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Migration Pressures: Niger and Bangladesh

Niger:

The recent appeal of the anti-migration law in Niger occurred in November of 2023, which was established in 2015. This law criminalized the transportation of migrants from Agadez to Lybia and Algeria north to Europe. Those who had been convicted during the time of the existence of this law had their convictions reversed and erased. The government initially instated this law as traffickers were a significant problem at the time. Since 2017, there were 273 smuggling networks dismantled, 938 suspected individuals involved in trafficking rings have been arrested, and 876 individuals have been prosecuted. But despite the positive effects of the law, there were many downfalls as this caused many economic issues for the country as its people were already impoverished, but this caused them to worsen.     

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/11/28/niger-repeal-of-anti-migration-law-applauded-as-one-less-colonial-fetter 

 

Bangladesh: 

Bangladesh is the 6th largest emigrant country in the world, the amount of Bangladeshis living abroad is almost 7,400,000 which is almost 4.5% of the population. The main causes for emigration tend to be economic, unemployment, and following a relative who is about to migrate. Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather conditions, making it a common reason for migration. It is common for Bangladeshis to leave and go overseas to find work. Human trafficking affects thousands of Bangladeshis. Trafficking has increased majorly since 2019. In 2019 they accounted for 585 victims, from 2020 to 2021 authorities identified 6,866 potential victims, which is quite the jump. Traffickers tend to target women who have fled forced marriages, creating another obstacle for women trying to escape child-forced marriages. 

https://migrants-refugees.va/country-profile/bangladesh/



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Food Insecurity In the US and South Asia

Food consumption and food insecurity have always been prevalent in the US, and growing up, I had many friends who struggled with food insecurity. This has shown me that a lot of the cheapest and most readily available food for those who struggle with insecurity food is unhealthy and overly processed food that contains many chemicals that are extremely unhealthy to make into a diet. Across the US, countless families suffer from food insecurity, but the government has helped provide many outlets for people to receive the food they need. This includes food pantries through foundations like the Red Cross, and many cities have their own foundations that provide food for the residents. In many other countries, the food insecurity and poverty levels are extremely high. Many of their governments have not instated any means to help fix these levels because of the economic issues. One region, South Asia, has become the most recent hotspot with the largest population that is being severely affected by the lack of access to healthy food. Roughly 1.4 billion people in this region cannot afford the cheapest health. Many other economic problems coincide with the poverty levels, such as the rise in petrol prices, making travel more expensive and challenging for locals. 

https://asiatimes.com/2023/12/south-asia-leads-the-world-in-food-insecurity/#:~:text=Misguided%20priorities%20combined%20with%20short,cheapest%2C%20locally%20available%20healthy%20meal.

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What is Child Marriage?

Child marriage is a formal union between a child under the age of 18 and another person. Yearly at least 12 million girls are married before the age of 18; worldwide it is reported that over 650 million women were married as children. Girls are heavily affected, 1 in 5 women aged 20 to 24 years old were married before the age of 18, while men were 1 in every 30. In less developed countries, these statistics double, a horrifying 40 percent of girls are married before they reach 18, and 12 percent before they reach 15. It was stated that a decade ago, 1 in 4 girls was married before their 18th birthday. Although the momentum of child marriage has slowed, the numbers are still too high. Child marriage must be eliminated in order to have full gender equality. The UN stated that they were working to eliminate child marriage by 2030, but sadly no region is on track to meet that goal. 

 

Ultimately, child marriage is a human rights violation. A child marriage is considered a forced marriage because one or even potentially both parties are unable to give informed consent. Child marriage also increases the rate of early pregnancies and can cause increased maternal morbidity and mortality rates. Being a child in marriage makes them susceptible to violence and abuse. It interrupts their education and social experiences, it also creates large obstacles for career opportunities. Some demographics are more susceptible to child marriage than others. Child marriage is predominantly seen in areas of poverty. The reasons for it can vary, some believe it offers protection, for many it offers financial stability. Child marriage is largely tied to economic need, and creates social ties for the family. Child marriage may be helpful to families with economic struggles, but it is not worth the detriment that the children are forced to go through. Child marriage uproots and disrupts their life, which should not happen to a child. 

