February 2, 2017 — As the fate of vulnerable refugees eligible for resettlement to the US hangs in the balance, Europe has a duty to stand firmly by its commitments to the 1951 Convention on Refugees, and the principles and values on which the Union was founded.
On Friday, as leaders meet in Valletta, the International Rescue Committee is calling on Member States to consider the impact of President Trump’s damaging Executive Order and to show renewed commitment to refugee resettlement by immediately pledging 60,000 resettlement places, a number equal to those reneged on by the United States.
Writing to the Maltese Prime Minister, David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee requested support in ensuring an urgent and significant increase in European refugee resettlement.
IRC firmly believes that safe and legal options for refugees, like the managed and controlled resettlement process, are a vital component of any comprehensive strategy to manage today’s unprecedented migration flows. The Union Resettlement Framework, currently going through the European Parliament and the Council, presents the opportunity for Member States to set commitments in stone
To date Europe’s commitment has been too little - Europe accounts for 16.5% of the world’s GDP but hosts a mere 8% of the world’s refugees. To put that in perspective, Lebanon is hosting more than 180 refugees for every inhabitant, compared with an average of 3 per inhabitant in Europe.
This week European Council President Donald Tusk recognized we are living in “a world full of tension and confrontation, what is needed is courage, determination and political solidarity of Europeans.” As we face a new global political reality, and a creeping hostility towards refugees, the EU must consider its own record on provision for the vulnerable on its soil. Thousands living in camps in freezing conditions, failure to meet commitments on relocation and threats to enact returns to Greece under the Dublin Regulation are but a handful of examples.
Resettlement offers one safe and legal pathway to alleviate some of this misery, and should be seized upon with renewed urgency.
IRC spokespeople are available in Brussels and London. For more information or to schedule interviews please contact:
London: Lucy Keating on [email protected] or +44 7468 694 568
Resources:
The IRC’s report ‘Rescuing Futures: Europe’s vital role in resettlement’ can be downloaded here.
