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What makes people refugees

60 million people were at the end of 2014 worldwide on the run, a year earlier 51,2 million. In Austria, the Ministry of the Interior expects asylum applications for 2015 up to 80.000. - The massive increase was mainly caused by the war in Syria. 7,6 million Syrians are refugees in their own country, just under 3,9 million stranded in neighboring countries - the rest comes to Europe. But wars are also raging in other countries - in addition to Syrians, refugees from Afghanistan and Iraq in particular come to Europe. The common ground: In all these conflicts, other countries have their fingers in the game.

Escape

Refugees: consequences of industrial interests

The regime of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is being supplied with weapons by Russia. The Iraq crisis and the rise of IS (Islamic State) is a direct consequence of the Iraq campaign of US President George Bush. "The power vacuum created by the dissolution of the army was filled by Al Qaeda offshoots - this is what formed today's Islamic State or IS," explains Middle East expert Karin Kneissl.

"It is frightening to observe that those who cause conflict will remain unpunished."
António Guterres, UN Refugee Commissioner António Guterres

Again and again, oil is a catalyst for wars, as the university lecturers Petros Sekeris (University of Portsmouth) and Vincenzo Bove (University of Warwick) found out. They examined for a study 69 countries in which raged between 1945 and 1999 civil wars. In around two-thirds of the conflicts, foreign powers intervened, including Britain in Nigeria (1967 to 1970) or the US in Iraq 1992. The result of the study: Countries with high oil reserves and some market power can hope for military support from abroad. Nigeria has not been able to calm down until today: oil companies Shell and ExonMobil have been exploiting the oil deposits of the Niger Delta for decades and are destroying the nature and livelihoods of the population. With the help of the Nigerian government, companies benefit from the rich oil deposits, but the population does not participate in the profits. The result is numerous, often armed conflicts. "It is frightening to observe that those who remain in conflict will remain unpunished," criticizes UN refugee commissioner António Guterres. Even dictators can count on help from abroad: the Libyan dictator Muammar Gadafi moved close to 300 million euros in Swiss accounts, similar was the former Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak before. "This money is lacking the successor governments for the construction of the country," said Attac spokesman David Walch.

"The globalization of corporations is nothing but a continuation of exploitation in the darkest colonial times. [...] One-fifth of Brazil's arable land is already being used to grow animal feed for EU countries, while a quarter of the population is at risk of starvation. "
Klaus Werner-Lobo, author of "We own the world"

Machinations of the companies

Among the so-called push factors that cause people to leave their country are poverty, oppression and persecution; Attraction factors are the prospect of wealth, supply and a decent life. "Basic human needs are the same all over the world: food, a roof over their heads and education for the children," says Caritas spokeswoman Margit Draxl. "Most people want a good life in their home country, only a small part wants to leave." But globalization and exploitative businesses are depriving people in developing countries of their livelihoods. "The globalization of corporations is nothing but a continuation of exploitation in the darkest colonial times," writes Klaus Werner-Lobo in his book "We own the world".

"Most people want a good life in their home country, only a small part wants to leave."
Margit Draxl, Caritas

As an example he mentions the Bayer Group, one of Coltan's most important customers. From Coltan, the metal tantalum is recovered, which in turn is used for the manufacture of mobile phones or laptops. Up to 80 percent of the world's coltan deposits are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There, the population is exploited, the profits are reserved for a small elite. Since 1996, there have been civil wars and armed conflicts in Congo. Every penny that the warring parties earn by selling raw materials flows into arms purchases and extends the war. In the Congolese mines workers, including many children, labor in inhumane conditions. The food company Nestlé is also frequently criticized with regard to human rights: one of the basic human rights is access to clean water, which is often in short supply in developing countries. Nestlé chairman Peter Brabeck makes no secret of the fact that water in his eyes is not a public good, but should have a market value like any other food. In countries like Pakistan, Nestlé is pumping groundwater to bottle it and sell it as "Nestle Pure Life".

Hunger is man-made

The foodwatch report “Die Hungermacher: How Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs & Co. speculate with food at the expense of the poorest” provides overwhelming evidence that food speculation on the commodity exchanges drives up prices and causes hunger. "In 2010 alone, higher food prices condemned 40 million people to hunger and absolute poverty," the report said. In addition, a large part of the arable land in developing countries is used for the production of export goods. More and more often for the cultivation of soy, which is then shipped to Europe as animal feed. "One fifth of the Brazilian arable land is already used for growing animal feed for the EU countries, while a quarter of the population is threatened with hunger", writes Klaus Werner-Lobo. "A child who dies of starvation today is murdered," concludes Jean Ziegler, Swiss author and human rights activist. “Hungry people are usually too weak to leave their country,” explains Caritas spokeswoman Margit Draxl. "These families then often send the strongest son away to support the family that remains."

