Parliamentary Assembly

Draft resolution

1One year after the adoption of Resolution 1971 (2014) “Syrian refugees: how to organise and support international assistance?”, the Parliamentary Assembly is dismayed to see that the situation has become considerably worse, giving rise to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

2In the year 2014 alone, the conflict set a grim record, with 76 000 people killed, 3 500 of them children, and with thousands more reported missing, either in prisons or in areas controlled by the jihadists.

3According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately 11.5 million persons of concern, of whom 4 million are refugees, have fled the country, and there are around 7.5 million internally displaced persons. One of the consequences of this conflict is that Syrians have become the largest group of refugees under the UNHCR’s mandate.

4The Assembly is deeply concerned about the rise of the terrorist group known as “Islamic State” (“IS”), which is carrying out ever more war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, aggravating the conflict and consequently causing a huge influx of refugees to the neighbouring countries.

5This arrival of huge numbers of Syrian refugees is not without effects on the neighbouring countries’ socio-economic and political life, giving rise to ever-increasing tensions between the host countries’ nationals and the Syrian refugees.

6The Assembly would again like to pay tribute to the generosity of Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, which alone have taken in almost 92% of the refugees, not without effects on those countries’ socio-economic life.

7It also welcomes both Germany’s decision to take in some of the women raped by “IS” militants and the Swedish authorities’ decision to grant permanent resident status to Syrian asylum seekers.

8The Syrian conflict has resulted in the separation of large numbers of children from their families, as well as an increase in the number of unaccompanied minors, so the new generation of Syrians faces a risk of statelessness. Unaccompanied minors, women and girls represent a very high percentage of the refugees and find themselves in a situation which is worse than uncertain, and often dangerous, thus becoming archetypical victims of all kinds of exploitation and violence.

9In Jordan and Turkey, for example, 85% of Syrian refugees live outside camps and are often without resources and resort to begging, adults and children alike, or they suffer exploitation.

10The situation of internally displaced persons in Syria also gives cause for increasing concern, particularly in northern Syria, where attacks by “IS” prevent any assistance from reaching those families who find themselves in a situation of utter destitution, and where a medical and humanitarian disaster is occurring as a result of the lack of doctors and medicine and the re-emergence of diseases which had been eradicated, such as polio, tuberculosis, scabies and typhoid.

11The Assembly notes and condemns the new rise in the numbers of victims of traffickers, particularly amongst migrants arriving via the Mediterranean Sea, and points to the need to put effective measures in place to combat such trafficking.

12The Assembly notes that many countries are not taking people in as expected or issuing airport transit visas, repeats its appeal for international solidarity and asks States, whenever possible, to grant refugee status. In practice, Syrian refugees are often sent back or end up in detention centres. But Turkey has taken in a large number of Syrians and Germany, Sweden and Armenia have adopted measures to take in a limited number, through resettlement measures.

13The Assembly welcomes and supports the UNHCR’s proposal to put in place a resettlement policy and a humanitarian admission plan, and it encourages States to introduce that policy, which would enable larger numbers of Syrian refugees to be taken in, and particularly those who are members of the most vulnerable groups.

14The Assembly reiterates its appeal to all States to show solidarity and responsibility in the face of this unprecedented humanitarian crisis and take all necessary steps to prevent their nationals from joining the ranks of “IS”, and also to join forces in order to start a peace process in the region.

15Consequently, the Assembly invites the member States of the Council of Europe, the observer States with the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly and all the States concerned by the situation of Syrian refugees to:

15.1increase the funds allocated to humanitarian organisations, particularly the UNHCR, and actively support their activities;

15.2support and make commitments to the setting up if possible of a resettlement and humanitarian admission plan;

15.3provide temporary or international protection to Syrian refugees, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees (1951 Geneva Convention), and allow them to work during that period, following the example of Turkey;

15.4grant visas for the purposes of study or employment or for humanitarian or family reasons, particularly to the most vulnerable groups;

15.5cease collective expulsions at land and sea borders and rescind the requirement for an airport transit visa for Syrian nationals;

15.6ensure that they do not return refugees to countries lacking appropriate reception and protection capacities;

15.7provide additional assistance to Syria’s neighbouring countries and take measures to provide Syrian refugees with all the resources and supplies they need for subsistence, in terms of food, medicine, clothing and medical care;

15.8give special attention to the internally displaced persons in Syria, who are in a situation which is worse than calamitous and lack the strict minimum they need for subsistence;

15.9continue to implement protection and assistance programmes for the most vulnerable groups and take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of the women and children inside the camps;

15.10take action against smugglers in the Mediterranean Basin;

15.11combat statelessness, safeguarding the future of young Syrians as far as is possible;

15.12take measures to facilitate the integration of Syrian refugees, putting comprehensive integration policies in place;

15.13put in place training programmes for military and police personnel;

15.14prosecute persons responsible for war crimes.

16The Assembly also asks States, and particularly those States which are parties to the conflict, to take all necessary measures to involve women in the peace process and to comply with international law by allowing United Nations teams to do their work.