Can Bitcoin help global refugees and migrants to relocate to new countries?

[Kakmakr]

We are seeing conflict in many countries all over the world and many of these people are fleeing their country of origin, because they are going to war and their local currency and economy are collapsing.

The question is..... Can Bitcoin help these refugees?

We know that Ukrainian Banks closed their doors, when the first bombing started and most Banks do this when there are a possibility of a war. So how do people get their money out of the "Banking" system, when Banks close their doors?

We also know that the Banking system are reluctant to open Bank accounts for foreigners or refugees in the country where they end up.

"In April of this year, Binance Charity launched the first-of-its-kind Binance Refugee Card for all current and new Binance users from Ukraine forced to move to EEA countries as a result of the war with Russia, the card and crypto-based cash assistance helped 15,000 Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people." - Source : https://www.binance.com/en/feed/post/93305

How can Bitcoin help these people to relocate and continue with their lives in a new country?

1. Brainstorm "safe" methods to convert Fiat to Bitcoin
2. Provide offline and online cold storage solutions to protect their coins.
3. Provide an easy on-ramp to convert Bitcoin to Fiat and the other way around for refugees.
4. Offer reliable and trustworthy P2P services for these vulnerable people, when they arrive in a new country.
5. Keep the transaction fees at these services as low as possible, to give them more money to start a new life.

Let's discuss more ways for Bitcoin to help these vulnerable people, so that we can help them to continue with their lives.... and eventually return to their country of origin.... when the conflict are done.   

[Faisal2202]

Let's discuss more ways for Bitcoin to help these vulnerable people, so that we can help them to continue with their lives.... and eventually return to their country of origin.... when the conflict are done.    

You have pointed out some good points and yeah Bitcoin can help global refugees and migrants affected by wars or any other kind of disasters. I was not aware of the Binance refugee card, thanks for sharing it.

1.I would say, you missed the biggest role that Bitcoin Blockchain plays here and that is of transparency. In most of the cases charity funds given to refugees is just stolen by some middlemen or there are some huge illegal deductions in the amount by the distributors and the refugees can't do anything at all instead of taking that money and make a living with that.

But BTC blockchain can avoid that corruption as every transaction will be recorded and can be used to track the amount if it reached to the real owner.

2.Government giving refugees a place to live should allow them to start some micro level business so they would not depend on the funds for there life. Governments can help them by giving some loan in the form of BTC

3.If the country giving place to migrant don't have huge resources (funds) then Bitcoin can be used to raise funds for those refugees. Everyone wanted to donate money can send money from anywhere in the world.

4.Local businesses should give discounts to these migrants on buying things with BTC directly. But first there are not that much business around accepting BTC as payment method so they should first do that. Make it a payment method.

[Husires]

If you can send Bitcoin directly to anyone in the world without the need for Binance, why do you need Binance Charity, which is the Binance card for refugees? If the person accepts Bitcoin, send the amounts directly to him or to his account in Binance and he will give you cash or a bank transfer, or even use it directly to pay for some goods and services. Such as buying coffee or renting a car. bitcoin can do that

[jrrsparkles]

Bitcoin is the same as gold probably even more valuable while comparing each other. I would say it is not really gonna be useful at the war times but if you are in such a region or anywhere in the region and you are saving money for future then better keep it on something that will be worth anywhere in the world for example gold, silver, bitcoin and this is why having movable asset is important.
How can Bitcoin help these people to relocate and continue with their lives in a new country?

1. Brainstorm "safe" methods to convert Fiat to Bitcoin - Bitcoin ATMs and P2P exchanges.

2. Provide offline and online cold storage solutions to protect their coins - Educating them about taking responsibility of their own money such as Paper wallets/ offline storage where most of the cryptos have to be there and online storage a small portion of it.

[Lida93]

It's true that the traditional banking system for close their doors to their customers in times of conflicts or war and rationally I won't blame them for that they do so for their own safety and that of their workers who are humans too. But while they keep their doors close internet banking services open for use by customers. A wise customer will quickly take the favoured position by buying bitcoin through any reputed exchange platform, supposing they don't have an existing account they can immediately open one and run the transfer through p2p and send the coin to their selfcustody wallet as simple as that before things escalate to the extend internet services are shutdown.

In the event they leave their war zone and settled in other country as refugees they can at any time find a physical buyer that will be interested to buy their bitcoin and give physical cash at hand since almost everyone now has crypto awareness. In times of war the faster you make smart and strategic decisions concerning your finance the safer ground you find yourself having access to your money at ease while your counterparts are lockout.

[Jawhead999]

But BTC blockchain can avoid that corruption as every transaction will be recorded and can be used to track the amount if it reached to the real owner.

