Abantu Abafuna Ukulondeka

“Ukuphela kweKhulu lama-20 akuzange kukuqede ukuchithwa kwegazi nokushushiswa okuphoqelela abantu ukuba babaleke ukuze basindise ukuphila kwabo. Abantu abangamashumi ezigidi baye baqala le nkulungwane entsha yeminyaka behlala emakamu ababaleki nakwezinye izindawo zokukhosela zesikhashana, besaba ukuthi bazobulawa uma bengazama ukubuyela emakhaya.”—UBill Frelick, we-U.S. Committee for Refugees.

UJACOB wayenesifiso. Wayefisa ukubona indawo lapho abantu behlala khona ngokuthula, lapho kungenamabhomu abulala izimbuzi zakubo, nalapho ayengaya khona esikoleni.

Abantu bakubo bamtshela ukuthi ikhona ngempela indawo enjalo, nakuba yayisemajukujukwini. Uyise wathi kuyingozi ukuthatha lolu hambo, ngoba kunabanye ababefele endleleni ngenxa yokoma nendlala. Kodwa lapho umakhelwane omyeni wakhe wayebulewe, ethatha izingane zakhe ezimbili engena indlela, uJacob wanquma ukuthi naye wayezohamba yedwa.

UJacob wayengaphethe mphako noma izingubo zokugqoka, futhi waqeda lonke usuku lokuqala egijima. Izidumbu zazilele uyaca endleleni eya ekulondekeni. Ngakusasa, wahlangana nowesifazane wangakubo owathi uJacob wayengahambisana naye nabangane bakhe. Kwaphela izinsuku besendleleni, bedlula emizaneni eyayikhala ibhungane. Ngesinye isikhathi kwadingeka badlule endaweni egqitshwe amabhomu, lapho kwafa khona umuntu oyedwa eqenjini labo. Babephila ngokudla amaqabunga.

Ngemva kwezinsuku eziyishumi, abantu baqala ukubulawa yindlala nokukhathala. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, bahlaselwa yizindiza zamabhomu. Ekugcineni, uJacob wawela umngcele wafika ekamu lababaleki. Manje useyafunda esikoleni, futhi akasakwesabi ukuduma kwendiza. Zonke izindiza azibonayo manje zithwala ukudla esikhundleni samabhomu. Kodwa uyabakhumbula abakubo, futhi angathanda ukubuyela ekhaya.

Kunezigidi zabantu abanjengoJacob emhlabeni wonke. Abaningi babo baye bahlukunyezwa yimpi futhi babulawa yindlala nokoma. Bambalwa abaye bajabulela ukuphila komkhaya okuvamile, futhi abaningi ngeke baphinde balubhade ekhaya. Ngempela badla imbuya ngothi.

UKhomishane WeZizwe Ezihlangene Ophethe Ezababaleki uhlukanisa laba babaleki abampofu ngamaqembu amabili. Umbaleki uchazwa ngokuthi umuntu obaleka ezweni lakubo ngoba enesizathu esizwakalayo sokwesaba ukushushiswa noma ubudlova. Umuntu ofudukela kwenye ingxenye yezwe lakubo naye uye waphoqeleka ukuba ashiye umuzi wakhe ngenxa yempi noma izingozi ezinkulu ezifanayo, kodwa usahlala ezweni lakubo.a

Akukho muntu owaziyo ngempela ukuthi bangaki ababaleki nabafuduki abaphila kanzima emakamu noma ukuthi bangaki abayimihambima engenakuzisiza efuna ukulondeka. Eminye imithombo ibonisa ukuthi inani labo emhlabeni wonke lingase libe yizigidi ezingu-40, futhi isigamu salo yizingane. Bavelaphi bonke laba bantu?

Inkinga Yesikhathi Sethu

Inkinga yababaleki yaqala ukuba yimbi ekupheleni kwempi yezwe yokuqala. Ngemva kwaleyo mpi, imibuso yawa, kwashushiswa nemiphakathi yezinhlanga ezincane. Ngenxa yalokho, izigidi zabantu baseYurophu zacela ukukhoseliswa kwamanye amazwe angaphandle. Impi yezwe yesibili—eyaba yimbi kakhulu kuneyokuqala—yabangela izigidi ukuba zibaleke emizini yazo. Kusukela ngo-1945, kuye kwanda izimpi zombango, kodwa nazo ziwusizi olukhulu emiphakathini ethintekayo.

Encwadini yakhe yango-1993 ethi Beyond Charity—International Cooperation and the Global Refugee Crisis, uGil Loescher uyachaza: “Nakuba ngaso sonke isikhathi impi iye yabangela ababaleki, kusekhulwini lamashumi amabili kuphela lapho izimpi zomhlaba wonke ziye zathinta khona yonke imiphakathi yesintu. Ukungacaci komahluko phakathi kwababuthelwe empini nezakhamuzi ezivamile kwabangela amanani aphakeme ababaleki ababefuna ukubalekela ukucekela phansi kobudlova obungakhethi.”

Ngaphezu kwalokho, izimpi eziningi namuhla ziyizimpi zombango ezingabulali amadoda aseqinile asengabuthelwa empini kuphela kodwa nabesifazane nezingane. Njengoba zigqugquzelwa umbango ojulile wobuhlanga nenkolo, ezinye zalezi zingxabano zibonakala zingenakuphela. Ezweni elithile lase-Afrika, lapho isimo samanje sempi yombango kakade sesidonse khona iminyaka engu-18, kunabantu abayizigidi ezine abafudukele kwezinye izingxenye zezwe lakubo, kanti abanye abangamakhulu ezinkulungwane baye babalekela kwamanye amazwe.

