Refugees
Refugees
Refugees
CLASS 1 Exodus
REFUGEES Date =
Notion: ___________________________________________
How has the refugee status evolved in the last 100 years?
FINAL TASK = You are a refugee, tell your journey and explain why you had to leave your country. (E/O)
Boat people are refugees who fled after the Vietnam War,
especially in 1978-1979.
When Ellis Island opened, a great change was taking place in immigration to the United States. As
arrivals from northern and western Europe Germany, Ireland, Britain and the Scandinavian countries
slowed, more and more immigrants poured in from southern and eastern Europe. Among this new
generation were Jews escaping from political and economic oppression in Russia and eastern Europe (some
484,000 arrived in 1910 alone) and Italians escaping poverty in their country. There were also Poles,
Hungarians, Czechs, Serbs, Slovaks and Greeks, along with non-Europeans from Syria, Turkey and Armenia.
The reasons they left their homes in the Old World included war, famine and religious persecution, and all
had hopes for greater opportunity in the New World.
After a difficult sea voyage, third-class or steerage passengers carried their possessions onto barges
that would take them to Ellis Island. Immigrants were tagged with information from the ships registry and
passed through long lines for medical and legal inspections to determine if they were fit for entry into the
United States. From 1900 to 1914 the peak years of Ellis Islands operation some 5,000 to 10,000 people
passed through the immigration station every day. Approximately 80 percent successfully passed through in
a matter of hours, but others could be detained for days or weeks. Many immigrants remained in New York,
while others traveled by barge to railroad stations in New Jersey, on their way to destinations across the
country.
http://www.history.com/topics/ellis-island
7. Were all the immigrants allowed to continue their journey in the US?
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HOMEWORK for next class = read classes 1 and 2 again, make sure you know the vocabulary.
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CLASS 3 Boat People
REFUGEES Date =
Tat Wa Lay was flooded with scores of comments on his Facebook post
So many people called and wrote to me how they found it moving, some even cried. An old neighbour
who had problems with us refugees when I was growing up in Bristol also contacted me to apologise about
the past.
My message to the people in Britain? Very simple: 'Happiness comes from making others happy'."
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to
complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such
as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives,
who governments are likely to rule as economic migrants.
Title
Source
Publication date
Who?
What?
5. Why did Tat Wa Lay share this story on Facebook (two reasons)?
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8. What is Tat Wa Lays message to the people in Britain (in your own words)?
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CLASS 3 Boat People
REFUGEES Date =
3. Did Judys family have the opportunity to prepare before they had to leave their country?
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8. What happened the first time their boat was attacked by pirates?
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14. What was the reaction of Judys mother to the picture of Aylan Kurdi?
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HOMEWORK for next class = be ready to explain who were the Boat People.
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CLASS 4 Reading test
REFUGEES Date =
Living in a war zone with no sense of security or stability, it was only right for me, along with many
other Somali citizens, to seek refuge elsewhere. The UK boasted basic necessities that, back then, seemed
immense. The concept of clean water amazed me, but what really built my appreciation for the UK was its
stability it was a place where you were sure that a grenade wouldn't destroy everything the next second. I
had to go.
Once I arrived in the UK, a sudden sense of relief overcame me. There was a stark contrast between life
in Somalia and the UK, where I was sure of my security. Everything was strangely calm. Luckily for me, I
spoke moderately fluent English, so this eased my transition into British life. The first thing that I realised
was that I had a lot in common with the British people, and that the Somali community is not as different
as I first presumed.
I began to reflect on my life before Britain and the multitude of opportunities that the UK gave
refugees, many of them basic necessities. I believe that, just as I did, many Somalians realised that it is
crucial that we give back. For me, this meant working for a charity to help my local community. That charity
tries to make the lives of refugees easier by providing educational and employment support.
