Quelle: UNHCR

Proposals to the Meeting of EU Heads of State or Government and Turkey on 7 March 2016

Introduction

This paper sets out UNHCR’s proposals both to the European Union (EU) and to the Member States to
help stabilize the situation and reduce onward movements of refugees and migrants in Europe. While
the vast majority of the world’s 60 million displaced are hosted in the developing world, increasing
numbers have undertaken perilous journeys to Europe, with over one million having crossed the
Mediterranean to Europe since the beginning of 2015. 1 An urgent adjustment of political and
humanitarian priorities is needed to meet these new realities.

First and foremost, greater efforts are required to resolve the conflicts that lead to displacement. In
the absence of political solutions, the countries that host the vast majority of refugees need support.
The international conference on Supporting Syria and the Region in London on 4 February 2016 was
significant, as the international community pledged more than USD 11 billion to fund activities that
can have a stabilizing effect for refugees and their host communities in the region. UNHCR is ready to
assist in the implementation of activities under this funding arrangement to address needs already
identified and to achieve early improvements in livelihoods and education. Similar initiatives would
be important to benefit also Iraqi and Afghan refugees, including those born in Pakistan or Iran.

Emergencies in Africa, which remain underfunded, must not be forgotten. Concerted efforts are
required now to implement in practice and in a “packaged approach“ the outcomes of the Valletta
Summit on Migration and to focus on these acute needs.

At the same time, more efficient management of the situation within Europe is urgently needed. The
majority of European States have not been directly affected by the present situation. However, the
participation of these States in a collective solution is critical to managing it effectively. The collective
failure to implement the measures agreed by EU Member States in the past has led to the current
escalation in the crisis. A reinvigorated approach is needed.

The following proposals set out recommendations for how to achieve this in a spirit of solidarity,
restoration of trust among States, and responsibility sharing. They include measures to implement
comprehensively the “hotspot” approach and the relocation schemes; support the emergency
response in Greece; improve compliance with the EU Asylum Acquis; expand opportunities for
resettlement and other pathways for admission; develop protection safeguards for individuals at risk;
and develop European systems for more effective allocation of responsibility for asylum-seekers in
the mid-term. […]