How do we appreciate home?

Home is value. In the context of migration, whether of refugees or migrants displaced across borders or people displaced within their own countries, truly valuing “home” first means ensuring the right to not migrate. It has become increasingly common in governmental statements as well as those of civil society and migrants to hear that “migration must be by choice not necessity,” that people have a right to stay “home.” But what is that right is there if no peace, no work, and no hope at home? With years of experience and study of both migration and development, ICMC and its members work with international, regional and national authorities to promote practical alternatives to migration, so that people can stay home if they want.

Home is about the search for security. Corollary to the right to not migrate, no human being should be expected to stay “home” if they will be killed, persecuted or have no prospect of work or other means to sustain them or their families there. ICMC supports the right articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of every person to leave their own country, and in particular the right of any person to seek asylum however they enter a country, and to not be pushed back without a proper consideration of any need they have for protection. Unfortunately such push backs have been increasing in recent years. We applaud the daily work of our members and partners as well as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the societies of the Red Cross - Red Crescent, and the International Organization for Migration in their work on protecting refugees and migrants in distress within and across borders.

Home is often built together. For refugees and other migrants who have been forced from their homes, the effort to return to their country or community of origin some day or start again somewhere else is as a first matter one in which they are clearly the central actor, the decision-maker. ICMC works to ensure that they participate directly and meaningfully in all processes related to their future, including access to information and counselling about options, as well as genuine opportunities for reflection. This includes a respect for the universal priority of family unity and special protection of the most vulnerable.

Home is about the world and welcome. ICMC applauds the countries, municipalities, networks of church and civil society organizations and families worldwide that, together with UNHCR and IOM open doors to give refugees and others the chance to build a new home with them.

Notably this past year, ICMC directly assisted over 7000 refugees to resettle in the United States, 5,730 of them Iraqis, and through its deployment of experts in UNHCR offices, helped further to prepare the submission of 54,780 individuals for resettlement. ICMC specifically commends the new engagement of the European Union and its member states in committing to the resettlement of refugees from Iraq—a long sought and welcome development that together with the International Rescue Committee, ICMC examined in a publication just released entitled 10,000 Iraqis: A report on Joint Resettlement in the European Union.

For further information: Ms. Alanna Ryan, ICMC Communications, + 41 22 919 10 36; ryan@icmc.net<.

Welcoming home (416.5 KB)