The tragedies faced by refugees have become a global media topic, amid international silence and a failure to find political solutions to armed conflicts and violence that have forced millions of people to leave their homes and live in inhumane camps.
The Arab region is marked by high rates of asylum and mass displacement of civilians. Regarding this, Shaher Saad, the head of the Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC), stated, that “the refugee crisis in the Arab region is the most critical social, political, and security dilemma. I am talking about 16 million Arab refugees, Palestinians, Syrians, Iraqis, Yemenis, Sudanese. The current number is sixteen million Arab refugees out of 36 million worldwide, which reflects the failure of mediation policies to defuse wars and armed conflicts. It also represents serious economic and social challenges for the refugees and host countries. What is the legal framework for receiving and integrating them into labor markets? What are their rights compared to native citizens? How can we deal with the concept of ‘localization’ and the deep issues it raises? As trade unions, we will spare no effort to advocate for the voice of peace and prevent political differences from infiltrating the Arab labor movement. Throughout our history, we have shown the most beautiful image of Arab trade union solidarity, and we will continue our efforts to put an end to armed conflicts in our Arab region and around the world.”
Speaking about new forms of refuge, Hind Ben Ammar, the Executive Secretary of the Arab Trade Union Confederation, said, “we should all pay attention to the emergence of new forms such as climate refuge, for example, which is the most dangerous form of refuge. It is not a matter of armed conflict that can be resolved through politics. I am talking about the displacement of more than 20 million people in the past three years due to the lack of living conditions in many areas, caused by floods, prolonged droughts, and rising temperatures. We have all witnessed the streams of refugees fleeing from floods in South Sudan during the past year. At the Arab Trade Union Confederation, we believe that addressing the refugee dilemma requires a more comprehensive approach. We would also appreciate that Arab governments prioritize this issue on their official agendas before it’s too late.”
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