GrEATS Assignment

901159871
Societal Issue: The Refugee Crisis
Poem: “Home” by Warsan Shire
Part One:
Part two:
Image Analysis:

Pett, Joel. Cartoons on the Refugee Crisis, US.News, Sept. 27, 2021,
https://www.usnews.com/opinion/cartoons/2015/09/14/editorial-cartoons-on-the-refugee-crisis
I chose this image because it represents the current situation of all the refugees worldwide. The

construction of this image also plays a role in the message it conveys. Starting with the hand reaching for

the phone, it shows the struggle that refugees face to receive help. The phone represents the irony of how

people treat or “help” refugees. Specifically, the phone says, “Your calls for help are very important to

us..” but the actions say otherwise. There isn’t much thought being put into helping the refugees, it is all

lip-service. The arm that is reaching for the phone is slim, which shows the lack of food they have, and

the arm sleeve is ripped, which shows the lack of resources. There are barbed wires around which

symbolize the persecution and violence refugees are going through, and the teddy bear toy as well as the

child represent that children are not spared in the refugee crisis.
The overall message this image is trying to convey is how serious the refugee crisis is, and how nothing

significant is being done about it. This image was found on a news website, and is a political cartoon,

which can catch the eyes of a lot of visual people. It is important that everyone sees this image because

the more awareness there is towards an issue, the more action can be taken for it. When people view this

image, I hope it causes a shift in their perspective that the refugee crisis won’t just be solved by itself, but

it requires their help as well to make a difference. The research I did connects with this image as it shows

how many refugees worldwide are suffering, and it also provides a perspective I felt when I did my

research. I also noted in my research several political leaders making claims about doing something to

help solve the refugee crisis, and that connected back to the representation of the phone call in the image.

Part Three:
The Refugee Crisis
 Despite all the talk political officials are saying on helping refugees, there are still more than a

hundred million refugees worldwide and the numbers show no sign of decreasing. The refugee crisis is

when people are forced to flee from their homeland for their safety in fear of persecution or danger. It

deprives children of their homes and parents of the ability to support their children. Usually, most families

result in extreme poverty where neither children nor the elderly are spared. Even for the families that do

manage to make it into a safer country, they are then perceived as “dirty” or a “plague” despite all the

sacrifices they had to make just to achieve basic human needs like shelter and food. The refugee crisis is

an issue that is a lot more serious than people think, and there should be more awareness and action being

done on it rather than baseless talk.

To first understand the severity of the refugee crisis, then what the refugees go through must be

understood. Refugees face extremely challenging situations, both during and after their flight from their

home country. They first go through the trouble of leaving their home due to threats from government,

persecution, etc. Leaving behind their homes, communities, relatives, and lifestyle is only the beginning

of the horrors they face. In an interview with a 32-year-old from Algeria, he talked about the brutality in

the new country that, “They first take everything from you, including your clothes, and you are beaten

everywhere they can hit you” (Blokland 1). After all the persecution this person faced in their original

country, he sought asylum in a new country only to be faced with even more violence. These refugees just

want a safe place to reside, but the brutalities of the government and people deprive them of that. Some

are treated as if they are less than animals. Another case happened with a pregnant woman fleeing to

Turkey on a boat. She said, “We were in sea for six hours. It was so dark; I can’t believe that I was in that

situation… but I didn’t shout, because I thought we would die”. Later, they were met with the Turkish

guards who said, “..if you want to go to Greece, go there, we don’t want you in our country either”

(Soucek 1). The cruelty of this guard and laws to reject a heavily pregnant woman who was isolated at sea

for six hours is unspeakable. It is only a matter of selfishness that allows these governments to reject

people’s basic human rights, which every person is entitled to.

exactly is happening to people less fortunate than us. The largest refugee crisis was the Syrian Refugee

Crisis, which after over a decade of conflict, more than 12 million Syrians have been forced to flee their

homes in search of safety since 2011 (UNHCR 1). This occurred due to the wars happening in the Middle

East, as well as Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt’s lack of accepting Syrian asylum seekers. Almost four

thousand refugees died in 2015 only, with 3% of the population displaced (UN Migration 1). This was the

deadliest year on record for migrants and refugees trying to reach Europe, where they were met with the

refugee camps which were often overcrowded shelters or streets, without access to basic necessities like

food, water, and medical care. Diseases and malnutrition were common, and children were easily

vulnerable to diseases because of the poor sanitation and hygiene. These camps and conditions serve as a

reminder for their urgent need for effective solutions and actions to restore their basic human needs.

Even though a lot of political leaders make great speeches about how they are going above and

beyond their capacities to help the refugee crisis due to the goodness in their heart, the numbers prove

otherwise. According to the Refugee Council of Australia, the number of people forcibly displaced is now

over 117.3 million, increasing by 7 percent (Refugee 1) and according to The UN Refugee Agency, 47

million or around 40 percent of them are children (UNHCR 1). It is one thing where adults must face

these types of cruelty, but the fact that mere children are deprived of their right to enjoy a childhood just

because the law is selfish enough to not accept them in their country, is enough to make anyone rethink

where humanity has gone. There is only the hypocrisy in which people claim to make a stand for the

refugees, but ironically, the crisis is only getting worse.

In conclusion, what is being done for the refugees now is far from being enough, and drastic

changes need to be made to support the inhuman conditions refugees, including children, are facing.

Though it is hard to prevent what has already happened, seeking to help enhance the refugee camps and
conditions or persuading lawmakers to take more action can help restore these refugee’s basic rights.

Everyone can make a difference, and spreading awareness of this topic could be the first step to

improvement.