Governments can help them by giving some loan in the form of BTC

Local businesses should give discounts to these migrants on buying things with BTC directly.

If the country giving place to migrant don't have huge resources (funds) then Bitcoin can be used to raise funds for those refugees. Everyone wanted to donate money can send money from anywhere in the world.

Even the blockchain is transparent and the crowdfund/charity is raised by trusted intermediary e.g. president or government, there's no proof if the coins are distributed for the needs. If you're talk about the money is send to every refugees' addresses, Bitcoin address is pseudonymous and it's complicated to distribute to every refugees.

Bitcoin is not yet successfully as legal tender, it's really long way to achieve BTC can be used as a loan

There's no guarantee or obligation for local businesses to give discounts for the refugees, no one cares with you, that's the real reality.

And for the last I'm 100% agree because sending Bitcoin is cheaper, faster and easier than through banks.

[hugeblack]

Bitcoin will help those who want to help and those who have the financial ability to invest in the long term or trade professionally in the short term. It is not a lottery or something that will bring you a quick profit with just the click of a button.
It is true that there is a possibility that you will win the lottery, but even obtaining a million dollars will not make you rich for the rest of your life. Many of those who obtained this amount returned to poverty after less than 10 years, so financial knowledge is necessary and important.

This does not only apply to individuals. Even oil-producing countries that did not improve the exploitation of their resources have become poor, including Chile or Venezuela.
The summary of what I want to say is that even if people and governments adopt Bitcoin, without proper planning, adoption will not make a difference.

[Cookdata]

How can Bitcoin help these people to relocate and continue with their lives in a new country?

1. Brainstorm "safe" methods to convert Fiat to Bitcoin
2. Provide offline and online cold storage solutions to protect their coins.
3. Provide an easy on-ramp to convert Bitcoin to Fiat and the other way around for refugees.
4. Offer reliable and trustworthy P2P services for these vulnerable people, when they arrive in a new country.
5. Keep the transaction fees at these services as low as possible, to give them more money to start a new life.

Let's discuss more ways for Bitcoin to help these vulnerable people, so that we can help them to continue with their lives.... and eventually return to their country of origin.... when the conflict are done.   

This is a very tight question I must say, I have not experienced war since the first day I breathed in air to life but I have read and watched how countries have turned enemies against each other. But to the best of my digital banking and commercial experience, I think there are various methods bitcoin can be easily converted to fiat either a decentralized or centralized manner but since centralized exchanges are mandated to block some IP addresses of some regions, it's better to use decentralized p2p.

If refugees seek a new place of their comfort zone, the first thing after having a place to stay for a while is to get a bank account that can at least accept some deposit of money, they can make use of hodlhodl, we have others like BISQ, Agrodesk, they don't request for KYC, they can simply set up an account on these exchanges and when they have Bitcoin to sell, they can do so using these exchanges. To avoid locking the accounts, they should make sure that the amount to be received does not exceed the maximum limit of the account types they opened, I'm saying this because banks are funny, they can limit them with basic accounts since they are refugees.

I think with this, they can endure until everything settles. Concerning banks that are not working, I believe most commercial banks are now digital, there should be some places within the country of affected people to have access to ATM machines, they can use their debit card to have access to the needs.

[Uruhara]

I like the points you made OP. Because I also think that Bitcoin can help refugees or anyone who wants to flee or leave their country which is experiencing a humanitarian crisis or is at war. Carrying cash in person may be very dangerous. So converting it to Bitcoin will indeed be much safer. Because control is completely in our hands. Apart from that, with Bitcoin it will also be easier for us to access it as long as there is internet. Especially if the banks are closed. So as long as we can transfer money from our bank account digitally, we can convert it to bitcoin. But we also have to make sure that we use a safe wallet. And have stored the private key safely.

[kryptqnick]

Ukrainian banks set some restrictions at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, but bank cards continued working (except for areas where electricity and/or internet was/is out due to Russian attacks), and banks totally work in Ukraine.
Binance was very kind to suggest financial aid for some Ukrainians, but that's an initiative of a specific business, it's not really a Bitcoin thing. So yeah, crypto businesses and charities can be helpful, but Bitcoin itself is just sometimes useful for things like beating inflation or relocating because it's digital and independent of fiat.

[DrBeer]

We are seeing conflict in many countries all over the world and many of these people are fleeing their country of origin, because they are going to war and their local currency and economy are collapsing.

The question is..... Can Bitcoin help these refugees?

We know that Ukrainian Banks closed their doors, when the first bombing started and most Banks do this when there are a possibility of a war. So how do people get their money out of the "Banking" system, when Banks close their doors?

