Chapter 3 - The history of Refugees

Throughout history, people have had to abandon their homes and seek safety elsewhere to escape persecution, armed conflict or political violence. Many times these people were given only a few minutes to back their belongings, and leave.

Imagine you had five minutes to pack your things and leave your home, knowing you probably would not come back and not knowing whether you would find anywhere to stay. What would you take with you? Why did you make the choices you made? Compare your list with your classmates.

Links and further reading

UNHCR Pictorial History
http://www.unhcr.org/pictorial/index.html 

The State of the World’s Refugees, Fifty Years of Humanitarian Action. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Oxford University Press, 2000)