 

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Kazakhstan refugees and migrants human rights

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine about 20,000 Russian citizens arrived in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan would allow Russian citizens to enter and stay in the country for up to 90 days using their domestic passports. Kazakhstan authorities promised accommodations, temporary shelter and said they would open facilities. Authorities suggested that the Russians would have to provide their international documents and passport in order to get housing and help. While nearly 20,000 Russians left Kazakhstan in search of better refuge.

Russian citizens queue outside a public service centre in the city of Oral, Kazakhstan September 27, 2022. REUTERS/Raul Uporov

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Moving Past Trauma with Hiking in Kurdistan

As a way for those in the Region of Kurdistan to move past the trauma and horrors it has experienced in the past, it has been through opening new hiking trails. This has slowly brought more tourism into the region, positively helping the economy grow. The Zagros Mountain Trail is the latest addition; it is 215km long and crosses through 35 different communities in the Kurdistan Iraqi Region. Many visitors have had concerns about the safety of passing through the Region of Kurdistan, as the UK and US State Department have advised against traveling to Iraq due to safety issues, but the creators of the trail have ensured the safety of all travelers passing through. Many homestays and local guides along the trail allow the safety and housing of those traveling through the region on the path. This has shown the positive side of history while giving acknowledgment to those who suffered traveling out of the region during the genocide in the 1980s.

“Kurdistan Opens up an Incredible 200 Km Trekking Route.” Lonely Planet, 13 June 2023, www.lonelyplanet.com/news/zagros-hiking-trail-kurdistan.

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Criminal Code 1997

Under the Criminal Code 1997, same-sex sexual activity is strictly prohibited and can have a penalty of up to 2 years in prison. The law is only criminalized for men. Enforcement of this law is very selective, a famous master of ceremonies was sentenced to 2 years in prison under Code 1997. There have been instances recorded of law enforcement luring out these men to quickly detain them. There have also been cases of missing persons because of male homosexuality. A man outed himself on the internet and quickly after being summoned by the police, he went missing. His parents were worried that he was being held for these ‘crimes’, but they themselves went missing over time. Their neighbors said that one day they just didn’t come home, they had disappeared. There were also reports of arrests relating to homosexuality increasing in 2013, stating that the men had to pay large bribes for their release. Men were tortured in detention for the ‘crime’ of homosexuality. The government in Turkmenistan is repressive and authoritarian, and it is not likely that these conditions will improve in the near future. 

“Turkmenistan | Human Dignity Trust.” Www.humandignitytrust.org., www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/turkmenistan/.

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History of Genocide in Kurdistan

Genocide swept across the region of Kurdistan. In the 1980s, the Anfal operation in Iraq was sent on a mission to exterminate the Kurds. This led to around 100,000 Kurds were reported to have been murdered. The Anfal operation led to countless Kurds being murdered in so many ways. This genocide came into the media in the 1980s, but the genocide has been occurring ever since the 1960s when women, children, and men began to disappear. This stands out because many children who went through this genocide are now adults and remember the horrors. I have a family friend who had to flee the region with her family as a teenager, and she remembers the refugee camps they had to stay in along the way. And how she witnessed her father fall into insanity due to the atrocities that occurred. This is why it stands out to me because this is exactly what the Jewish people went through while the Nazis were on a mission to exterminate them. The Kurds now use the word Anful to remember the horrible events that happened and the people that were lost during these attacks and in the countless concentration camps many of them were sent to.

Anfal Campaign and Kurdish Genocide – Department of Information Technology, KRG, us.gov.krd/en/issues/anfal-campaign-and-kurdish-genocide/. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.

