Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1259447
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 JUNE 2020 OPINION EVERY year on World Refugee Day, we commemorate the brav- ery, resilience and endurance of millions of refugees and ex- press our support for the people around the world who are forced to flee their homes. The United States, like many other coun- tries, has grown based on the contributions of refugees who have enriched our culture and society. Their struggle for ac- ceptance, to improve their lives and the fabric of our country, is a journey that continues today. The United States remains the largest single country provider of humanitarian assistance for refugees worldwide. In 2019, the total U.S. humanitarian as- sistance to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refu- gees (UNHCR) was more than $1.6 billion. U.S. humanitarian assistance reaches tens of mil- lions of displaced and vulnerable people worldwide and provides food, shelter, healthcare, access to clean water, education, live- lihoods, child protection pro- grammes, women's protection and empowerment activities, and more. This commitment to the world's most vulnerable in- dividuals remains a critical part of U.S. national security policy. The outbreak of the COV- ID-19 pandemic has had a hor- rific impact on the entire world. Among the most at-risk groups are the refugees and asylum seekers, who may not have ac- cess to healthcare or to econom- ic benefits. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. govern- ment has continued to demon- strate its solidarity in the global pandemic response by commit- ting more than $900 million in State Department and U.S. Agency for International De- velopment (USAID) emergency health, humanitarian, economic, and development assistance spe- cifically aimed at helping gov- ernments, international organi- sations, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to fight COVID-19. We provided near- ly $160 million in humanitarian assistance to help international organisations and NGO part- ners address challenges posed by the pandemic to refugees, in- ternally displaced persons, and host communities, as well as other vulnerable persons. The United States appreciates and applauds actors in other countries – ranging from na- tional governments to local communities – currently mak- ing critical contributions to sup- port the world's refugees, even in situations where their own resources are already scarce. Malta does far more than its fair share per capita. According to UNHCR reports, 3,406 people rescued at sea disembarked in Malta in 2019, the highest num- ber of arrivals since 2009. From January to April this year, an ad- ditional 1,201 people attempting to cross from Libya to Europe disembarked in Malta. Many of these have requested asylum as refugees under the provisions of the Geneva Convention of 1951. Eurostat reported that in 2019 Malta had 8,108 first-time asy- lum applicants per million. This makes Malta the member state with the second highest number of first-time applicants out of the entire EU, with only Cyprus recording higher numbers. Malta sits strategically on the Southern Flank of Europe and European security, giving many others an interest in seeing Malta succeed. As one of the countries on the front lines of the migration crisis, Malta de- serves solidarity in supporting those who risk their lives cross- ing the Central Mediterranean. The United States has taken in 3,373 out of the 5,142 irregular migrants resettled from Malta since 2005, the most out of any country. We also support ini- tiatives that offer tangible sup- port and resources to address the root causes of the migration crisis in origin countries, as well as work with partners to prevent tragic loss of life at sea. We know from our own expe- rience in the United States how difficult it is to manage legal migration and asylum seeking. The Maltese government has demonstrated its commitment to promoting the integration of refugees and asylum seekers who make Malta their home. The Migrant Integration Strate- gy and Action Plan (Vision 2020) provides for a stronger frame- work for integration of migrants already working, living, and sending their children to school in Malta. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also play a key role in bridging the gap among communities by devel- oping, promoting, and advocat- ing for the values of human dig- nity and equality. Refugees and asylum seek- ers are a vital part of Malta's economy. They have started their own businesses and many are employed in various sectors, including the construction and tourism sectors, paying taxes and social security. They played a crucial role during Malta's economic boom and will play a crucial role in Malta's economic recovery following COVID-19. My colleagues and I are com- mitted to assisting the Mal- tese government and the local NGOs that operate in the hu- man rights sector. In 2018, we awarded a Julia Taft Refugee Fund grant to KOPIN, which allowed KOPIN to study the incidence of human trafficking in Malta and its impact on ref- ugees, and in 2019 we award- ed the grant to Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) to consolidate its efforts to address the barriers faced by asylum seekers in find- ing and retaining legal and stable employment in Malta. We are also working with JRS Malta to implement the #Change project in local schools. The pro- gramme fosters critical think- ing skills among young people on the positive contribution of refugees and asylum-seekers to society by creating personal encounters in classrooms and supporting them to take action that will raise awareness among their peers. We worked with the Peace Lab and One Radio Malta to promote the value of diversity through music, telling the story of African Americans' contribu- tion to U.S. culture and music through 'Connect Africa' and then 'American Beat'. In the coming months, we will work with the Mi- grant Women's Association Malta (MWAM) on a project to assist female refugees and asylum-seekers, who require increased mental health and fi- nancial support due to the COV- ID-19 pandemic. We previously partnered with MWAM through a Julia Taft Refugee Fund grant in 2017 to address gender-based violence among female refugees and asylum-seekers. We are also working with the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) and the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seek- ers (AWAS) on a project that will examine U.S. experiences of refugee integration, and inform Malta's response and capacity for its own reception centres. Empowering refugees and those fleeing conflict and op- pression to build new lives and find acceptance will take time and cooperation. The Unit- ed States stands ready to work with partners across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to address the root causes of ref- ugee flight, to provide for those forced to flee, and to search for innovative solutions to the prob- lems we all face. Working together, we can ad- dress the immediate human needs of refugees while seeking durable long-term solutions. It is critical we recognise and sup- port the world's most vulnerable people today on World Refugee Day, and on every day of the year. Mark Schapiro Recognising the world's most vulnerable people Mark A. Schapiro is U.S. Chargé d'Affaires white over black. On every front – social, scientific and cultural – the leading research continues to prove that we have not found equality on any of these fronts. How long, we should ask, should it reasonably take to find a way to make all bodies equal? The change of circumstances to Colston's statue should not trouble us: it is merely another, and perhaps the most significant, stage in the life of this work. The meaning it now holds – one of protest against a history of rac- ism and white privilege, makes it more important than ever. We can only hope that in centuries to come, it might be studied for the political role it played in rewriting the nation's relationship with rac- ism and its past. TheConversation.eu It is critical we recognise and support the world's most vulnerable people on World Refugee Day, and on every day of the year