Of all the reasons that drive refugees to flee their homes, none is as great as fear. It may be fear of direct physical attack, or of a conflict where rape, torture and ethnic cleansing are part of military strategy. In their attempts to escape refugees may dodge bullets in a war zone, be chased by human traffickers or risk their lives crossing stormy seas on leaky boats. Even if they survive these dangers and make it to another country, they may find that their fears continue to dog them. The conflict they tried to escape may have followed them, and their lives and dignity may still be threatened.

Ensuring the physical safety of refugees is one of the most pressing concerns of UNHCR and its partners. The refugee protection regime was created by the international community to shelter those fleeing direct threats to their lives. But this very fact has meant that refugee protection has always been profoundly affected by larger security issues. Real and perceived security threats not only influence the willingness of states to provide asylum to refugees, they also determine the quality of the refuge provided. At another level, insecure environments weaken the ability of UNHCR and allied humanitarian agencies to assist and protect refugees – and thus to uphold their basic rights.

The beginning of the twenty-first century has seen a number of new developments with regard to refugee security. For one, UNHCR has become much more involved in security issues, especially as they affect ongoing operations. For another, the emergence of new security concerns for states, such as terrorism, has led to the 'securitization' of practices related to asylum. Lastly, issues of migration, development and relief have become more closely linked to security.[1] Indeed, there is an increasingly widespread view that the viability of the refugee protection regime hinges on its real and perceived impact on international security.[2]

This chapter will outline the importance of security in refugee protection and illustrate the increasing interconnectedness of refugee, state and global security. It describes recent legal and operational developments related to security both at the inter-state level and on the ground. The concluding part of the chapter highlights the ways in which preventive and 'soft' measures integrated into refugee protection and assistance can help defuse many of the security threats faced by refugees and their hosts alike.

Box 2.5 The Comprehensive Plan of Action for Somali Refugees

Security and refugee protection

Notes

1. N. Van Hear, 'Recasting Societies in Conflict', COMPAS Working Paper No. 22, University of Oxford, Oxford, 2005, pp. 1-5.

2. G. Loescher, 'Refugees as Grounds for International Action', in E. Newman and J. van Selm (eds), Refugees and Forced Displacement: International Security, Human Vulnerability, and the State, United Nations University Press, Tokyo, 2003, pp. 31-6.