AA18CR21ADD1

AS (2018) CR 21
Addendum 1

2018 ORDINARY SESSION

________________

(Third part)

REPORT

Twenty-first sitting

Tuesday 26 June at 10 a.m.

The humanitarian situation of refugees
in the countries neighbouring Syria

The following texts were submitted for inclusion in the official report by members who were present in the Chamber but were prevented by lack of time from delivering them.

Ms BRYNJÓLFSDÓTTIR (Iceland) – We have witnessed in Syria seven long, dark years of a horrendous war that have turned it into a battlefield of regional and international powers. The war in Syria is a humanitarian catastrophe of immense proportions, where atrocious crimes and forced displacements are commonplace.

According to the United Nations, the war has forced almost 6 million people to flee Syria, most of them women and children, and it has caused 6.3 million Syrians to be displaced within their own country. Furthermore, 2.9 million people in Syria cannot be reached by humanitarian organisations in order to provide them with necessities and assistance. And behind each and every number is a human individual and a human life.

The vast majority of Syrian refugees have fled to the neighbouring countries, and though the legal framework on refugee issues in Syria’s neighbouring countries is often far from satisfactory, they have shouldered their responsibility and left their borders open for Syrian refugees during the peak of arrivals. However, the demanding task of receiving Syrians fleeing the war has pushed these countries to the brink of their capabilities in times of increased unemployment and a worsening economic situation. We must face the ever greater risk of insecurity and instability in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey that this humanitarian catastrophe has created. While Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey have received the majority of the refugees from Syria, Europe has only welcomed 10% of Syrian refugees. In this aspect, Europe has failed.

Over the past seven years, our Assembly has thoroughly analysed the Syrian conflict. The current report has important suggestions for the governments of Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, including sharing of best practices and ratifying the Geneva Convention. I fully support these suggestions and this report as a whole. However, I would like to emphasise that Europe cannot solve the refugee crisis in and around Syria simply by funding humanitarian organisations or financially supporting governments in the region, nor by telling the neighbouring countries how to do things and to change their legal framework or by announcing plans to build refugee camps outside Europe while refusing to welcome boats of up to 600 people fleeing inhumane conditions. Europe cannot sit back and leave it to others to find more sustainable solutions when it comes to welcoming and hosting refugees running away from war and horror. That is simply irresponsible and inhumane, at a time when our humanity is the necessary source of our empathy; that is what allows us to solve the most difficult tasks facing us, including wars and poverty.Let us not forget that.  

Ms CHRISTOFFERSEN (Norway) – Thank you to the rapporteur for this most timely report. The figures speak for themselves. More than 5.3 million out of 11 million Syrian refugees are registered in one of the neighbouring countries. Under these circumstances, we should underline, in particular, the calls on Council of Europe member States to step up financial contributions to the United Nations, to share responsibility for resettlement and other forms of legal admission to our countries, as well as to encourage the United States, the Russian Federation and the Gulf states to take their fair share. The refugee crises concern all United Nations member countries. Any temptation to misuse the crises as an instrument in a geopolitical game should be most strongly condemned.

The United Nations World Refugee Day was marked last Wednesday. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, made a statement to which we ought to pay close attention. Under the headline “The Global Compact on Refugees”, based on the New York declaration of 2016, he called for solidarity with refugees – and with the communities that welcome them.

Among others things, he underlined the following: “As conflicts emerge, recur, persist and deepen, 68.5 million people are uprooted around the world. Nine out of 10 are in their own countries or countries next door, and the impact is massive – on refugees themselves, and on the communities that open their doors to them. Now, more than ever, taking care of refugees must be a global – and shared – responsibility. It’s time to do things differently.”

The Commissioner referred to a new model being tested with positive results – based on long-term support to countries and communities which take on the job of helping uprooted families to be included in new communities – giving them the chance to realise their potential, helping them to return home when the time is right, or build new lives elsewhere. In these efforts, local people and communities are on the front line when refugees arrive. They make the difference between rejection or inclusion, despair or hope, being left behind or building a future. Sharing responsibility for refugees starts there. But often, these communities are themselves on the margins. They deserve our support in every way, which is the very same message as that of our own Human Rights Commissioner. Unfortunately, European countries still seem to be leaving Mediterranean countries to take most of the responsibility.