We also know that the Banking system are reluctant to open Bank accounts for foreigners or refugees in the country where they end up.

"In April of this year, Binance Charity launched the first-of-its-kind Binance Refugee Card for all current and new Binance users from Ukraine forced to move to EEA countries as a result of the war with Russia, the card and crypto-based cash assistance helped 15,000 Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people." - Source : https://www.binance.com/en/feed/post/93305

How can Bitcoin help these people to relocate and continue with their lives in a new country?

1. Brainstorm "safe" methods to convert Fiat to Bitcoin
2. Provide offline and online cold storage solutions to protect their coins.
3. Provide an easy on-ramp to convert Bitcoin to Fiat and the other way around for refugees.
4. Offer reliable and trustworthy P2P services for these vulnerable people, when they arrive in a new country.
5. Keep the transaction fees at these services as low as possible, to give them more money to start a new life.

Let's discuss more ways for Bitcoin to help these vulnerable people, so that we can help them to continue with their lives.... and eventually return to their country of origin.... when the conflict are done.   

1. You cited, to put it mildly, the erroneous opinion that "Ukrainian banks closed their doors after Russia's terrorist attack on Ukraine".
Perhaps some banks did so, but the largest banks continued to operate. Work was stopped only in the territories that were occupied and looted.
Moreover, the key banks of Ukraine canceled the accrual of interest for the use of loans to individuals (for a considerable time, the interest for the use of credit funds was not accrued), removed penalties for non-payment of loans....
The work of processing did not stop, cards and accounts were serviced, including - ATMs and bank branches.
This is the reality, I speak as a resident of Ukraine, who did not leave Ukraine

2. regarding "bitcoin can help". If refugees have savings in bitcoins, have access to them and the necessary data - of course it will be useful, and safer than keeping a bunch of cash or bank cards. The question is whether refugees have bitcoin savings. I honestly haven't heard that refugees from the Middle East, and/or Africa coming to the EU for example, use cryptocurrencies frequently and actively. So the question is rather whether this part of the population has bitcoins ?

[AicecreaME]

It sure can, but I think not all of them has the privilege to obtain Bitcoin.

I mean, even if they have the power to do so, it would be better if they are open minded enough to have such thing just in case a war would happen. But let's be honest, not all of the people are looking forward for a war to happen, that's why they don't prepare themselves, in the end, they always having a hard time how to get themselves safe in an easiest way as possible.

They're lucky if their government always act in haste if something bad happens, too bad if their government doesn't even prepared at all.

[Helena Yu]

Even they have money, isn't they aka every people including civilians need to fight and not leave their country?

Don't link Bitcoin with banks, we can trade via P2P, so they can do that too.

So the question is rather whether this part of the population has bitcoins ?

Usually people own Bitcoin is rich, even they're live in a conflict country, they can fly to other country before the war happen.

Refugees who stay in the country during war are poor or middle class which mostly not own any Bitcoin nor even understand it.

[YOSHIE]

Let's discuss more ways for Bitcoin to help these vulnerable people, so that we can help them to continue with their lives.... and eventually return to their country of origin.... when the conflict are done. 

As far as I know, there are crypto exchanges that can be used in several countries, for example, if you live in India and you move to Singapore, you can still use the Electrum wallet or Unstoppable wallet and so on to store your assets, but you cannot withdraw crypto to fiat, crypto must be cashed in the form of fiat money based on local exchanges.

Thus, if you can register on the local exchange where the country was last occupied/displaced, Of course you can still develop the economy in the next country with the assets you own or to cash out crypto to fiat you can ask for help from friends in that country.

So if a country is at war or crypto users have to evacuate in general, you still have hope for your economic growth in the next country with the Bitcoin assets you own.

[Eternad]

Hamas and other terrorist use cryptocurrency to fund their war. I think Bitcoin can help refugees too but not a direct P2P but rather through a NGO since it will be very hard to convert that Bitcoin to Fiat when is closed.

We are assuming here worst case scenario which internet and banks is not available for everyone especially those heavily affected by the war. NGO is vital in times like this since they have access on financial tool outside the war country while they can freely enter to distribute funds.

[Crypto Library]

I think Bitcoin can definitely help global refugees and migrants, where such refugees are helped by various organizations around the world through fiat currency, I think these activities can be carried out better if they get the accessibility of Bitcoin. However, there are many obstacles that many fraudsters will try to take advantage of the Bitcoin decentralized system.
And in this case many times people get confused and send funds to scammers. For this, if the trusted organizations that help these refugees accept Bitcoin, then I think the main purpose will be properly accomplished. otherwise I think our donated funds may go away to scammers. Also, if the internet connection is not cut off in the refugees' place, I think Bitcoin can definitely help.

