PAMUN XV GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEASURES TO ADDRESS EUROPE S REFUGEE CRISIS Introduction of Topic Lying motionless on a Turkish beach, the picture of the dead body of a young Syrian boy attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea, fleeing his home country, went viral in early September of 2015. The image not only revealed the urgency of the refugee crisis in Europe and but also the danger migrants and refugees face when leaving their homelands. As a result, an international spotlight was placed onto the issue and brought it to the attention of many governments. That being said, this image is only the representation of a much larger issue. In light of recent events within several nations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, Europe has witnessed an influx of migrants and refugees trying to cross its borders. This has left the continent in a state of great emergency, with one of its largest issues to date since the Financial Crisis of 2008. Whether trying to evade political and socials issues, war, or religious persecution, these migrants and refugees are forcefully leaving their countries in hope for a new and better life. It was recorded by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), that approximately 350,000 refugees and migrants crossed Europe s borders from January to August of this year. This however is considered to be a conservative estimate as other sources have calculated that up to 500,000 migrants and refugees have crossed these borders; comparatively larger than to the 280,000 in all of 2014. Of course this number only includes documented migrants and refugees and does not account for those who are smuggled into the E.U. Regardless, this helps us visualize the exponentially growing waves of people coming into the continent, of whom nearly 62% percent come from either Syria, Afghanistan, or Eritrea. The same source also claimed that Europe was the most dangerous location on the planet for illegal or undocumented immigration. Europe was accredited with this status due to the alarming rates of deaths experienced by migrants and refugees trying to make their way into Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. Europe leads above all others with a death toll adding up to nearly 3,000 dead migrants and refugees; the often poor travelling conditions of migrants explains the considerably large death toll. The European Union both as a group and its individual countries have lacked the ability to provide ample support for these people. With large amounts of fear for Islamic terrorism and egoism implanted into the continent, many leaders and governments have been reluctant to provide much help to the migrants. Additionally, with an ever-growing rise of right wing nationalist extremist groups, and xenophobia within the aging European peoples, the road to progress has been delayed, and it is still unclear if progress will be made anytime soon. This report will focus on the European Refugee Crisis, Research Report Page 1 of 11
the necessary steps the U.N. can take to put an end to it, the main players of the issue and the main roadblocks to finding a viable solution. Definition of Key Terms Refugee A refugee is someone who is seeking asylum, or leaving their homeland due to war/conflict and are looking to migrate to a new country, and have the proper documentation to do so. The difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker is proper documentation. Refugees, by definition, have approval to join a new country and asylum seekers do not. (All according to the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees) Delegates should be wary during debate and when drafting clauses when referring to either a refugee or an asylum seeker. The Dublin Regulation The Dublin Regulation is a law passed by the EU that forces a migrant or asylum seeker to stay in the country they arrived in until receiving proper documentation for asylum. This has caused many issues for countries on the Mediterranean like Italy and Greece as they have been the primary European locations of arrival for migrants. Due to this law, the migrants and asylum seekers are unable to leave until they receive proper documentation, leaving thousands upon thousands of people off the coast of these countries. This creates an imbalance and leaves these countries with a much larger burden than the richer and more powerful northern European countries (France, UK, Germany, etc.). This law has caused much controversy and an unwillingness to help fellow member states in need by wealthy EU states due to the lack of culpability. Schengen Zone The Schengen Zone is a region comprised of 26 European countries that have granted free border passing to people, without the need for a passport or checking, between their borders. This has been especially relevant in the European Refugee Crisis, as many of these people have been using this to go to different nations and consequently evade the issues that come along with the Dublin Regulation Arab Spring The Arab Spring was a wave of political and revolutionary change within the Middle East lasting from late 2010 all the way to 2013. Fueled by civil war and protests this was essentially a time period in which many of the governments of countries like Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya were brought down. This was a time of growing change in the Arab World, but essentially led to the weakening of these countries and in some cases the rise of extremist groups like the IS within some of these nations. Page 2 of 11 Research Report
Background Information Attention was first brought to the issue of refugees and migrants coming into Europe near the end of a phenomenon known as the Arab Spring. After this period of frequent riots and revolutions, many people decided to flee their countries to join a more stable Europe. News first rose of an apparent issue with immigration to Europe, during the arrival of thousands upon thousands of young Tunisians on the Italian Island of Lampedusa. From there on, the relevance of this issue was mainly fueled by several cases of shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. Only recently has the European Refugee Crisis reached not only the public and media s attention but also that of politicians and individual governments. As the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres stated in an interview with Reuters regarding the EU and the world s response to migrants in Europe, unfortunately only when the poor enter the halls of the rich, do the rich notice that the