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Human Rights In Turkmenistan

Basic rights are regularly disregarded in Turkmenistan. Human rights continue to be violated in Turkmenistan, including detention and convictions of anyone daring to criticize or challenge official policy. In the election, Serdar Berdymukhamedov succeeded his father Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov as president. The election was deemed neither fair nor free by international monitors. Authorities persist in attempting to stop peaceful protests of activists and citizens living abroad. Authorities also exercise strict control over the flow of information and media. They censored information about important topics like economic hardship, shortages of essential food items, the impact of climate change, and Covid-19. Access to the internet was limited to prevent people from receiving information from abroad, authorities closely monitored the use of virtual private networks and proxy servers to stop those who tried to go against state controls. Authorities continue to discriminate against women, girls, LGBTQIA people. Restricting their rights, freedoms and bodily autonomy in the name of cultural traditions and Turkmeniçilik, which is Turkmen national identity. The government prevents women from getting certain beauty treatments, and sitting in the front passenger seat of a car. There is no legal clarity in these rules that are mainly implemented by the police. For people in the LGBTQIA community, it is considered to be a criminal offense to have consensual sexual relations between men, and can result in up to 2 years of imprisonment. There are serious human rights violations occurring in Turkmenistan as the government denies them freedoms. 

“Turkmenistan Archives.” Amnesty International, www.amnesty.org/en/location/europe-and-central-asia/turkmenistan/report-turkmenistan/.

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Biodiversity in Kazakhstan

Russians, Uzbeks, and Ukrainians make up majority of minority groups in Kazakhstan. This is due to Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union using Kazakhstan as a kind of “dumping ground”. Kazakhs were the minority at the time of independence in 1991. They now make up the majority as millions of mainly Russians and other minorities left after independence. Kazakhstan does not seem to have many negatives affects from lack of biodiversity as there are still many minority groups in Kazakhstan with stable communities and actively keeping their cultures alive. An example of this is the Jewish community in Kazakhstan, the community has numerous synagogues, schools, and welfare systems.

“Kazakhstan – World Directory of Minorities & Indigenous Peoples.” Minority Rights Group, 2 Oct. 2023, minorityrights.org/country/kazakhstan/.

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Biodiversity in Turkmenistan

Endangered cultures are indigenous societies that face threatening situations and extinction. I agree with Wade Davis; these cultures are endangered by power and if it continues we will live in a monochromatic world. In Turkmenistan there is a government policy called ‘Turkmenization’, which gives preference to people of Turkmen origin in areas like education and employment. Turkmenistan’s ethnic minorities include the Kazakh, Russian and Uzbek populations. A portion of the Baluch community that lives in Turkmenistan and are at risk of forced assimilation. There have been reports of children from these minorities being denied the opportunity to study in their own languages due to the steady closure of schools and reduced resources. It has also been reported that some struggle to secure formal legal recognition, despite living long-term in the country, which has created difficulties when accessing public services and other rights. Although Turkmenistan is mainly comprised of deserts, it is noted as one of the global centers of genetic diversity. Although they only cover about 5% of Turkmen land, the mountain ecosystems of Kopetdag, Koytendag and Badhyz, are biodiversity hot spots. The mountain ecosystems have naturally isolated refuges for the most ancient biological and cultural/historical relics. Turkmenistan has 3,140 higher plants and 3,924 lower plants and about 13,000 animal species, including 683 vertebrates, about ⅔’s of which reside in the mountainous regions. Agriculturally speaking there are 172 species of wild relatives of vegetative cultures, including 40 breeds of fruit crops and leguminous plants. Despite the country’s conservative efforts many species of flora and fauna have disappeared. 

 

 

Unit, Biosafety. “Main Details.” Www.cbd.int, www.cbd.int/countries/profile/?country=tm. Accessed 11 Nov. 2023.

“Turkmenistan – World Directory of Minorities & Indigenous Peoples.” Minority Rights Group, 19 June 2015, minorityrights.org/country/turkmenistan/.