UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling on the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), and the Czech Republic which will assume the Presidency in July, to prioritize the better protection of refugees in Europe and globally.
In a statement, the UNHCR stated that while many EU countries remain committed to European and international human rights and refugee laws and principles, in 2021, violent pushbacks of asylum seekers at EU’s borders continued. These practices, according to the UNHCR, endanger lives and undermine fundamental human rights, including the right to seek asylum.
Increasing xenophobic political narratives, physical and legislative barriers to accessing territory for the purpose of seeking asylum in the EU have continued to erode the rights of people fleeing war, conflict and persecution.
Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UNHCR’s Representative for EU Affairs, stated that the right to seek asylum is a fundamental human right and must be preserved, especially in extraordinary situations or times of emergency.
“The EU is a Union based on the rule of law, but we have too often seen divisive and politicized positions and practices that seek to evade asylum obligations. Mixed movements of refugees and migrants pose challenges to asylum systems. However, these challenges never justify responses that run counter to international law and negate asylum obligations”.
Gonzalo Vargas Llosa
Promotion of Asylum reforms
UNHCR urges the Presidencies to promote sustainable asylum reform and achieve progress on key issues such as intra EU solidarity, adequate reception conditions as well as fair and fast asylum procedures to quickly determine who needs international protection and who does not, in line with legal safeguards.
Dignified returns for people wishing to go back to their countries of origin or who are found not to be in need of international protection are equally crucial for a credible and well-managed system.
In the absence of consensus on a common EU asylum framework, UNHCR is concerned that further detrimental practices including proposals to externalize or outsource asylum obligations to other countries will ensue. Such efforts would run counter to the spirit of the Refugee Convention and the Global Compact on Refugees, thus undermining refugee protection.
“At a time when the number of forcibly displaced people in the world is at an all-time high, when humanitarian needs are increasing, and crucially, when numbers of arrivals to the EU remain manageable, it is essential for the EU to recommit to solidarity – towards people, between states and with countries that host the majority of refugees. No matter how high barriers – physical and legislative – may be, desperate people will seek ways to reach safety. Managing borders, sharing responsibility and respecting human rights are compatible”.
Vargas Llosa
With nearly 90 per cent of refugees living in low and middle-income countries, UNHCR encourages the Presidencies to strengthen global solidarity by providing more support to the countries and regions where most forcibly displaced people are.
UNHCR assured that it remains ready to support the EU Presidencies, EU Institutions and Member States to better protect refugees in the EU and globally.
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