I was six years old in 1962, when I accompanied my mother and sister to the UK from Bangladesh. My
father had arrived in the UK the year before. I believe his reasons for moving were that this country offered
better opportunities for education, study and work for us.
During the first year and a half, my sister and I were enrolled in a school in north London. We had an
adequate knowledge of English, so we didn't find it that difficult to fit in. At that time there were not as
many immigrants in the UK, and I initially experienced some sense of insecurity from the change of
environment. I made a few friends of my age on the street where we lived, but I did feel suspicion from
some other children.
I have now lived in the UK for over 50 years, and for a considerable part of that I have worked in the
public sector. I feel that, despite the many progressive changes that have taken place in British culture and
society since the 1960s, certain attitudes towards those born outside the UK remain overwhelmingly
negative. Immigration is generally used in a pejorative sense, and the immigrant is often conceived as the
"other", without any recognition of any positive contribution he or she might be making in society. I feel
very disappointed that despite the wish many of us have to participate in various cultural and social
activities, we are still regarded suspiciously.
DOCUMENT 1
Question 1
A.Where does Hussein come from?
B.Why did he leave his country? (in your own words)
C. What was he hoping to find in the UK? (in your own words)
Question 2
How was the UK different from Husseins country of origin? (in your own words)
Question 3
What made things easier for Hussein when he arrived in the UK? (in your own words)
DOCUMENT 2
Question 4
A.Where does Naila come from?
B.Why did she leave her country? (in your own words)
Question 5
What made things easier for Naila when she arrived in the UK? (in your own words)
Question 6
What did she find difficult growing up? (in your own words)
Question 7
Say whether the following statements are true or false and justify by quoting from the text.
A.In the UK, there were more immigrants in the 1960s than now.
B.Nowadays, immigrants are completely integrated in British society.
BOTH DOCUMENTS
Question 8
A.Explain in your own words the difference between an immigrant and a refugee.
B.Is Hussein an immigrant or a refugee? Justify with a quote.
C. Is Naila an immigrant or a refugee? Justify with a quote.
Question 9
How do Hussein and Naila give back to the UK?
Question 1
A.Hussein comes from Somalia, in Africa. (0.5 point)
B.Hussein left his country because there was a civil war, so he fled to save his life. (0.5 point)
C. In the UK, he was hoping to find basic necessities a home, water, food and stability
in a country at peace where he would feel safe. (1 point)
Question 2
When he arrived in the UK, Hussein thought that it was very calm and quiet. He was relieved to
realize that he was safe, contrary to when he lived in his home country. (1 point)
Question 3
Hussein spoke English rather well, which made things easier for him when he arrived. (0.5 point)
DOCUMENT 2
Question 4
A.Naila comes from Bangladesh. (0.5 point)
B.She left her country because her parents believed they would have the opportunity to
study and find a better job in the UK. (0.5 point)
Question 5
Naila could speak English before she immigrated to the UK, which made things easier for her when
she arrived. (0.5 point)
Question 6
As a child, Naila made some friends. But growing up, she realized that most children were
suspicious of her because of her origins. (1 point)
Question 7
A.False At that time, there were not as many immigrants in the UK (0.5 point)
B.False certain attitudes towards those born outside the UK remain overwhelmingly
negative (0.5 point)
BOTH DOCUMENTS
Question 8
A.An immigrant leaves his country by choice, because he is hoping to find better economic
opportunities. On the contrary, a refugee has no choice: his life is in danger if he stays in
his country of origin because of a war, a famine or a natural disaster. (1 point)
B.Hussein is a refugee: Living in a war zone with no sense of security or stability (0.5 point)
C. Naila is an immigrant: his reasons for moving were that this country offered better
opportunities (0.5 point)
Question 9
Hussein and Naila both tried to give back to the UK: Hussein works for a charity to help other
refugees, and Naila has worked in the public sector for most of her life. (1 point)
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CLASS 5 UNHCR Special Envoy
REFUGEES Date =
RECAP = Who were the Boat People and where did they come from?