Cishe njalo, okuwukuphela kwendlela izakhamuzi esezikhathele yimpi ezingabalekela ngayo ubudlova iwukuba zishiye imizi. Incwadi ethi The State of the World’s Refugees 1997-98 iyachaza: “Ababaleki abalishiyi izwe lakubo babalekele kwelinye izwe ngoba nje bethanda noma ngoba befuna ukuphila kahle, kodwa kungenxa yesidingo esicindezelayo.” Kodwa kulezi zinsuku kungase kungabi lula ukwamukelwa kwelinye izwe.

Phakathi nawo-1990, ingqikithi yababaleki emhlabeni wonke yehla isuka kwabayizigidi ezingu-17 yaya ezigidini ezingu-14. Kodwa lesi simo esibonakala singcono siyakhohlisa. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi phakathi neshumi leminyaka elifanayo, inani labantu ababefuduka bebe besezweni lakubo lafinyelela ezigidini ezingu-25 kuya kwezingu-30. Kubangelwa yini?

Ukuqashelwa ngokomthetho njengombaleki kuye kwaba nzima ngenxa yezizathu ezihlukahlukene. Amazwe angase anqikaze ukwamukela ababaleki, ngenxa yokuthi awanamandla okusingatha ukuthutheleka kwabantu abaningi noma ngenxa yokukhathazeka okukhulu ngokuthi inani elikhulu lababaleki lingenza isimo sezomnotho nezombangazwe sintengantenge. Nokho, ngezinye izikhathi izakhamuzi ezesabayo zingase zingabi nawo ngisho namandla, ukudla, noma imali yokuthatha uhambo olude ziye emngceleni wezwe. Okuwukuphela kwesu ukuba zifudukele endaweni ephephile ezweni ezikulo.

Inani Elandayo Lababaleka Ngenxa Yezomnotho

Ngaphandle kwezigidi zababaleki bangempela kunezigidi zabanye abantu abampofu abafuna ukuthuthukisa isimo sabo sokuphila ngendlela eyodwa kuphela abayibona ingcono—ukuthuthela ezweni elinezimo zokuphila ezingcono.

Ngo-February 17, 2001, umkhumbi omdala owawusugqwalile wacwila ngasogwini lwaseFrance. Wawuthwele abesilisa, abesifazane nezingane abangaba yinkulungwane, ababechithe cishe isonto lonke olwandle bengenakho ukudla. Babekhokhe imali engaba ngu-R17 000 umuntu ngamunye ukuze bathathe lolu hambo oluyingozi, bengazi ngisho nokuthi balibangise kuliphi izwe. Ukaputeni namatilosi bashaya bachitha ngemva nje kokucwila komkhumbi. Kodwa ngenhlanhla laba bagibeli ababethukile batakulwa, futhi uhulumeni waseFrance wathembisa ukucabangela izicelo zabo zokukhoseliswa. Izigidi ezinjengabo zizama ukuthatha uhambo olunjalo minyaka yonke.

Abaningi balaba ababaleka ngenxa yezomnotho bazimisele ukubhekana nobunzima obukhulu nezingqinamba. Ngandlela-thile baqongelela imali yohambo ngenxa yokuthi ekhaya, ubumpofu, ubudlova, ukubandlululwa, noma imibuso ecindezelayo—futhi ngezinye izikhathi inhlanganisela yazo zonke lezi zimo—kwenza ukuphila kubonakale kungenathemba.

Baningi abafa bezama ukuthola ukuphila okungcono. Phakathi neshumi leminyaka elidlule, ababaleki abangaba ngu-3 500 baminza noma banyamalala lapho bezama ukuwela iStrait of Gibraltar besuka e-Afrika beya eSpain. Ngonyaka ka-2000, ababaleki abangu-58 baseChina bafa ngenxa yokufuthelana lapho begibele iloli elalibasusa eBelgium libayisa eNgilandi. Abanye ababaleki abangenakubalwa babulawa ukoma eSahara lapho amaloli abo akhehlezelayo futhi athwele ngokweqile ephukela ogwadule.

Naphezu kwalezi zingozi, izinhlu zabantu ababaleka ngenxa yezomnotho emhlabeni zikhula ngokungalawuleki. Unyaka ngamunye kungeniswa abantu abangaba yisigamu sesigidi ngokungemthetho eYurophu nabanye abangu-300 000 e-United States. Emuva ngo-1993, i-United Nations Population Fund yathi abafuduki emhlabeni wonke babalelwa ezigidini eziyikhulu, kanti ingxenye yesithathu yabo yazinza eYurophu nase-United States. Akungabazeki ukuthi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi leli nani liye lenyuka kakhulu.

Abaningi balaba bafuduki abakutholi ukulondeka abakufunayo. Kanti bambalwa ababaleki abathola isikhoselo esiphephile nesihlala njalo. Ngokuvamile, le mihambima ishiya izinkinga iyongqubuzana nezinye phambili. Isihloko esilandelayo sizohlolisisa ezinye zalezi zinkinga nezimbangela zazo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]