The Refugee Crisis, September 2015 : what is happening in Europe?

Nuestra Columnista Christine Stevens, desde su visión de analista diplomática y Embajadora europea  analiza  la situación de los migrantes en la UE. En esta oportunidad, reproponemos el artículo ya publicado en lengua castellana. En ta oportunidad, lo hacemos en lengua inglesa, con el deseo de responder a las solicitudes recibidas. Conoceremos lo dispuesto por las Convenciones aprobadas en seno UE así como las diferentes inestabilidades internacionales que están en la base de este proceso migratorio. Las diferencias en las legislaciones europeas que dirigen el flujo migratorio, lo que éstos significan económicamente así como, lamentablemente, las reacciones xenófobas y discriminantes. El día de mañana, se publicará la Parte II.

The European Commission announced on September 9th a new set of measures to address the refugee crisis affecting Europe. These measures concern a permanent relocation mechanism affecting 120,000 asylum seekers from Italy, Greece and Hungary to other member countries, a common list of countries of origin and a plan Action for a return policy. This proposal was supported by an emergency vote on September 17th in the European Parliament.

What is happening in Europe?
The EU has tried to set up a common asylum policy. In fact, this policy is very restrictive : indeed, the first part is to outsource asylum, the second part to file all asylum seekers and avoid that many asylum seekers who have failed to achieve their goal to make a new application in another country. This common policy started out with the Dublin Convention in 1990. It was followed by the establishment of the EURODAC file and the Dublin II Regulation in 2003, and then by the creation in 2010 of the European Asylum Support Office and by the Commission of new listings in 2015.

In fact, the member countries of the European Union have accepted few refugees, about only 6% of them worldwide (about 1.2 million on 16.7 million refugees in the world in 2013, in including Palestinian refugees).

The differences between the laws of the different Member States are the main reason for the choice of the refugees for a host country, in fact some states give refugee status to the majority of applicants, while others give it to the less than 1%. The Dublin II Regulation allows a State to return an asylum seeker to the Member State where he transited.

Since 2014, the number of people seeking refugee status has continued to increase, due to the wars in the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq, as well as conflicts and instability in Afghanistan, in Eritrea and other countries. So far thirty-eight European countries have received 264,000 asylum applications, this figure is steadily increasing since 2014. Within the EU, the five countries that have accepted the most applications are Germany, France, Sweden, Italy and the UK.

The mass movement in Ukraine resulted in an increase in humanitarian needs, requiring emergency responses. Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011, Turkey responded to the influx of refugees by establishing a temporary protection regime for Syrian asylum seekers and opening over twenty camps. In addition to the Syrian refugees, newcomers from Afghanistan and Iraq are becoming more numerous.

Rejection, obstacles are placed by some countries to prevent the entry of asylum seekers and refugees on their territory. There are cases of abduction and extradition involving asylum seekers and refugees which cause serious concern for officials and humanitarian agencies. In addition, asylum systems in many countries do not yet fully comply with international standards : bad conditions for reception, the inadequate procedures for determining the status of refugee, low recognition rate and lack of access to durable solutions, are particularly problematic.

Regarding statelessness, there are two UN Conventions whose memberships continue to progress. However, due to lack of adequate identification and protection mechanisms, many of the 670,000 stateless persons estimated to live in Europe are still lacking papers, and are deprived of basic rights to acquire a nationality or to confirm their own nationality.

Concerning the financial aspects to tackle the question of refugees, the European budget totaled 480.5 million USD, in 2015, two and half times higher than that allocated five years ago (2009).

As there is no hope for a solution of the crises in Iraq and Syria in the near future, additional budgets will probably be needed in 2015 to help the establishment in Europe of refugees from these countries.

The economic situation in the region has an impact on the capacity and will to strengthen the protection systems in many countries. The austerity measures have also affected the civil society organizations that provide services to refugees and asylum seekers. Xenophobia and intolerance have led to discrimination and violence. States have responded harshly by curbing irregular movements, tightening controls at borders, proceeding to detentions and criminalization measures for people entering illegally on their territory.

It is unfortunate that EU financial support is low and not up to face the influx of refugees. The special fund for Syria (EU Trust Fund or Madad Trust Fund), created in December 2014 by the European Commission with an Italian participation, is still partly empty. Its purpose was to provide support to third countries (Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan) for better reception, including hundreds of thousands of children in need of care and education in the camps. This fund was to harbour the amount of 4 billion euros. But for now, it has only just under 50 million euros, including 41 million euros from the EU budget, 5,000,000 from Berlin and 3,000,000 Rome. It is expected that member States take on the missing billions.

At the Extraordinary European Council of Monday, September 14th , the ministers of justice and home affairs vowed to devote more resources to third countries . An extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government has been convened for Wednesday 23rd September to study the means to allot to third countries.

This September 22nd , the interior ministers will try to agree on the allocation of refugees to clear the way for difficult future discussions.

Faced with such a flood of migrants rushing to European countries whether from Africa, crossing the Mediterranean at great risk, or from the Middle East, coming either by land or sea, we are witnessing a unprecedented humanitarian tragedy in contemporary history. These mass exoduses affecting certain populations, Syrians, Iraqis, Afghanis or Pakistanis fleeing war also include Albanians, Kosovars and Serbians in search of a better life.

We forget the European migrations to America in the early 20th century. Denying the principles of free movement of persons and the promotion of universal democratic values, we proceed to the closure of borders, building walls with barbed wire to «protect» Europe and “protect” democracy. The question is not of religion. These migratory masses have several religions. 10% of Syrians, for example, are Christians.

Europe is face with its incoherence and immoral economic appetites. Arms purchased in France by the Saudi Wahhabism and Qatari, protected by the American 5th Fleet, feed the Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood. Europe is immersed in contradictions, denying its founding values ​​of democracy and fundamental freedoms. To face these challenges it needs a long term vision and not be wrought by the anxiety of the next elections.

Sources :
The European Parliament,
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees,
Comatral,
Le Monde,
Jacques Rifflet.