3. Place the following countries on the map: Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Israel.
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4. Read the text and answer the questions. (Source = www.unhcr.org)
United Nations Security Council - Open Briefing on the Humanitarian Situation in Syria
Remarks by Angelina Jolie Pitt, UNHCR Special Envoy for Refugee Issues
New York, 24 April 2015
[] Since the Syria conflict began in 2011, I have made eleven visits to Syrian refugees in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,
Turkey and Malta. I wish that some of the Syrians I have met could be here today.
I think of the mother I met recently in a camp in Iraq. She could tell you what it is like to try to live after your young
daughter was taken from your family by armed men, and sold as a sex slave. I think of Hala, one of six orphaned
children living in a tent in Lebanon. She could tell you what it is like to be responsible for feeding your family at the
age of 11, because your mother died in an air strike and your father is missing.
[] Any one of the Syrians I have met would speak more eloquently about the conflict than I ever could. Nearly four
million Syrian refugees are victims of a conflict they have no part in. Yet they are stigmatized, unwanted, and
regarded as a burden (poids). So I am here for them, because this is their United Nations.
Who does Angelina Jolie represent?
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[] The purpose of the UN is to prevent and end conflict: to bring countries together, to find diplomatic solutions and
to save lives. We are failing to do this in Syria. Responsibility for the conflict lies with the warring parties inside Syria.
But the crisis is made worse by division and indecision within the international community [].
According to Angelina Jolie, who is responsible for the Syrian refugee crisis?
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In 2011, the Syrian refugees I met were full of hope. They said please, tell people what is happening to us, thinking
that the truth alone would guarantee international action. When I returned, hope was turning into anger: the anger
of the man who held his baby up to me, asking is my son a terrorist? On my last visit in February, anger had turned
into resignation and misery why are we not worth saving? []
How did the Syrian refugees feelings evolve over the years?
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[] I dont think enough people realize just how many people are fed, sheltered, protected and educated by the
United Nations every day of the year. But all of this good is weakened by the message being sent in Syria: that laws
can be ignored - chemical weapons can be used, hospitals can be bombed, aid can be suspended and civilians starved
- with impunity.
Second, I echo what has been said about supporting Syrias neighbors, who are making an extraordinary contribution.
It is sickening to see thousands of refugees drowning on the doorstep of the worlds wealthiest continent. No one
risks the lives of their children in this way except out of utter desperation. If we cannot end the conflict, we have a
moral duty to help refugees and provide legal avenues to safety.
[] And if I may make a wider, final point to conclude my remarks. The crisis in Syria illustrates that our inability to
find diplomatic solutions causes mass displacement, and traps millions of people in exile, statelessness, and
displacement. []
Thank you.
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CLASS 5 UNHCR Special Envoy
REFUGEES Date =
RECAP = What does Angelina Jolie hope the international community will do to help the Syrian refugees?
1. Read all the numbers out loud.
2. Write sentences using the following words : almost more than the most most
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I do think of course when you are in a camp or in a situation and you meet people face to face and as Im
sure youve done its something that you cant communicate in a news story. We cant possibly explain to
the audience what it is like, to really sit with these families and hear their voices.
I think so much in the news is about the desperation ???? or seeing them almost aggressive trying to get
through a border, or very emotional When in fact the reason I love working with displaced people and
refugees is because Im so inspired by them, by how much they are able to overcome, how close they are
as families, how aware they are of what matters in every single moment is to be alive, how they pull
together, how they will give you the last piece of bread that they have.
Ive been in a border of Syria where a little girl gave me her last share with me, a little cracker, that was
something that shed been given and a barrette. It was the last thing I imagine she had, but to be a
generous person and be a friend was more important to her.
And you see that more there than you see walking down the streets in a regular country. So, there is a
generosity, there is a kindness, there is a humanity, there is a strength, that I think could be represented
more.
