Wenchuanese refugee crisis
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| Part of Wenchuanese civil war | |
 Refugee camp in Sombreland | |
| Date | 2004–present (main phase since 2022) |
|---|---|
| Location | Sombreland |
| Also known as | The Great Migration |
| Cause | civil war, political repression, crime, genocide, corruption, poverty, unemployment,human rights violations and others |
| Outcome |
|
The Wenchuanese refugee crisis is an ongoing refugee crisis within the Kingdom of Sombreland that began in late 2004, as a result of the Wenchuanese civil war, and escalated in severity in late 2022. Millions of people were displaced by the violence in Wenchuan, and many sought asylum in neighbouring nations, notably Sombreland. The government of Sombreland first welcomed the refugees, providing them with shelter, food, and medical attention. Yet, as the battle progressed, the number of refugees increased, putting a strain on the country's resources.
The crisis has had a profound impact on the region, with many refugees facing an uncertain future. The Wenchuanese Refugee Crisis serves as a reminder of the devastation that conflicts may inflict on vulnerable populations, as well as the critical need for coordinated international action to address the core causes of these crises and assist those impacted. The crisis in Sombreland has revived previously suppressed calls for social reforms such as caste reform.
Causes
Background
Wenchuan, a country to the north of Sombreland, has been at war since 2004. Numerous genocides and the collapse of basic infrastructure have caused millions of people to flee Wenchuan in search of a better life, resulting in what has become known as The Great Migration. For years, the Five Provinces, the most populous provinces along the Wenchuan border, have struggled with the refugee issue. Despite the Royal Army's best efforts, refugees are arriving at a rate of about a thousand per day, with thousands of unassimilated refugees living in wretched slums in the harsh northern scrub desert.
Effects
Internal Crisis in Sombreland
By the 2020s, the Wenchuanese population had expanded to account for a significant fraction of the total population of the Five Provinces. Although the Wenchuanese and other communities were separated, daily encounters between the two groups were prevalent. The Wenchuanese had established themselves as a significant presence in the Five Provinces, and only tight provincial travel laws kept them from permanently residing outside of the region. To gain access to work and other possibilities, many Wenchuanese resorted to slipping through side roads and fields and faking identities.
Outside of the artisan caste, the Wenchuanese had become dominant in a variety of businesses, including cooks, exterminators, roofers, longshoremen, servants, and artists, as well as positions occupied by artisan caste personnel. The Government of Sombreland became concerned when it became evident that the prospect that the Wenchuanese would eventually return to their homeland was unachievable. With conflicting regimes and numerous claims of forced labour, slavery, and concentration camps, warlordism had produced a hazardous situation across the border in Wenchuan.
Discrimination
The crisis has heightened fears about impurity, prompting the Sombreland religious sect of Thonists to seek for purges. The Governor-General of the Five Provinces, Prince Dobred Anshey, a member of the courtly caste, actively supported the caste system and did so legally. Wenchuanese attempting to create businesses face restrictions such as being prohibited from obtaining certain out-caste commodities and resources. However, Wenchuanese businesses, helped by unscrupulous Sombrelanders, established a massive underground market. Illegal industries are sprouting up, such as trucking companies that smuggle labour for crop harvesting, timber felling, and mining. These operations are subject to inspections and delays, which have interrupted business and traffic and divided the artisan caste. Some members of the artisan caste welcome change, while others are vehemently opposed, and many just tolerate the situation.
Controversy and concerns
Kerberos incident
Kerberos planned to take advantage of the crisis by pressuring Sombreland into agreeing to create a permanent air base in Sombreland. The building of the airbase was a contentious action, performed with the goal of leveraging Kerebos against the regional dominance of Nifon, and it sparked political worries in Sombreland. In response to the impending threat, Nifon abruptly changed his approach to Sombreland. Kerberos backed down from the deal and left Sombreland under Nifon's insistence. Nifon, on the other hand, continues to have a negative attitude towards Sombreland. The situation de-escalated with the Galador Agreement, but tensions between Nifon and Sombreland remain to this day.
Accusation of slave trade and ethnic cleansing
With over a million people held in camps, the Sombrelandian administration has been accused of ethnic cleansing against the Wenchuanis. Despite the lack of international censure, stolen emails indicate that one of the countries involved in the "humanitarian effort" intends to send 100,000 evacuees in gulags where they will be worked to death for profit. Investigators received the e-mails after an anonymous source disclosed a backdoor in the Neo-Korean network that allowed access to the computer of the Neo-Korean Minister of Internal Labor Utilization. It is unknown whether the Sombrelandian administration was aware of this scheme, but given their understanding of Neo-Korea, they may bear some of the blame.
International response
The situation has drawn special attention in the Kali Yuga region, highlighting a number of serious issues, such as a more coordinated effort to find a long-term solution to the conflict in Wenchuan.
Intergovernmental organisations
- International Coalition of Nations: The President of the International Coalition of Nations (ICON) Assembly has published a statement in response to concerns regarding the situation in the Kingdom of Sombreland. The statement dismisses the State of Neo-unconfirmed Korea's charges of slave selling, but declares that ICON will conduct a comprehensive inquiry into both parties involved. The statement also refutes charges made by the Wenchuan Human Rights Observatory (WENHRO) that help supplied to Wenchuanese refugees in Sombreland by other countries violates ISAAC Security Council Resolution 780 and refoulement. The WENHRO is chastised for failing to comprehend international law, leaping to conclusions, and having ties to Nifon, a hostile nation to Sombreland. The declaration states that the WENHRO's justification for sanctions was poorly articulated.
Governments
Eulabia a Nation: In February 2023, Oswald Mosley, President of Eulabia, was on a state visit to Sombreland where he promised to help solve the crisis with economic aid. The EAN government has not condemned Sombreland for the alleged slave trade but, following the example of its allies in ICON, is demanding an investigation.
La Républiqua D'Inyursta: Government of Inyursta quietly acknowledged the WENHRO report as truthful, and has made economic gestures such as... in support of its close ally Nifon.