Gradually, this failure is about to drive our continent into a crisis of rising populism. Bearing our common history in mind, no one needs to remind us of the danger of a reprise of that.

Mr GAVAN (Ireland) – I want to commend this report and the comprehensive recommendations it contains. My only quibble is that it should more clearly state the responsibility of the West with regard to the crisis in Syria. Indeed, it is very rare that an Irish Republican would find himself in agreement with a British Conservative, but I agree wholeheartedly with Richard Balfe’s comment that Britain, France and the United States of America have a special responsibility to do more to assist the refugee crisis.

It is now over seven years since the Syrian war began. Over 500 000 Syrians have died. Over 6 million have become refugees outside of Syria and over 5 million are internally displaced in Syria. Many are living in terrible poverty and in need of humanitarian assistance. Syria’s neighbours have taken in millions of refugees; over 1 million Syrian refugees are living in Lebanon, which means they make up over one sixth of the population of Lebanon.

European countries must do more to help these refugees. This means giving more aid to the United Nations Refugee Agency, but also resettling some of these refugees in Europe. My party, Sinn Féin, has repeatedly called on the Irish Government to do more in this regard. We need to create more legal and safe routes for these refugees to get sanctuary in Europe.

Many of these refugees are Palestinians who are becoming refugees for the second time; they were refugees in Syria after the Israeli Army forced them from Palestine, and now they have been forced from Syria.

While the immediate concern is to ensure that these refugees are safe and have all their needs met, such as housing, health care, and education, we need to create the conditions which will see the end of the Syrian war, so that these refugees can safely return to their homes. I would call on all European countries to do more to create the conditions for peace in Syria and to use their influence to bring an end to the war, rather than militarily intervening and elongating it.

In Ireland, people never believed a peace process was possible, but 20 years ago a historic and inclusive peace agreement was reached. It is not perfect, but it has stood the test of time. If the international will is there, a peace process in Syria is possible.

Mr HOWELL (United Kingdom) – Of all the countries that neighbour Syria, I have a particular sympathy for Jordan and applaud its generosity in hosting a large number of refugees; indeed, so great is this generosity, that the camp of Zaatari is now the fourth largest city in Jordan. The King has already described the country as at ‘boiling point’ as a result of the refugee crisis and there are signs of discontent amongst the Jordanian middle classes. There is a considerable effort to be made in helping to provide sanitation, water and food.

Another big area is education, where the United Kingdom’s spend alone has helped over 165 000 Syrian refugees to receive schooling. On top of this is the great need to create jobs – both for refugees and Jordanians – and helping to push the development of the private and public sectors. Almost 100 000 refugees have received work permits.

The scale of the problem can be seen from UNHCR figures which have suggested almost 700 000 Syrian refugees in Jordan. The need to concentrate on helping countries like Jordan is not only because of the direct problem of refugees themselves, but also because of the destabilising effect that the refugees could have on Jordan. We have already seen some terrorist activity. But it is also to ensure that Jordan can preserve its own cultural perspective.

In Lebanon, the Government of the United Kingdom is providing cash assistance for Syrian families to help them meet their daily needs such as food, accommodation and health care. It is important to bear in mind that we are still supporting refugees even although the country is in large part under the influence of Hezbollah. It is sad that the conditions of Syrian refugees have worsened over the last few years; 76% now live below the poverty line.

Mr KILIÇ (Turkey) – I thank the rapporteur for preparing this high-quality report. The humanitarian situation of refugees in the countries neighbouring Syria merits our utmost attention. In this regard, this report is a step in the right direction for placing this critical topic at the top of the international community’s agenda.

The report makes calls to Turkey in several fields. Turkey, the country with the largest refugee population in the world, has been single-handedly shouldering most of the burden created by the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Moreover, Turkey has been pursuing an open-door policy since the onset of the Syrian crisis. The fact that there are already 3 589 384 Syrians in Turkey clearly demonstrates that Turkey is pursuing an open-door policy.

