Abstract
This article explores the conditions of globally displaced older refugees and outlines the implications for social work as a human rights profession. The study is based on a literature review and two current case examples of globally displaced older refugees facing long-term structural discrimination and human rights violation: older Rohingyas at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border and older Palestinians at the Israel-Gaza and Lebanon borders. The authors suggest that social workers as ‘front-line human rights workers’ are uniquely placed to identify needs, and take actionable steps to support and advocate for the human rights of older displaced refugees. It is argued that global social work ethics and principles of social justice and human rights should underpin social work practices that engage people and structures in order to address life challenges and enhance the well-being of displaced older refugees in war zones, at borders and in refugee camps. Future research and welfare projects that aim to analyse the political context that forms the living conditions of forcibly displaced older refugees, whilst enhancing the importance of social workers in interprofessional collaborations in these areas, are discussed.
Highlights
The global population of forcibly displaced people resulting from war, conflict, persecution or human rights violations is at a record high level; according to the UN Refugee Agency (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 2017a), globally 68.5 million individuals have forcibly been displaced
The overall aim of this paper was to explore the literature on globally displaced older refugees and the involvement and responses of social workers to living conditions of this group of people
In exploring the situation of displaced older Rohingyas and Palestinian refugees, we ask for active support of international social work bodies and voluntary organisations and engagement of social workers around the globe who are committed to end human rights violations and to be ‘front-line human rights workers’, not just in the case examples described above, and globally
Summary
The global population of forcibly displaced people resulting from war, conflict, persecution or human rights violations is at a record high level; according to the UN Refugee Agency (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 2017a), globally 68.5 million individuals have forcibly been displaced. & How can social work be involved in recognising the human rights of displaced older refugees and in making changes in the context of war zones, at borders and in refugee camps?. This article is guided by the definition of the UN Refugee Agency (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 1951) and the World Health Organization (WHO 2010) defining older refugees as aged 60 years and over, with ‘refugee status’ and forcibly displaced for various reasons such as from war, conflict, persecution or human rights violations. We summarise the literature on globally displaced older refugees and the involvement and responses of social workers
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