UNHCR notes today’s agreement between theEuropean Union and Turkey on the situation of refugees and migrants seeking tomake their way to Europe.
We recognize the shared need of countries tofind properly managed solutions to this situation. Indeed UNHCR has on severaloccasions in recent months offered its own specific recommendations to Europein this regard. The chaos that has prevailed in 2015 and till now in 2016serves neither the interests of people fleeing war and needing safety, nor ofEurope itself.
Today’s agreement clarifies a number ofelements. Importantly, it is explicit that any modalities of implementation ofthe agreement will respect international and European law. In UNHCR’sunderstanding, in light of relevant jurisprudence, this means that peopleseeking international protection will have an individual interview on whethertheir claim can be assessed in Greece, and the right to appeal before anyreadmission to Turkey. This would also entail that once returned, people inneed of international protection will be given the chance to seek andeffectively access protection in Turkey. We now need to see how this will beworked out in practice, in keeping with the safeguards set out in the agreement– many of which at present are not in place.
How this plan is to be implemented is thus goingto be crucial. Ultimately, the response must be about addressing the compellingneeds of individuals fleeing war and persecution. Refugees need protection, notrejection.
Firstly, Greece’s reception conditions and itssystems for assessing asylum claims and dealing with people accepted asrefugees must be rapidly strengthened. The safeguards in the agreement have tobe established and implemented. This will be an enormous challenge needingurgent addressing.
Secondly, people being returned to Turkey andneeding international protection must have a fair and proper determination oftheir claims, and within a reasonable time. Assurances against refoulement, orforced return, must be in place. Reception and other arrangements need to bereadied in Turkey before anyone is returned from Greece. People determined tobe needing international protection need to be able to enjoy asylum, withoutdiscrimination, in accordance with accepted international standards, includingeffective access to work, health care, education for children, and, asnecessary, social assistance.
Thirdly, while UNHCR has noted the commitment inthis agreement to increase resettlement opportunities for Syrian refugees outof Turkey, it is crucial that such commitments are meaningful and predictable.Increased EU resettlement from Turkey should not be at the expense of theresettlement of other refugee populations around the world who also have greatneeds – especially in today’s context of record forced displacement worldwide.
Media contacts:
Europe
· Idomeni – Babar Baloch, [email protected] +306 957 202 486 / +36 30 530 9633
· Ankara – Selin Unal, [email protected] +90 530 282 7862
· Rome – Carlotta Sami, [email protected] +39 335 679 4746
· London – Laura Padoan , [email protected] +44 777 556 6127
· Stockholm – Zoran Stevanovic, [email protected] +46 708 990 169
· Paris – Céline Schmitt, [email protected] +33 6 23 16 11 78
Headquarters (Geneva)
· Adrian Edwards, [email protected] +41 79 557 9120
· William Spindler, [email protected] +41 79 217 3011
· Ariane Rummery, [email protected] +41 79 200 7617
· Andy Needham, [email protected] +41 79 217 3140
· Melissa Fleming, [email protected] +41 79 557 9122
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