On World Refugee Day, Euro-Med Rights expresses its grave concern over the recurrent tragedies that the Mediterranean has been witnessing, and issues and a Position Paper on Refugees from Syria calling on Europe to facilitate their access to protection.
As the conflict in Syria has entered its fifth year with no end in sight, the refugee crisis has dramatically worsened, with almost 12 million people displaced, around 4 million of whom outside Syria. In the absence of any realistic prospect of return, the international community must acknowledge that it is a protracted refugee crisis requiring durable solutions, such as resettlement and local integration.
Neighbouring countries have so far borne the brunt of the refugee crisis, with growing financial and demographic pressures felt by host communities, triggering domestic tensions. Faced with increasing security challanges, Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan have closed their borders with Syria, while Egypt has imposed a visa requirement for Syrian nationals to enter its territory.
The European Union hosts a very small percentage of the world’s refugees, including those from Syria. For the most part, asylum seekers are denied legal access to the EU, obliging them to risk their lives on perilous and expensive journeys in the hope of reaching safety in Europe.
Recently, the EU has timidly opened up the prospect of resettlement for 20,000 refugees. While it is hoped that refugees from Syria stranded in transit countries will be eligible for these protection mechanisms, this non-binding proposal to Member States seems too little too late compared to the global resettlement needs. Many Member States still require an airport transit visa for people flying from Syria. Many refugees in some Member States are not able to apply for family reunification because they hold temporary protection and not a refugee status.
While the Syrian refugee crisis is one of the largest refugee crises in recent history, other refugees fleeing war and persecution in other parts of the world should not be forgotten. On 18 June 2015, UNHCR’s annual Global Trends Report found that displacement worldwide at the end of 2014 was at the highest level ever recorded, with 59.5 million compared to 51.2 million a year earlier and 37.5 million a decade ago. Syria’s ongoing war alone has made the Middle East the world’s largest producer and host of forced displacement, with 7.6 million people displaced internally, and 3.88 million refugees in neighbouring countries.
While calling on the international community to engage more seriously in conflict resolution, EuroMed Rights reiterates its call to European, Middle Eastern and North African states to uphold their international obligations. Those fleeing war and persecution must be able to reach a safe haven where they can rebuild their lives. The Network urges the EU and its Member States to show greater solidarity with refugees and meet their legal and moral obligations and provide legal access to protection for refugees from Syria and elsewhere.