Protect Refugees and Vulnerable People
Act for Peace prioritises the protection of refugees and internally displaced peoples (IDPs). Refugees are often the poorest of the poor, the most vulnerable and the most exploited. They have left their families, homes and possessions behind, their vulnerability is exploited by smugglers and traffickers and they become the victims of harsh border-control policies like deportation and detention designed to deter others from seeking asylum.
Our partners are currently assisting over two million people displaced by conflict, as well as around one million people displaced by disasters, such as famine, floods and earthquakes.
There are currently around 60 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, the highest number since records began. Developing countries shoulder the main burden, hosting 80 per cent of the world’s refugees. Most cannot return home, even though they strongly desire to, and are not permitted to integrate into their host country.
With so few resettlement places, only one per cent of refugees can be resettled each year. As a result, refugee camp populations are expanding rapidly, with the average time spent in a refugee camp before repatriation or resettlement now 17 years.
Act for Peace supports and advocates for better protection in the camps, conflict resolution so they can return home and durable solutions such as local integration and resettlement.
Strengthening refugee protection in our region is critical. This will not happen if countries like Australia compete to see who can deter the most refugees through harsh border-control measures like detention, deportation-swaps and off-shore processing. Act for Peace is heavily involved in advocacy in this area, working with governments and regional organisations to provide better protection and long-term solutions.
Act for Peace first began its work with refugees in 1948, assisting Eastern European refugees resettled in Australia after the Second World War.
More ways to take action
Right now, children are starving to death in South Sudan. Please give an urgent gift today to halt this famine before it kills even more children.
Take the Act for Peace Ration Challenge and eat the same rations as a Syrian refugee during Refugee Week (June 2018). Raise money to support refugees who have lost everything, and challenge perspectives – including your own.
Right now, thousands of innocent people are fleeing Syria every day to protect their families from bloodshed, violence and death. We need your support to provide emergency relief packs to the families fleeing in Syria.