The refugee crisis is not just a humanitarian statistic. It is a living, breathing wound stretching across continents, leaving millions displaced, stripped of dignity, yet still carrying hope. According to the UNHCR Global Trends Report (2024), more than 120 million people worldwide are currently uprooted from their homes, with Africa hosting nearly one-third. Wars, persecution, authoritarianism, and climate change fuel these displacements, while fragile host nations shoulder the heaviest burdens.
But beyond numbers lies a deeper humanist question: What does it mean to live ethically in a world where so many are forced into exile? Humanists uphold the values of dignity, compassion, and solidarity. For us, the refugee crisis is not someone else’s tragedy—it is a test of our shared humanity.
I write not only as an advocate but as one of the displaced. In May 2021, I fled persecution in Uganda. My journey took me first to Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya and later to Gorom Refugee Settlement in South Sudan, where I now live. My story is one among millions, yet it is also a lens through which to understand the profound injustices—and the unbreakable resilience—that define the refugee experience.
Historical and Global Context
Displacement is as old as civilization itself. From the biblical exodus to colonial forced migrations, human beings have always been uprooted by power, violence, and the need to survive. But the modern refugee system emerged after the devastation of World War II, through the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, which established the principle of non-refoulement: no person should be returned to danger.
Today, displacement is driven by a toxic convergence of factors:
Armed conflicts – Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Syria Afghanistan, Ukraine.
Persecution of minorities – LGBTQ+ people in Uganda, ethnic minorities in Myanmar (Rohingya), religious minorities in Nigeria.
Climate change – Droughts in the Sahel, floods in Pakistan, rising sea levels across the Horn of Africa.
Africa alone accounts for 44 million forcibly displaced persons (AU, 2023). Yet while global headlines often spotlight Ukraine, Syria, or Afghanistan, African refugees remain largely invisible in international discourse. This neglect deepens the injustice.
Africa’s Refugee Landscape
Africa’s refugee story is immense and complex. Uganda now hosts over 1.6 million refugees—the largest number on the continent. Kenya’s Dadaab and Kakuma camps continue to swell with people fleeing Somalia, South Sudan, and beyond. In South Sudan, settlements such as Gorom, where I now live, struggle under chronic underfunding.
The paradox is cruel: those with the least resources carry the heaviest burdens. While global solidarity is often promised, meaningful responsibility-sharing by richer nations remains woefully inadequate.
The Humanist Analysis
Humanitarian and Humanist Concerns – A humanist reflection on displacement must begin with dignity—the idea that every person, regardless of status, deserves to live with respect and hope. Yet refugees too often encounter the opposite.
Right to Dignity Violated – Camps are overcrowded and under-resourced. Food shortages, inadequate healthcare, and limited education strip people of necessities and their humanity. In Gorom, I have seen mothers sell their bodies and water down porridge so it can stretch to feed their children, and youth abandon their dreams of study because schools are inaccessible.
Vulnerable Groups at Risk – Women, children, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ persons face heightened dangers—sexual violence, exploitation, and discrimination. As an LGBTQ+ refugee myself, I know what it means to live in double exile: persecuted in my country of origin, and then stigmatized even within refugee camps. Safety is not automatic; it must be deliberately protected.
Climate Refugees in Legal Limbo – The 1951 Convention never envisioned the climate crisis. Today, millions are displaced by droughts, floods, and rising seas—yet they fall outside legal protection. Humanists argue that dignity is indivisible: whether displaced by bullets or by storms, all people deserve protection.
Xenophobia and Nationalism – Refugees are often scapegoated as “burdens.” Politicians exploit economic frustrations by blaming outsiders, fuelling anti-refugee rhetoric. Such narratives dehumanize us, reducing vibrant human beings to statistics or stereotypes.
The Humanist Response
For humanists, these are not abstract problems. They demand urgent, compassionate, and collective responses.
Humanist Responses and Global Solidarity – Humanism teaches that empathy must extend beyond borders. Refugees are not “others”—we are part of the human family. Responses grounded in humanist values include:
International Cooperation – Wealthier nations must expand resettlement, fund humanitarian programs, and reform asylum systems. Solidarity cannot be selective; it must be global.
Community Empowerment – Refugees are not passive victims. Many are teachers, entrepreneurs, and artists. When allowed to work and study, we enrich host societies. Empowerment programs that nurture skills benefit both refugees and host communities.
Advocacy for Human Rights – Civil society and humanist organizations must amplify refugee voices and challenge discriminatory laws and practices. Silence in the face of injustice is complicity.
Education and Storytelling – Narratives change perceptions. Sharing refugee stories—beyond statistics—combats stereotypes. Humanists must highlight resilience and contributions, not just suffering.
Case Study: LGBTQ+ Refugees in East Africa
Few groups embody layered vulnerability more starkly than LGBTQ+ refugees in East Africa. In Uganda, the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act criminalized identity itself, forcing many into flight. But exile does not erase stigma. In camps like Kakuma, LGBTQ+ refugees often endure harassment, violence, and exclusion.
My own story reflects these struggles. In May 2021, I fled Uganda after threats to my life. Kakuma offered safety from arrest, but also exposed me to new dangers—verbal abuse, physical violence, and isolation. LGBTQ+ spaces were scarce, and protection was uneven.
By December 2023, the Kenyan government, through its commissioner, bluntly told us they had “no space” for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya (no protection). Some were relocated to Gorom Refugee Settlement camp in South Sudan. Others remain in limbo, their fate unknown.
Here in Gorom, I co-founded a small humanist and LGBTQ+ support network, working to provide solidarity, education, and safe spaces.
We do not ask for pity; we ask for recognition. Our lives, like all lives, carry dignity and potential. Humanist allies—locally and globally—have been vital in sustaining us with advocacy, emergency aid, and platforms to speak. But far more is needed.
This case illustrates why refugee policy cannot be “one-size-fits-all.” Intersectional protection is essential: the dangers faced by LGBTQ+ refugees differ from those faced by ethnic or religious minorities, and systems must adapt to protect all.
Conclusion
The refugee crisis is not a distant tragedy. It is a defining challenge of our age, testing whether humanity truly values dignity, compassion, and justice. From a humanist perspective, every displaced person is a reminder of our interconnectedness.
I know this not as theory but as lived reality. From Uganda to Kakuma to Gorom, I have witnessed both the depths of human cruelty and the sparks of solidarity that keep hope alive. I have seen neighbours share the little they have, activists risk everything to speak out, and refugees transform despair into resilience.
The late Desmond Tutu once said: “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” His words remain a call to action.
As wars rage, climates shift, and persecution spreads, we must reject indifference. Let us reaffirm solidarity, demand justice, and defend dignity. Refugees are not a burden; we are part of humanity’s unfinished story. And how the world responds will define not just our future, but the moral soul of our age.
By Abraham Kasisi Jnr.