Taking fright and flight

People seek asylum in another country for a variety of reasons, and the UNHCR report “Asylum trends 2014” is illuminating in a number of ways. As a result of multiple conflicts triggered by the Arab spring, the influx of asylum seekers, particularly to Europe, is the highest since the Bosnian war of the 1990s. In particular, the wars in Syria and Iraq have triggered massive human movements, with countries such as Turkey finding they are almost overwhelmed. The number of people fleeing Pakistan has also grown, up by 4.3 per cent to 26,300 in 2014 from 25,200 in 2013; the fourth consecutive annual increase for Pakistan. The increase may be small but the fact is that in two years alone, 51,500 people have fled Pakistan. Globally, Pakistan is the sixth-largest source of asylum seekers.

All of those taking fright and flight from their countries of origin end up elsewhere, and their burden falls on mainly developed nations in the West, which is considerable, and not all are willing to receive them. Australia registered a 24 per cent drop in requests, with fewer than 9,000 in 2014 according to the UNHCR, which noted its tougher immigration policies that have seen many asylum seekers warehoused in remote offshore islands, and many failing completely in their goal of entering the country. There are unknown but reportedly significant numbers of Pakistani Christians in the UNHCR system in Thailand. Minority groups are likely to make up the bulk of those seeking to leave Pakistan on the grounds that their lives have become too dangerous or simply unbearable. Pakistan is steadily emptying itself of its minorities, not all of whom go down the asylum route, choosing instead to make their unassisted ways out of the country. The seeking of asylum is an act of individual and collective desperation. The numbers seeking refuge are growing dramatically by the year and with the conflicts that fuel the surge showing little sign of ending, the trend will continue upwards. We expect no early ebbing in this tide of misery.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2015.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.