For many of the tens of millions of people seeking asylum worldwide, completing the often-dangerous journey to a safe country is just the start of another phase of struggle as bureaucracy and a shifting legal status conspire to put futures on hold.
In a recent three-part series exploring these lives in limbo, reporters for The National across the Middle East spoke to refugees from Iraq, Sudan and Syria. A common theme was a sense of life delayed as the relief felt by escaping acute danger was replaced by years of uncertainty and frustration. Their testimony suggests that asylum systems are often unable to cope with the scale of the challenge. Worse, some countries’ approach seems geared towards perpetuating the uncertainty keenly felt by many refugees.
One such person is Mahmood Al Dulaimi, 46. A former radio journalist in Baghdad, he fled Iraq in August 2013 after being detained by militias. He fled to Turkey, where he has remained ever since. His temporary status means he is unable to work and an application to be resettled in the US has been in limbo since 2018. “It’s as if we are dead here,” he told The National. “Twelve years of my life are gone.”
Similarly, the story of Oussama – a refugee from Syria who has spent the past 10 years in neighbouring Lebanon – reveals how people uprooted by war often fall between the gaps created by red tape, government policies and changing rules. He lost his refugee status after accepting an offer of work to support his family but when this sponsorship ran out, he became trapped, unable to go home to Syria and left to a life in Lebanon’s shadows.
It is a clear that a reboot of existing protocols to help people such as Mahmood and Oussama is long overdue. Better pathways to helping refugees access work and education is not only good for them and their families, it is good for host nations that want to avoid having a large, rootless refugee population that is either living in poverty or being exploited as black-market labour.
This means moving beyond confining temporary statuses and coming up with more flexible and manageable solutions. The UN’s refugee agency champions what it calls “complementary pathways”. These schemes allow refugees and asylum seekers to access work, educational and other opportunities outside their countries of origin or asylum.
This, the UNHCR says, encourages self-reliance, eases the financial and social pressures on host countries and can support third countries in addressing labour or skills shortages. Enabling refugees to support themselves can also build public support in host countries by showing the positive contribution that they can make.
There are no easy answers and certainly no one-size-fits-all remedy but more flexible thinking is required both by states and international organisations
There are no easy answers and certainly no one-size-fits-all remedy but more innovative thinking is required both by states and international organisations that oversee asylum and resettlement applications. A humane and practical approach is needed. Documents matter for livelihoods and a sense of security; access to education, health care and work is vital. This is not to minimise the progress that has been made; Turkey, for example has done much to accommodate more than three million Syrians in the past decade, in addition to those seeking safety from other conflict-ridden countries like Iraq and Somalia. But the pressures felt by host countries in the Middle East, such as Lebanon, can be acute – especially when they have myriad problems of its own.
This is not a call for host countries to grant citizenship or permanent residency to millions asylum seekers en masse – states have a right to determine their own demographic balance and stability. But if the experience of those who shared their stories with The National in recent weeks is anything to go by, the work to end refugees’ legal limbo and allow them to start rebuilding their lives must begin now.
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Royal wedding inspired menu
Ginger, citrus and orange blossom iced tea
Avocado ranch dip with crudites
Cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini club sandwiches
Elderflower and lemon syllabub meringue
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
SPECS
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
New schools in Dubai
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
Company%20Profile
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PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
