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Fleeing Terror, Fighting Terror: the Truth About Refugees and Violent Extremism

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Fleeing Terror, Fighting Terror: the Truth About Refugees and Violent Extremism Fleeing terror, fighting terror The truth about refugees and violent extremism Aimée-Noël Mbiyozo Refugees are increasingly subjected to harsh policies that violate the spirit of refugee laws, and that are often justified by claiming the refugees pose security risks. This study examines the effects of violent extremism among South Sudanese and Somalian refugees in Ethiopia. The risks of violent extremism in both populations are low and refugees play a key role in fighting extremist threats. However, the harsh conditions they are subjected to over long periods pose several humanitarian, development and security concerns. Urgent efforts to improve living conditions for refugees are needed. EAST AFRICA REPORT 17 | JANUARY 2018 Introduction Key points In both public and political discourse, refugees are often treated as security Refugees are subjected to risks, specifically as posing violent extremist threats.1 Refugees are increasingly harsh policies that violate the subjected to harsh policies including reinforced borders, border externalisation, spirit of refugee laws. These are reduced quotas, prolonged or indefinite stays in camps and even refused often justified by using leading entries and forced returns.2 According to Donald Kerwin in the Journal on language suggesting they pose Migration and Human Security, ‘these pinched interpretations violate the spirit, security risks. intent and, often, the letter of international law’ and are most often justified by Refugees often possess a intentionally using language including ‘security’, ‘crisis’ or ‘risk’.3 genuine disdain for extremists Despite this narrative and associated policies, no credible evidence exists who exposed them to brutal that refugees pose elevated security risks. While anecdotal evidence exists violence and caused their and one cannot categorically rule out any population for extremist risks, displacement. Their knowledge the disproportionate focus on refugees compared to other populations – and participation play a key role immigrant or non-immigrant – belies effective, balanced responses. in fighting extremist threats. Instead, focusing on migration control as a means to control violent South Sudan and Somalia extremism hurts legitimate migrants and refugees and does very little to create the third and fourth deter violent extremism.4 most refugees in the world yet are the two most underfunded ‘Fear of attacks has driven a growing link between anti-terror refugee situations in the world. measures and immigration policy that is analytically and statistically Large flows of disenfranchised unfounded and must change.’ people living for long periods in Ben Emmerson, Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human under-resourced camps pose rights, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), 2016 many concerns. The international community Meanwhile, global and African refugee flows continue to grow. The United must increase support for Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Global Trends 2016 refugees in Ethiopia. Grossly report indicated a staggering 65.6 million people were displaced from their 5 underfunded camps result in homes by conflict and persecution in 2016. At the end of 2016, sub-Saharan poor conditions and exposure Africa (all regions except North Africa) had created 5 135 100 out of a 6 to an assortment of risks, worldwide 17 187 500 total refugees. including violent extremism. Less than 1% of refugees are resettled in third countries.7 A global total of 189 300 refugees were admitted for resettlement in 2016.8 In sub-Saharan Africa, Properly implemented 9 preventing and countering the vast majority of refugees remain in immediately neighbouring countries. violent extremism programmes With many ‘destination’ countries increasingly restricting their protection can achieve humanitarian, offerings and reducing refugee quotas, the burden of the global refugee crisis development and security falls disproportionately on poor countries even more than ever. Importantly, objectives. eight of the top 10 countries hosting the most refugees relative to the size of their national economies are in Africa,10 with the world providing dismal Ethiopia’s policy developments support and chronically underfunding refugee appeals.11 towards refugee integration put the country in a position to South Sudan and Somalia are the third and fourth biggest source become a world leader. Ethiopia countries for refugees in the world respectively.12 Ethiopia currently must continue to implement hosts the sixth largest refugee population in the world13 despite ranking them in a sensitive manner. among the world’s poorest countries. Furthermore, the Horn of Africa is one of the most conflict-affected regions in the world, largely due to the presence of al-Shabaab.14 Furthermore, Ethiopia shares a 1 600 km border with Somalia, is home to 4.6 million Somalis and has forces in 2 FLEEING TERROR, FIGHTING TERROR: THE TRUTH ABOUT REFUGEES AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM Somalia, yet has managed to minimise al-Shabaab’s Table 2: Focus group discussions and key informant attacks.15 This is particularly compared to other interviews in Jijiga and surrounds (Somalian countries within the region that the terrorist group perspectives) 16 has attacked. As such, this combination of factors Category of respondents Number of respondents provides a rich opportunity to examine the links Aw Barre 7 between these different phenomena. Sheder elders 7 This study seeks to examine the impacts of violent Kebri Beyah women 8 extremism on South Sudanese and Somalian17 Sheder youth 8 refugees in Ethiopia. Beyond answering whether Key informant interviews 12 refugees are prone to violent extremism, it seeks to identify the indicators of violent extremism and Limitations examine the comprehensive effects on these This study should be understood as an examination of populations. This includes the role violent extremism the perceptions among South Sudanese and Somalian played in causing displacement, refugee perceptions refugees living within their specific camp contexts within of violent extremism, relationships with local Gambella or Jijiga. The perspectives included in this study communities, perceptions on safety, and what violent should not be understood to reflect South Sudanese extremism risks exist, if any. or Somalian refugees from other source or destination regions. In particular, all South Sudanese participants were Methodology Nuer and reflect a strong Nuer bias. It is important to note Secondary research exploring literature on existing that the responses would probably differ substantially if evidence about migration and violent extremism to different populations were included, specifically Dinka. identify risk factors and develop a framework for analysis This study does not provide a comprehensive overview was conducted. Primary data was gathered through of violent extremism or migration in South Sudan, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Somalia or Ethiopia. Similarly, it does not provide analysis Focus group discussions were conducted with South of the conflicts in any of the countries or regions. Sudanese and Somalian refugees living in camps in Gambella and Jijiga respectively. South Sudan and Somalia are the third Key informant interviews were conducted with practitioners selected for their ability to provide informed and fourth biggest source countries for commentary or insights into violent extremism in the target refugees in the world respectively regions. Key informants included camp administrators, council members, local authorities, civil society workers, The Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) journalists and academics with related expertise. Some of is responsible for managing and coordinating all aspects the key informants were refugees, whereas others were of the refugee programme in Ethiopia.19 ARRA authorised 18 not, but had expertise on the topics. access to the camps and facilitated the focus group The focus group discussions with refugees and key process. Researchers provided focus group participants informant interviews occurred as follows: with background information and informed consent forms that described the independent nature of the research Table 1: Focus group discussions and key informant and guaranteed anonymity. However, the presence of interviews in the Gambella region (South Sudanese perspectives) outside researchers in the camps is rare. As such, focus group participants may have presumed links to ARRA and Category of respondents Number of respondents potentially limited some of their responses accordingly. Jewi women 6 Language presented limitations as all field studies Jewi elders 6 were conducted in Somali and Nuer using translators. Tierkedi 6 Translators were trained on the research tools, but Tierkedi youth 6 translations inevitably result in some details or nuances Key informant interviews 13 being missed. EAST AFRICA REPORT 17 | JANUARY 2018 3 Key terms Refugees The terminology involved with migration is complex, whereby the distinctions between refugees and other categories of migrants are often conflated. Refugees are a highly specific category of people with guaranteed rights to legal protection as defined by international conventions. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol define a refugee as someone who: ‘… owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and
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