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Turkmenistan: Finding Solutions in a World of Unprecedented Displacement

The year 2014 has seen unprecedented growth in mass displacement. According to the UNHCR Global Trends report, there are almost 60 million people displaced in the world, including 14 million refugees, who had to flee countries of their origin because of persecution, wars and conflicts. This is the highest number of forcibly displaced people since the aftermath of the second World War.

The biggest driver of forced displacement is conflict. For example, these were 7.6 million people internally displaced in Syria and 3.88 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries at the end of 2014.  The number of people fleeing Syria has now exceeded those from Afghanistan, which was the major refugee producing country for the last 30 years. Currently Afghanistan is the second largest refugee producing country, with 2,6 million refugees fled abroad.

Somalia became the third- largest refugee source country in 2014. More than 1.1 million people had to flee from Somalia to Kenya and Ethiopia. More than 800,000 people were displaced within Ukraine, and 271, 200 applied for refugee status or temporary asylum in  other countries.  In March 2015, an outbreak of violence in Yemen resulted in approximately 1 million people being internally displaced and some 244,000 refugees fleeing the country.

“For an age of unprecedented mass displacement, we need an unprecedented humanitarian response and a renewed global commitment to tolerance and protection for people fleeing conflict and persecution” -    António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees        

Protracted Refugee Situations
The second largest group of refugees in the world, after Syrians, remain Afghan refugees. Afghan refugees comprise also the biggest group of refugees living in protracted refugee situation. 2.6 million Afghan refugees live outside of their country for decades. Up to 92 countries have provided asylum for Afghan refugees, but Pakistan and Iran are hosting 95 percent of Afghan refugees. Hosting approximately 3,000 refugees, mainly of Afghan origin, Central Asia is considered to be also in a protracted refugee situation. Refugees in the region have lived in the five countries of Central Asia for more than 20 years. In that time they have already overcame language barriers, acquired skills and work to provide for their families and contribute to the development of society in the hosting countries.  

The Importance of Solutions
The core UNHCR mandate is to protect refugees and help to find long – term solutions for their problems. UNHCR assists refugees and governments to find solutions for their situations. In many occasions, solutions are outside of the refugees’ and UNHCR’s  control. Aspects, such as local legislation, economic and policy development are important external factors, which might make finding solutions a challenge for refugees. While in exile, refugees rely on their skills and opportunities to become as self- reliant as possible. In doing so refugees often gain necessary cultural and language skills, making self- reliance easier.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees in July 2015 said “the main goal of the international community in the times of unprecedented humanitarian crises is to think and find solutions, which will enable refugees and improve their quality of life and give a chance to enjoy their human rights”.

Turkmenistan Points to a Path towards Solutions
With the huge amount of forced displacement in the world, much of it protracted over many years, it sometimes seems that solutions are impossible. However, one sign of hope and one example of a full solution for the problems of a small group of refugees comes from Turkmenistan. On June 13, 2015, the government of Turkmenistan granted citizenship to eight refugees who had come to Turkmenistan more than 20 years ago. These refugees had become integrated into Turkmenistan society, and their children were born in the country. Though small in number, this is a powerful example of a pathway to solutions for refugees. First, through their own efforts and the assistance of the government and UNHCR, acquiring skills and working to support themselves. Then, through a legal process, becoming full citizens of their country of exile, with all the rights, protection and obligations that this entails.