I would like to clearly underline that Turkey currently provides free access to health and education services for all Syrians. All vulnerable groups of refugees, including but not limited to unaccompanied minors, are taken into account during the provision of public services.  Following their registration, within a maximum of 48 hours, Syrians are entitled to access health and education services. They can also apply for work permits.  As a result of the significant efforts undertaken by the relevant government agencies, the schooling rates of Syrians have increased from 30% in 2014 to 62% in 2018.

The joint effort of Turkey and the European Union to root out irregular migration is being conducted in full respect for the human rights of every person needing international protection.

The Syrians received from the Aegean islands account for only 0.07% of the Syrian population in Turkey. The human rights of Syrians received as a result of this deal or Syrians arriving in Turkey through other routes are protected with utmost respect.

I would like to again emphasise that the humanitarian situation of refugees is a global challenge and it must be addressed as such. Therefore, it is imperative that the international community steps up its efforts to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Mr LEIGH (United Kingdom) – The state of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries varies, as does their impact on host nations. Lebanon is arguably the most extreme case, with 1.5 million Syrian refugees, including 39 000 new-borns registered to Syrian refugees in Lebanon. This has pushed the total population of Lebanon to just over 6 million. The country is still dealing with the result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and according to UNRWA – the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees –  Lebanon is still host to 452 669 Palestinian refugees, which does not include a large number of Palestinian refugees who have been granted citizenship for political reasons. Of the 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, less than two-thirds are registered with UNHCR. The pressure on the Lebanese economy and on public finances is intense. Given their experience of the long-term presence of Palestinian refugees in their country, the Lebanese fear that the international community will force Lebanon to accept the permanent presence of Syrian refugees. Aside from the obvious economic and financial impact, Lebanon’s political stability is tenuous, and this would only destabilise it further.

The UNHCR’s own survey work shows that the overwhelming majority of Syrian refugees in Lebanon desire to return home voluntarily when possible. But if the international community facilitated the return of the refugees, it would embarrass Western anti-Assad diehards by accepting the Assad regime and admitting that calm is spreading in most of Syria. The Lebanese Foreign Minister has accused the UNHCR of working against its own aims of helping refugees return to their country. Faced with UNHCR inactivity, the Lebanese authorities have begun to take a proactive role. Despite cold relations between Beirut and Damascus, links have been made specifically to aid repatriation: Lebanon provides on-the-ground logistics, while Syria sends buses. Legal restrictions on Syrian refugees have been eased up in the hope that UNHCR and others will speed up the process of returning those who wish to go back.

Lebanon has made it very clear that no Syrian refugee will be expelled against their will – they will only facilitate voluntary return to Syria. Jordan has not made any similar guarantee – indeed, they have forcibly repatriated 1 100 Syrians after a violent attack against the Jordanian authorities. Despite this, in 2016, close to 7 000 Syrian refugees in Jordan voluntarily returned to Syria. Some 90% of UNHCR-registered refugees in Jordan are Syrian. Palestinian refugees in Jordan are looked after by UNRWA, not UNHCR, so their numbers only add to the large proportion of refugees in Jordan.

Europe must support host countries while they are temporarily home to Syrian refugees.

Ms THÓRARINSSON (Iceland) – I want to thank the rapporteur, Mr Di Stefano, for a detailed and informative report on this important issue. I also want to thank Mr Di Stefano for highlighting the importance of UNRWA services to Palestinian refugees. Let us not forget that there were hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees living in Syria. The UNRWA is now facing a grave financial situation, with a deficit of $250 million. This has been mainly caused by dramatic cuts in funding by its biggest donor, the United States, a country which has presented the world with the Trump administration’s new disturbing and inhumane refugee policy – a policy that cuts funds for refugees and separates children from their parents.

The UNRWA Commissioner General said just a few days ago that if the financial gap cannot be filled, it would be disastrous for the neighbouring countries of Syria: Lebanon and Jordan. At stake is access to schools, essential health care and emergency assistance to millions of refugees in an insecure situation, in an unstable region. Therefore, it is vital that the member States of this Assembly reply positively to the UNRWA pledge for an increased contribution. In February this year, Iceland signed its first multi-year agreement with the UNRWA to the value of $1 million. Iceland is a small country, but it is steadily increasing its funds to the UNRWA. Let us not forget the 5.3 million Palestinian long-term refugees.