South Asian Refugees: Where & Why (part 1)

Where is South Asia and why are the refugees leaving?

South Asia…

  • Is a populous region, home to 1.7 billion people.

  • Comprises 8 countries: Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan,and Maldives.

  • Has 5 million people forcibly displaced (refugees & internally displaced), according to statistics by the UN Refugee Agency.

South_Asia_UN map

Root causes of forced  displacement in South Asia…

  • Political instability

  • Ethnic tensions

  • Violent conflict

  • Political violence

  • Religious persecution

Future posts will provide facts country by country in the region.

**This material was presented at a recent refugee conference in Toronto by Rev. Godfrey Yogarajah, the Chairman of the Board of the International Institute for Religious Freedom and Executive Director of the Religious Liberty Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance.

Note: Remember you can reach your South Asian neighbor with a ‘JESUS’ DVD – South Asian Languages.