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CLASS 6 Fighting for freedom
REFUGEES Date =
Park Yeon-mi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yeonmi Park (born 4 October 1993) is a North Korean defector and
human rights activist who escaped to China in 2007 and settled in
South Korea in 2009. She came from an educated, politically
connected family that turned to black market trading during North
Korea's economic collapse in the 1990s. After her father was sent to
a labor camp for smuggling, her family faced starvation. They fled to
China, where Yeonmi and her mother fell into the hands of human
traffickers before escaping to Mongolia. She is now an advocate for
victims of human trafficking in China due to PTSD and works to
promote human rights in North Korea and around the globe.
3. According to her, how can people help the population of North Korea?
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Final task = You are a refugee, tell your journey and explain why you had to leave your country. (E/O)
REFUGEE 1
Name = Omaar (M)
Age = 25
Country of origin = South Sudan
Family = a wife and two children (4 and 2 years old)
Reason(s) for leaving = Famine
Current situation = Refugee camp in Malta, hoping to get to the UK.
Final task = You are a refugee, tell your journey and explain why you had to leave your country. (E/O)
REFUGEE 2
Name = Nama (F)
Age = 14
Country of origin = Afghanistan
Family = travelling with brother Khamal (16).
Father killed by the Taliban; mother Safia (45) and sister Leila (18) stayed in Afghanistan.
Reason(s) for leaving = Taliban regime.
Current situation = Shelter for unaccompanied minors in London.
Final task = You are a refugee, tell your journey and explain why you had to leave your country. (E/O)
REFUGEE 3
Name = Abdul (M)
Age = 42
Country of origin = Yemen
Family = a wife and 4 children (8-20 years old)
Reason(s) for leaving = wrote a blog against the strict laws of the country to defend womens rights.
Current situation = asylum status in the US.
Final task = You are a refugee, tell your journey and explain why you had to leave your country. (E/O)
REFUGEE 4
Name = Nang Thanda
Age = 62
Country of origin = Myanmar
Family = deceased husband; 3 children (2 of them born in Thailand) and several grandchildren
Reason(s) for leaving = ethnic conflicts.
Current situation = resettled in Thailand for 33 years now.
The president of the Dominican Republic faced a tough question after the 2010 earthquake hit Haiti and left
hundreds of thousands of Haitians homelessshould he open his borders to them? There was no
international law to guide the presidents decision, said Walter Klin, former
Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally
Displaced Persons, because the displaced were not protected as refugees by
international law. There is a gap in international norms.
Mr. Klin said every year between 12-45 million people are displaced by
sudden onset disasters; this number doesnt include those displaced by slow-
onset disasters. Displacement is one of the biggest challenges we are facing
right now, he said.
Mr. Klin described another case where 100,000 people fleeing drought in the
Horn of Africa showed up at the border to Kenya, saying they had lost their
crops and animals and would die if they werent allowed in the country.
And again, the question: are they refugees? How should they be treated? Do they have a right to access
neighboring countries? he asked.
Mr. Klin said displacement is not just a humanitarian issue, and mitigation should include investing in
development. Development interventions can help to stabilize, to prevent displacement, he said. And I
think thats a big enough issue to be worthwhile to be included in this sustainable development agenda, into
the focus areas, the goals and targets. And I very much hope that this will happen.
He said another crucial way to mitigate displacement is to listen to climate change scientists. These scientists
model climate and can show areas vulnerable to rising seas, drought, and desertificationplaces where
displacement is likely. People will move, and it will be increasingly large numbers. We can wait and do
nothing. But we also can be prepared, because its foreseeable, he said.
The interview was conducted by Jrmie Labb, Research Fellow for Humanitarian Affairs at the
International Peace Institute. You can follow him on Twitter: @jeremie_labbe.
https://theglobalobservatory.org/2014/04/what-makes-a-refugee-as-impact-of-natural-disasters-grows-definition-
leaves-gaps/