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Recommendation 2059 (2014) Final version
Resettlement of refugees: promoting greater solidarity
1. The Parliamentary Assembly, referring
to its Resolution 2025
(2014) “Resettlement of refugees: promoting greater solidarity”,
considers that Europe has a binding responsibility to protect those
seeking international protection, and has a long tradition of so
doing.
2. In light of uneven and growing pressures on member States
of the Council of Europe in terms of irregular migrants, asylum
seekers and refugees, it is important to examine methods of solidarity
and responsibility sharing. Resettlement and other innovative solutions
for urgent humanitarian admission from third countries, as well
as relocation under the pilot project funded by the European Union
(EUREMA), are ways of further sharing responsibility.
3. The Parliamentary Assembly therefore urges the Committee of
Ministers to consider holding a thematic debate on the issue of
the resettlement of refugees in member States in order to:
3.1. raise public awareness of the
existing steps being taken by member States and best practices;
3.2. encourage more State pledges to meet the resettlement
and humanitarian admission needs in view of the large-scale forced
displacement as a result of the Syrian crisis, in addition to the
global resettlement needs of 958 429 people;
3.3. support Malta as it faces significant mixed migration
flows, and extend this support to other countries in difficulty
in Europe;
3.4. provide a forum and encourage better use of the existing
forums open to non-European Union member States, including the Annual
Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement, to discuss resettlement and
relocation;
3.5. consider means for the Council of Europe Development Bank
to be more involved in the process of resettlement.