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Resolution 2224 (2018)
The humanitarian situation of refugees in the countries neighbouring Syria
1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers
to its earlier work on the humanitarian situation of refugees in
Syria, its neighbouring countries and the whole region, and in particular
to Resolution 2107 (2016) on
a stronger European response to the Syrian refugee crisis and Resolution 1971 (2014) Syrian
refugees: how to organise and support international assistance?
2. Furthermore, it refers to its earlier work concerning the
human rights of refugees and general principles underlying the management
of mass population displacement, which is fully relevant and applicable
to the situation in Syria’s neighbouring countries and surrounding
region, and in particular: Resolution
2164 (2017) on possible ways to improve the funding of
emergency refugee situations; Resolution
2109 (2016) on the situation of refugees and migrants
under the EU–Turkey Agreement of 18 March 2016; Resolution 2089 (2016) on
organised crime and migrants; Resolution
2099 (2016) on the need to eradicate statelessness of
children; and Resolution
2136 (2016) on harmonising the protection of unaccompanied
minors in Europe.
3. The region is currently both the source and recipient of the
largest numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons globally,
and Syria’s neighbours are among the countries with both the highest
refugee-to-population ratio and absolute numbers of refugees. As
at 1 June 2018, there were over 3.6 million registered refugees
in Turkey, 2.7 million in Jordan, 1.8 million in Lebanon and 267 000
in Iraq.
4. The entire region has been subject to mass forced population
movements for many years as a result of armed conflicts including
the civil war in Lebanon, the Gulf wars and the war in Yemen. These
movements took place in the context of the long-term displacement
of third and fourth generation Palestinian refugees. While Syria
and Yemen are currently the source of large-scale displacements,
there is significant displacement from other countries, particularly
from Iraq.
5. The outbreak of military hostilities in Syria in 2011 and
the ensuing stream of refugees into neighbouring countries overstretched
reception capacities and put enormous strain on their economies,
social services and populations. Over 5.3 million Syrian refugees,
out of the 11 million in total who have fled the country, are currently
registered in one of these neighbouring countries.
6. Confronted with a humanitarian tragedy of this scale, the
neighbouring countries have not always been able, despite international
assistance, to provide refugees with adequate material reception
conditions. To their credit, it should be underlined that they left
their borders open for Syrian refugees during the peak arrivals. Regrettably,
at present the borders remain closed except for critical medical
cases and there have been reported forced returns of refugees.
7. The legal framework governing refugee issues in Syria’s neighbouring
countries is far from satisfactory. In particular, all of these
countries should ratify as a priority the 1951 Geneva Convention
relating to the Status of Refugees, without exemption clauses, and
its 1967 protocol, and adopt, if they have not already done so, adequate
legislation regulating services offered to refugees, including access
to health care, education and work, governed by the principle of
non-discrimination.
8. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR), between 75% and 90% of Syrian refugees in
the region live below the poverty line. More than 2.5 million require
continuous food assistance. Some 43% of Syrian refugee children
were out of school as of June 2017. These figures should, however,
be considered in the context of the economic situation of the countries
concerned, as well as of the living conditions of the local population.
9. In order to sustain the efforts of the neighbouring countries,
which are continuously confronted with a refugee influx, greater
financial support from the international community is indispensable.
The comprehensive approach adopted by the Regional Refugee and Resilience
Plan under the aegis of the United Nations, which addresses the
needs of the host communities in Syria’s neighbouring countries,
including refugees and the local population, is to be highly commended
as responding to the challenges faced by the region.
10. There is a clear need to enhance the use, and take advantage,
of new technologies, including “EyePay” and a blockchain-based form
of digital identity, in order to make significant financial savings
and make the whole assistance process more transparent and accountable.
11. While increasing the reception capacities of the countries
across the region remains the main objective, the creation of legal
pathways for resettlement, including humanitarian visas, academic
scholarships, private sponsorship and labour mobility schemes, should
become another priority. Furthermore, external processing of asylum
applications constitutes an opportunity to improve the situation
and should be seriously considered.
12. The Assembly therefore calls on the governments of Iraq, Jordan
and Lebanon to:
12.1. enhance their
legal framework for refugee issues, in particular to ratify the
1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its
1967 protocol, and introduce specific legislation with regard to
asylum procedures, governed by the principle of non-discrimination
and guaranteeing fundamental freedoms;
12.2. adopt and implement comprehensive domestic legislation
regulating benefits offered to refugees and asylum seekers, in particular
with regard to health care, education and employment;
12.3. ensure a legal basis for the priority treatment of unaccompanied
refugee minors and other vulnerable groups of refugees;
12.4. adopt and implement comprehensive policies including,
but not limited to, ease of access and staff training, in order
to ensure appropriate assistance is consistently provided to all
unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable groups of refugees, in
particular women and girls;
12.5. follow UNHCR recommendations with regard to stateless
people;
12.6. maintain an open-door policy for refugees and create appropriate
reception centres at border areas with Syria to provide temporary
legal protection for refugees;
12.7. ensure that all returns are conducted on a voluntary basis,
with due respect for security and dignity;
12.8. enhance co-operation with the UNHCR to improve the management
of refugee flows and facilitate delivery of appropriate services
to refugees and asylum seekers.
13. The Assembly calls on the Government of Turkey to:
13.1. abolish the geographical limitations
restricting the scope of the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to
the Status of Refugees;
13.2. return to an open-door policy for refugees and refrain
from carrying out forced returns;
13.3. ensure that the implementation of the EU–Turkey statement
of 18 March 2016 is carried out with full respect for the human
rights of irregular migrants and refugees;
13.4. meet the specific needs of unaccompanied minors and all
vulnerable groups of refugees, especially women and girls.
14. Furthermore, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member
States to:
14.1. step up financial
contributions to the United Nations Regional Refugee and Resilience
Plan, in order to satisfy funding requirements;
14.2. step up responsibility sharing by substantially increasing
the resettlement and other forms of legal admission of refugees
from the region to their countries;
14.3. use all available diplomatic means to encourage fairer
responsibility sharing with non-European Union countries, in particular
those involved in the Middle East process, such as the United States,
the Russian Federation and the Gulf States.
15. The Assembly is of the opinion that all integration and social
inclusion initiatives targeting refugees in the region should be
supported and encouraged. The Intercultural Cities programme sponsored
by the Council of Europe is a good example to follow.
16. Furthermore, the Council of Europe Development Bank could
be instrumental in funding integration projects for refugees in
the region, as already recommended by the Assembly in its Resolution 1971 (2014).
17. The Assembly calls on its member States to reply positively
to the pledge of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for increased contributions
to its budget in order to compensate for the significant funding
cuts on the part of the United States.
18. The Assembly points out that enhancing the capacity of Syria’s
neighbouring countries to cope with the consequences of forced displacements
in the region would create more favourable conditions for refugees
to return to their countries once the situation allows it. It would
furthermore reduce the risk of their endangering their lives by
undertaking perilous journeys across the Mediterranean and falling
prey to smugglers and traffickers.