離祖國後 會發生什麼事呢？

Most refugee journeys are long and perilous

絕大多數的逃難歷程漫長又艱辛，

with limited access to shelter, water, or food.

無論是棲身之所、水和食物， 都十分有限；

Since the departure can be sudden and unexpected,

而且因為逃難可能突如其來，

belongings might be left behind,

一切身外物都帶不走，

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

逃難的人通常都不會 持有正規的出國文件，

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

例如他們沒有簽證， 無法搭上飛機，合法入境他國。

Financial and political factors can also prevent them from traveling

再者，他們可能因為 經濟問題或政治因素，

by standard routes.

所以不循正規途徑逃難——

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

這表示他們只能循陸路或是海路逃難，

and may need to entrust their lives to smugglers

可能須將自身安全託付給走私販，

to help them cross borders.

期望他們能帶自己跨境。

Whereas some people seek safety with their families,

有人選擇和家人共進退，

others attempt passage alone and leave their loved ones behind

有人選擇孤身上路，

with the hopes of being reunited later.

以期有朝一日能和心愛的家人團聚。

This separation can be traumatic and unbearably long.

與家人分離的時日，既痛苦又難熬。

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

雖然全球超過半數的難民 身處於城市之中，

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

但通常難民所抵達某國的第一站， 就是難民營。

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

難民營通常由聯合國難民署 或是當地政府所營運，

Refugee camps are intended to be temporary structures,

旨在短期內收容難民，

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

直到他們可以安全返家，

be integrated to the host country,

或是獲准在當地生活、 成為該國一份子，

or resettle in another country.

又或是直到遷居另一處為止。

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

但是，遷居或長期融入當地社會 這兩項選擇並不常見。

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

許多的難民在別無選擇之下， 只得在難民營裡待上好幾年，

and sometimes even decades.

有時候甚至是好幾十年。

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

一旦入境他國，法律上他們首先得

is to apply for asylum.

申請該國的庇護。

At this point, they are an asylum seeker

在這個點上，他們只是尋求庇護者，

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

在申請被通過以前， 他們都還不具合法難民身分。

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

雖然多數國家一致認同 「難民」的定義，

every host country is responsible for examining all requests for asylum

各國仍自行負責審查 所有尋求庇護者的申請，

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

再決定申請者是否符合 得到難民身分的條件。

Different countries guidelines can vary substantially.

不同國家的審核準則 差異也許會很大。

Host countries have several duties

收容國對接收的難民 有一些基本義務，

towards people they have recognized as refugees,

例如給予他們最低標準待遇

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

和無差別待遇。

The most basic obligation towards refugees is non-refoulement,

對待難民最基本的義務為 「不遣返原則」，

a principle preventing a nation from sending an individual

該原則防止任何國家遣送難民

to a country where their life and freedom are threatened.

至其人身安全和自由 有可能受到威脅的國家。

In reality, however, refugees are frequently the victims

但在現實生活當中， 難民通常都遭受到

of inconsistent and discriminatory treatment.

不一致且帶有歧視的對待。

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

他們越來越常 得在有仇外情緒、種族歧視的氛圍中

and racism.

重建自己的人生。

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

而且難民經常不被允許 在當地求職謀生，

and are fully dependent on humanitarian aid.

他們得完全依靠人道救濟度日。

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

再者，有太多的難民兒童 因為缺乏教育基金

due to lack of funding for education programs.

而無法入學就讀。

If you go back in your own family history,

如果你回溯自己的家族史，

chances are you will discover that at a certain point,

也許就會發現，在某個時間點上

your ancestors were forced from their homes,

你的祖先也曾被迫離鄉背井，

either escaping a war or fleeing discrimination and persecution.

無論是逃離戰亂，或是歧視與迫害。

It would be good of us to remember their stories

所以，每當我們耳聞難民顛沛流離

when we hear of refugees currently displaced,

正在尋覓新家園的新聞時，

我們若能感念祖先的經歷， 多一些同理心就好了。

searching for a new home.