Poor development aid

In view of these machinations, spending on development aid is only a drop in the ocean, especially as Austria does not live up to its responsibility: the UN stipulates that every country in the world allocates 0,7 percent of gross domestic product GDP to development aid. Austria received 2014 only 0,27 percent. After all, from 2016 the increase of the foreign disaster fund from five to 20 millions of euros to be implemented.

"Between 2008 and 2012, outflows from countries in the global South more than doubled the inflows of new funds."
Eurodad (European Network on Debt and Development)

Two recent reports by Global Financial Integrity and Eurodad on development funds have also given a frightening result: 2012 alone has lost to governments of countries in the global South the illicit flow of money in excess of 630 billion dollars. Much of this is attributable to price manipulation in intra-corporate trading, as well as debt repayments and returned foreign investors' profits. "Between 2008 and 2012, outflows from countries in the global South more than doubled the inflow of new funds," the Eurodad report said.

Escape from climate change

Climate change is also a cause for flight. According to Greenpeace, in India and Bangladesh alone, up to 125 million people will have to flee from the coast to the inland due to rising sea levels. The President of the Pacific Island State of Kiribati has already officially requested the recognition of his more than 2008 citizens as permanent refugees in 100.000 in Australia and New Zealand. The reason: The rising sea level is expected to have flooded the island state by the end of this century. But environmental refugees do not (yet) appear in the Geneva Refugee Convention. The recently adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) include the joint fight against climate change. It also includes a binding international climate change agreement to be made at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in December.

New solutions for asylum seekers

People who have made it to Austria on their flight from war and persecution to Austria, find here not always optimal conditions, as the crisis in the first reception center Traiskirchen proves. Asylum procedures usually take years and it is hardly possible for asylum seekers to get a work permit. According to the Aliens Employment Act, they are expected to work after three months, but they will not receive full access to the labor market until the asylum procedure has been successfully completed, if they have been recognized as refugees or have received "subsidiary protection". In practice, asylum seekers can only accept charitable work, such as gardening or shoveling snow. There is a so-called recognition fee of a few euros per hour, which is not enough for life.

Projects such as Caritas Vorarlberg's Neighborhood Assistance allow asylum seekers to engage in meaningful work. Individuals in need of assistance - such as home and garden work - have the opportunity to engage asylum seekers and are paid indirectly through donations. Kilian Kleinschmidt, an internationally experienced refugee expert, sees the solution in allowing refugees to participate in the economic cycle. On behalf of UNHCR, the German headed the second largest refugee camp in the world on the Jordanian-Syrian border and turned the camp into a city with its own economic power. "Recovery ghettos for refugees make integration difficult, as they are often geographically isolated," says Kleinschmidt, advocating housing programs instead of containers. "In the medium term, Europe needs 50 millions of workers, certain professions are understaffed. Refugees come to work and not to seek social assistance. "

Initiatives

Organizations such as Caritas or the Agency for Austrian Development Cooperation (ADA) offer people in developing countries future perspectives. For example, ADA supports the East African development organization IGAD in the implementation of the conflict early warning system CEWARN for conflict prevention and peacebuilding. In one of its projects, Caritas supports the training of primary school teachers in South Sudan and thus contributes to improving educational opportunities in the country. Fairtrade also offers a better life in countries of the South with higher prices and premiums for coffee or cotton farmers.
www.entwicklung.at
www.caritas.at
www.fairtrade.at

Magda's Hotel
In Austria, the hotel in Vienna, a social business of Caritas, is regarded as a flagship project for the integration of refugees: recognized refugees from 14 nations work here. In addition to the guest rooms, a shared apartment for unaccompanied minor refugees has been set up, which can start an apprenticeship at the hotel.
www.magdas-hotel.at

Bank for the common good
The Bank for the Common Good offers an alternative to traditional banks: profit is no longer the only factor that measures success. The money factor should be used without speculation and regionally for the common good.
www.mitgruenden.at

Fairphone
The Fairphone mobile phone is manufactured under the fairest possible conditions, and the minerals needed to make it, especially Coltan, are sourced from certified mines that do not finance civil war.
www.fairphone.com

Photo / Video: Shutterstock, Option media.

Written by Susanne Wolf

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