Celebrating World Refugee Day

Tomorrow we celebrate World Refugee Day. We pause to reflect on the millions around the world who have been displaced from their homes – the hardships they face, the courage and resilience they demonstrate, and the dedication of those who come to their aid.

World Refugee Day is a solemn occasion for the United States to join our partners in the international community in recognizing the dignity, value, and potential of every one of these lives.  It is a time to recall our proud tradition of providing support to those who are most vulnerable.  It is a moment to challenge ourselves to continue being as generous and resourceful as we can in meeting their needs.

In 2015, the United States ranked first on the list of government donors to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees by contributing $1,352,454,631. 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that 206,400 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea by June 5 this year.  The total number of human lives lost at sea is currently 2,809.  This number includes children and infants.  

Last year, Malta found itself in the world’s spotlight when over 800 irregular migrants tragically died while trying to make the water crossing from North Africa to Europe.  Malta provided a final resting place for 24 of them.

While Malta has repeatedly provided a safe haven for refugees escaping from war, famine and oppression, tragedies such as these highlight that there is still so much more to do.

We applaud the Maltese government’s decision to accept a significant number of asylum seekers in Malta over the next two years as part of the recent EU decision to relocate asylum seekers from Greece and Italy. 

Diversity, equal rights, and equal opportunities are all integral values of the American dream, and we are proud to share this dream with all of you

Malta is doing the right thing, but it is also critically important to do the right thing for irregular migrants and asylum seekers who are already here, by treating them with human dignity and respect.

We in the United States have been working on this issue for over 200 years. We have made huge steps forward, but we need to return our attention constantly to what should be the simple matter of treating one another with dignity as fellow human beings.   

This has been one of President Barack Obama’s top priorities, because he firmly believes that the United States derives strength from the diversity of its population and its commitment to equal opportunity for all. 

In his speech in November 2014, President Obama spoke about the compelling need to fix a broken immigration system.  He outlined a number of actions that all nations should take that include:

•           Increasing efforts to stem the flow of illegal crossings, and speed the return to safe areas of those who do cross over but do not qualify as refugees or asylum seekers.

•           For those who do qualify, improve integration facilities for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to the economy.

Like citizens in other nations, I know that some Americans worry that immigration will change the very fabric of who we are, or that immigrants will take our jobs. But America’s history and the facts show that immigrants are a net plus for our economy and our society. 

The United States recognizes the even greater challenges that a small country like Malta confronts when there are surges in the arrival of irregular migrants. We have a strong record of assisting the Maltese government with these challenges. 

Through the US Refugee Admissions Program, we have resettled close to 3,000 third-country refugees from Malta to the United States over the past few years. We resettled 503 immigrants in the United States between March 2015 and March 2016 alone. The United States, which began the program as a pilot program in early 2007, made it permanent in May 2008 to help Malta face the challenges of increased migration to its shores.

At the same time, many migrants will make Malta their home, and the US Embassy plans to continue supporting local efforts to promote an inclusive society and protect the fundamental human rights of all. We will do this by providing grants and other support to local NGOs involved in the issue and highlighting whenever we can the value of a diverse population and an inclusive society. Over the past few years, the US Embassy awarded over $53,000 in grants to local NGOs working in the human rights field. 

The US experience provides strong evidence that, while diversity comes with challenges, it contributes to the strength, creativity, and dynamism of a country and can be a critical asset for the long-term economic growth of any nation.

Migrants are part of the backbone of Malta’s economy. A number of migrants have opened up restaurants; many are employed in the construction and tourism sectors.  They pay taxes, which provide social services to Maltese nationals and to residents. 

There is no doubt that the US tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage. It has kept our country youthful, dynamic, and entrepreneurial.

This month, to celebrate World Refugee Day, we screened the film The Good Lie.  The Good Lie portrays the shared experiences of several of the “Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan” during the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005).

Their stories reflect those of 20,000 children who travelled as many as a thousand miles on foot to reach refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya and the nearly 4,000 who eventually resettled in the United States. One of these children was Gai Nyok.    

In 2001, 15-year-old Sudanese refugee Nyok arrived in the United States. In September 2015, he was preparing to represent his adopted land as a newly minted diplomat. To escape the violence, he trekked through Ethiopia and Uganda before joining 100,000 other refugees in Kenya at a UN refugee camp.  In that camp, Nyok first met American diplomats.  They treated him “with dignity, with respect,” Nyok recalls.  After a series of interviews with UN and US officials, Nyok was one of about 4,000 Lost Boys granted asylum in the United States. He lived with a foster family in Virginia and graduated early from secondary school with excellent grades. Nyok then earned a dual undergraduate degree in economics and international relations from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Today, Nyok is learning Spanish as he prepares for his first State Department assignment – to the US Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela.  “I hope to be a good Foreign Service officer, to be able to do my job and serve my country in the best way that I can,” he said.  “I hope to be able to inspire other young people, not just new Americans, but people who have been American for a long time.”

Maltese and Americans alike share a commitment to an ideal – that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will.  Through our concerted and collective effort we must work for a world in which all of our children enjoy lives of opportunity and dignity. 

Diversity, equal rights, and equal opportunities are all integral values of the American dream, and we are proud to share this dream with all of you.