[m2017]

We are seeing conflict in many countries all over the world and many of these people are fleeing their country of origin, because they are going to war and their local currency and economy are collapsing.

The question is..... Can Bitcoin help these refugees?

I would say not just “maybe,” but bitcoin is a must-have in such cases. For several reasons.

- in many countries there are limits on the export of cash from the country.
- banking transactions may be limited, prohibited, and also, banks themselves may simply freeze any withdrawal of funds from a personal account by order of local authorities (in order to avoid the withdrawal of capital, which “destroys” the local economy).
- bitcoin is easy to take out and transport, because you don’t even need “rubber bands for banknotes” for this. And also, bitcoin is easy, quick and cheap to send anywhere in the world. For example, refugees may send this "forward" themselves to their relatives, so as not to risk loss during the move.
 

We know that Ukrainian Banks closed their doors, when the first bombing started and most Banks do this when there are a possibility of a war. So how do people get their money out of the "Banking" system, when Banks close their doors?

In order not to find yourself in such a difficult situation, need to prepare in advance by withdrawing all funds from banks, or even better, by not making deposits in banks at all. You cease to be the owner of your money by giving it to banks. Whoever can manage, control, own is the master / owner. Simply, you lose control, which means you cease to be the actual owner, if the bank may simply not give up your money.

We also know that the Banking system are reluctant to open Bank accounts for foreigners or refugees in the country where they end up.

"In April of this year, Binance Charity launched the first-of-its-kind Binance Refugee Card for all current and new Binance users from Ukraine forced to move to EEA countries as a result of the war with Russia, the card and crypto-based cash assistance helped 15,000 Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people." - Source : https://www.binance.com/en/feed/post/93305

How can Bitcoin help these people to relocate and continue with their lives in a new country?

1. Brainstorm "safe" methods to convert Fiat to Bitcoin
2. Provide offline and online cold storage solutions to protect their coins.
3. Provide an easy on-ramp to convert Bitcoin to Fiat and the other way around for refugees.
4. Offer reliable and trustworthy P2P services for these vulnerable people, when they arrive in a new country.
5. Keep the transaction fees at these services as low as possible, to give them more money to start a new life.

Let's discuss more ways for Bitcoin to help these vulnerable people, so that we can help them to continue with their lives.... and eventually return to their country of origin.... when the conflict are done.   

And there are no other methods special for vulnerable people and are not required. It is enough to use the basic capabilities of the bitcoin that are already familiar to everyone.  Bitcoin provides equal opportunities for everyone.

[DrBeer]

Usually people own Bitcoin is rich, even they're live in a conflict country, they can fly to other country before the war happen.

Refugees who stay in the country during war are poor or middle class which mostly not own any Bitcoin nor even understand it.

This is exactly what I'm talking about! Most people in poor countries, or those forced to live in a conflict zone, are unlikely to own assets such as Bitcoin. If a person has money, he can easily leave a place where there are high risks to life, and live quite comfortably in another country. And what kind of assets these are, dollars, euros, bitcoin - this is no longer important, the scheme for transferring funds to a safe place is simply changing...

[CryptoHeadlineNews]

We are seeing conflict in many countries all over the world and many of these people are fleeing their country of origin, because they are going to war and their local currency and economy are collapsing.

The question is..... Can Bitcoin help these refugees?

We know that Ukrainian Banks closed their doors, when the first bombing started and most Banks do this when there are a possibility of a war. So how do people get their money out of the "Banking" system, when Banks close their doors?

Of I may ask.. Who cares to go to a bank during a war? Nobody... Because what happens in periods like this is what we call "survivor of the fittest" where only those who has the strength enough gets the limited food supply found available during the war, as fiat currency are most times always useless during a war, since what everybody is talking about is how to survive, and not an ordinary bank notes.

But however, how Bitcoin could help refugees in times of war like this is that with Bitcoin been a globally recognize digital currency, Bitcoin can be used as a medium for receiving funds from family and friends quickly living in far away countries, and can be exchange through a merchant to the very currency of the country those refugees happen to find themselves.

[Renampun]

why are there so many immigrants? It's all because the government in their country of origin is unable to eradicate the poverty they experience, for example, several countries on the African continent every year have many immigrants who go to the European continent, in this case they are not wrong, they just want to change their fate and if bitcoin becomes a global currency then I am sure we will no longer see inequality in various countries, all prices will be the same, and people's purchasing power will also be the same. Bitcoin is a solution for countries that have a low currency value when compared to the dollar.