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Note On Resettlement Of Refugees With Special Needs
In many instances, the primary reason for seeking resettlement for a refugee relates to an immediate security or protection threat. UNHCR resettlement criteria, however, aim not only at resolving possible immediate danger to a refugee’s life and security. Resettlement, as a tool of international protection, is also directed at addressing the special needs of a refugee who cannot be met adequately in the country of refuge. The main objective of resettlement efforts in such situations is the timely relocation of the refugee. For this reason, UNHCR appeals to all States to consider the provision of resettlement opportunities, particularly for refugees with special needs which otherwise cannot be adequately addressed. V. ELDERLY REFUGEES 26. Elderly
refugees may be particularly vulnerable when confronted with the causes
and effects of becoming a refugee. Some may have been separated from
family, friends or community during their flight, or have witnessed the
killing of family members. The physical hardship of exile may well
take its toll on the elderly, who, if already frail, may not have the
strength to ward off disease and illness. The stresses of being
forced to flee and then having to adapt in a new environment during the
first stages of exile, particularly for those without the support of
family, place untold demands on the coping ability of many elderly
refugees. 27. At
the same time, UNHCR’s experience with many older refugees shows that
the widely-held assumption that being elderly is synonymous with being
passive and dependent is not at all conclusive. Most older persons
are highly motivated to make an active contribution to the well-being of
their next-of-kin and become dependent in a full sense only in the final
stages of disability or illness. Older people are more likely to be
givers than receivers of aid. The tragedy of older people who have
been forcibly displaced is not so much that they become dependent on
others, but that they have been robbed of the means to provide for others
in the manner they would wish. 28. In
seeking durable solutions for elderly refugees, the international
community should ensure that the tragedy of their exile is not compounded
by an old age marked by neglect. In the context of resettlement, this
is particularly relevant with regard to attempts to reunite elderly
refugees with their families. UNHCR appeals to States to try to
facilitate family reunification involving elderly members of a refugee
family. While older refugees should benefit from family care and
protection, in turn, the presence of elderly members will often greatly
assist refugee families in their integration efforts. This was
highlighted by a recent “Broad Survey on the Integration of Resettled
Refugees“ where barriers to family reunification were identified as a
major constraint to successful integration of refugees in their host
countries. 29. UNHCR
strongly supports the adoption by States of broad and flexible criteria of
family reunification, also with respect to efforts made to preserve the
integrity of family groups in the course of resettlement operations and to
promote the admission of refugees and in particular elderly members of a
family who need to be resettled in countries where they have relatives or
other personal ties. 30. The
international community should make the forthcoming International Year of
Older Persons an opportunity to address the issue of family reunification
for elderly dependants as a matter of principle and promote family
reunification between adult refugees and their dependent parents as a
basic right. VI. CONCLUSION 31. Resettlement
not only constitutes the preferred durable solution for some refugees, but
functions as an urgent protection measure in individual cases, ensuring
survival in safety and dignity of refugees with special needs. The
link between resettlement and refugee protection has been recognized in
theory and in practice both by States and by UNHCR. Several
conclusions of the Executive Committee testify to the international
community’s commitment to provide resettlement places for these persons
in order to ensure their protection. To continue approaching these
issues in partnership will be critical to the effective and efficient
identification and resettlement of refugees with special needs. 32. In its General Conclusion on Protection, in 1997, the Executive Committee recognized the continuing importance of resettlement as an instrument of protection and burden-sharing and as a durable solution in specific circumstances, and encouraged all Governments capable of doing so to make efforts to resettle refugees. In this spirit, States are invited to give particular consideration as to how resettlement places may rapidly be made available to respond to urgent protection situations. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging
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