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Resolution 2025 (2014) Final version
Resettlement of refugees: promoting greater solidarity
1. The Parliamentary Assembly notes
that, in certain circumstances, it is necessary to resettle refugees from
their country of asylum to a receiving State.
2. There are many reasons for this, including limitations on
the capacity of the country of first asylum to provide a durable
solution or concerns that the refugees may still be in an unsafe
situation and threatened with refoulement,
or that they may have particular vulnerabilities or humanitarian
needs.
3. The Assembly considers that resettlement has three main objectives,
namely to provide access to protection, to ensure lasting solutions
and to strengthen solidarity and responsibility sharing between
States.
4. Resettlement is conducted according to categories that have
been established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR). It is organised, in co-operation with the receiving countries, primarily
by the UNHCR, with the support of the International Organization
for Migration (IOM) and often in partnership with non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) such as the International Catholic Migration Commission
(ICMC).
5. Resettlement is not a new process, as it was used extensively
after the Second World War, for example in the case of Hungarian
refugees who had fled to Austria and Yugoslavia following the Soviet
invasion of Hungary. It was also used for the large-scale resettlement
of boat people who fled Vietnam in the 1980s, and now continues
to be used around the world in a range of situations for individuals,
families and groups with particular vulnerabilities.
6. For 2014, the UNHCR has estimated that over 958 429 people
around the world are in need of resettlement, although only 80 000
resettlement places are currently available. This does not include
the additional call for 30 000 places needed in 2014 following the
massive outflow of refugees from Syria into neighbouring countries
and the deteriorating situation both in Syria and its neighbouring
countries.
7. The Assembly is concerned to note that out of 47 member States
of the Council of Europe, only 20 engaged in resettlement programmes
in 2013. They supply in total only around 7 000 out of the nearly 80 000 resettlement
places available globally. It is clear that Europe can and should
do more.
8. Concerning Syria, there have been some commendable efforts
by member States in providing asylum or humanitarian protection
for Syrian asylum seekers and also admitting Syrian refugees under
resettlement, humanitarian admission and other programmes. Some
17 member States have responded to the UNHCR’s call for the admission
of 30 000 Syrian refugees in 2014. Yet, the UNHCR has called on
member States to commit towards providing urgently an additional
100 000 places for Syrian refugees in 2015 and 2016.
9. The Assembly notes that, despite the support of the pilot
project funded by the European Union (EUREMA), which is designed
to relocate, with the support of the IOM, beneficiaries of international
protection from Malta to other European Union member States, Malta
is still straining to cope with the number of asylum seekers, refugees
and beneficiaries of international protection that it receives.
10. Malta is not the only country affected and the Assembly remains
concerned about the significant pressure on certain member States,
especially on the borders of the European Union, in terms of receiving many
people with international protection needs.
11. The Assembly highlights that resettlement is not a migration
management issue but is a humanitarian decision deriving from member
States’ international responsibility to protect any individual who
satisfies the UNHCR’s definitions of persons of concern.
12. The Parliamentary Assembly therefore invites Council of Europe
member States to:
12.1. increase
substantially the number of places available for the resettlement
and relocation of beneficiaries of international protection;
12.2. increase the speed and flexibility of resettlement and
relocation programmes by:
12.2.1. refraining from implementing
cumbersome procedures and criteria that would delay the resettlement
process for people in need of urgent protection and solutions;
12.2.2. adopting simplified procedures and innovative measures
to provide more immediate protection to the most vulnerable in times
of large-scale forced displacement;
12.2.3. adopting an inclusive and flexible approach in the consideration
of resettlement cases;
12.3. improve co-ordination and the allocation of funds when
carrying out resettlement and relocation programmes by:
12.3.1. enhancing
the co-ordination of participants in the process, at international,
national, regional and local levels;
12.3.2. providing sufficient funds and human resources to carry
out the programmes effectively;
12.3.3. supporting and working with civil society and local authorities;
12.3.4. supporting the exchange of best practices in the various
existing forums;
12.4. ensure the sustainability of any resettlement and relocation
programmes by enhancing the national capacity to integrate resettled/relocated
persons by:
12.4.1. carrying out pre-departure orientation
and health-assessment programmes;
12.4.2. providing the resettled/relocated persons and their families
or dependants with access to rights similar to those enjoyed by
nationals of the receiving State, including integration services,
information on their rights and obligations relating to their protection
status in a language they understand, adequate housing, access to
work and training opportunities, social welfare and health care;
12.4.3. raising public awareness of resettlement processes, and
creating a dialogue between the welcoming society and the resettled/relocated
refugees;
12.4.4. enhancing co-operation with civil society and the media;
12.5. implement anti-fraud measures to ensure that only those
with the most genuine needs benefit from the standard operating
procedures for all resettlement operations.
13. In relation to the emergency humanitarian situation created
by the Syrian crisis, the Assembly urges member States to:
13.1. increase their pledges to welcome
Syrian refugees and other people who seek refuge elsewhere due to
the Syrian crisis, on the basis of resettlement, humanitarian admission
and other forms of admission, in order to guarantee the 100 000
places needed for 2015 and 2016;
13.2. explore innovative solutions such as simplified and expedited
family reunion for both refugees and subsidiary protection holders,
and the extension of student or employment-related visas.
14. The Assembly encourages member States to continue supporting
Malta to enable it to cope with significant mixed migration flows,
and to extend their support to other countries in difficulty in
Europe.
15. The Assembly invites member States to make full use of the
loans available from the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB)
and encourages the CEB to look favourably on any such requests.
16. The Assembly invites member States of the European Union to
apply to the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for support
of their resettlement programmes.