poor exist. Guterres is hinting at the fact that only once the implications and effects of this crisis became abundantly clear did countries start taking action. In order to fully understand the situation in Europe, it is imperative to make a clear distinction between two similar terms that are often associated to and used in this type of situation: refugee and migrant. Although they have similar connotations, both words have two very different meanings. The word refugee refers to an individual who tries to evade their country due to conflict or potential danger, with proper documentation. This type of individual without documentation is simply known as an asylum seeker. Only once an asylum seeker has the proper documentation and his migration has been approved can he be considered a refugee. Essentially a refugee is an asylum seeker, with documentation. This in accordance to the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. A migrant on the other hand is essentially someone who moves from one place to another, without making a specification of leaving a region due to war or conflict. So technically speaking a refugee is a type of migrant. With that, also comes along another type of migrant: economic migrants. These are quite self-explanatory as their main drive or goal for leaving their homelands is acquiring economic advantages. Though most may think the migrants coming into Europe are avoiding war (refugees), there are also some migrants coming in for economic reasons. This has resulted in a truly diverse group of migrants and refugees crossing into the E.U. Major Countries and Organizations Involved The following nations have been picked and placed into separate categories as to get a complete and broad understanding of the different ways countries are involved in the matter. Countries of Origin- Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea Syria Since March of 2011, the Syrian people have been living through a ruthless civil war against the current ruling family, the Assads. With stories of human rights violations and terrible actions Research Report Page 3 of 11
taken against its citizens, the ruling powers of the country have received much criticism from the International Community. Four years later, this struggle is still taking place and continues to threaten the lives of millions of Syrians. In an attempt to escape the atrocities taking place within their homelands, many Syrians have taken it upon themselves to migrate out of their countries, to live safer lives. It was estimated that approximately 4.4 million Syrians have left the country since 2011. Though quite a large number, the Syrians only encompass approximately 40% of all the refugees and migrants in Europe, with just under 150,000 of them having asked for asylum in the continent. All the other migrants have primarily been held within Syria s neighboring countries, Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon. Syria has been one of if not the largest contributor of refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers not only in Europe, but also throughout the Middle East. Furthermore, Syria s civil war has been one of the major causes for this sudden influx of refugees and migraines within the E.U. Afghanistan Making up approximately 12% of the refugees and migrants coming into Europe, the Afghani people, similarly to the Syrians, are escaping their countries due to war and conflict. With a growing presence of extremists groups like the Taliban, the people of Afghanistan, fearing for their lives, have progressively been leaving their homeland to reach the commonly believed safe European lands. Also, the growth of the Afghani branch of the Islamic State has instilled fear within the people of Afghanistan, causing many of them to leave their country and join Europe to live safer lives. Eritrea Unlike the two previous nations, Eritrea does not suffer from war and conflict of this sort. Nevertheless, the people of Eritrea still deal with considerable number of security issues, a thriving piracy business, and exposure to a totalitarian regime. This has caused many of these people to seek refuge and a better life in Europe. Making up approximately 8% of the migrants and refugees coming into Europe, the Eritrean people are evading terrible conditions in their homeland. The Eritrean government has long been accused of committing several human rights violations. Without a written constitution or even elections, the people of this African nation are forced to subdue to the rule of this regime. These conditions have led to the escape of many migrants and refugees to other E.U nations. Unlike, the Syrian and Afghani people, the Eritrean refugees and migrants are mainly economic migrants. Wishing to evade the totalitarian rule in their country in favor of new economic prospects in Europe, the large majority of people leaving this country have been classified as economic migrants. This has caused for a mix of refugees and migrants joining the E.U., some seeking political aid and others seeking economic gain. European Nation s Response- Italy and Greece, Hungary, and Germany Page 4 of 11 Research Report
Italy and Greece These nations have proven to have very different reactions and outcomes in light of the European Refugee Crisis. Though stated numerous times throughout this report already Italy and Greece are the primary victims of this crisis. Based on their proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, waves of migrants and refugees have been landing onto these nations shores. Due to already weakened economic systems due to the Financial Crisis of 2008 and the restrictions made by the Dublin Regulation, these nations have been left with a massive burden, which nearly no other country has helped them with. Economic hardship makes it difficult for these countries to provide aid to the refugees and migrants who are required by the Dublin Regulation to stay within their borders. This not only puts a massive burden on these nations but also results in overcrowded, unsanitary, and poor conditions for migrants and refugees. Hungary Hungary has proven itself to be quite unhelpful towards not only fellow EU nations but also refugees and migrants. By creating a barb-wired fence along its border with Serbia, Hungary has prevented and dissuaded the arrival of these people within its borders. Germany Germany on the other hand has set the example for providing proper aid to migrants. They have promised to not only take in 800,000 migrants and refugees into its borders, more than the entire European Union took in 2014 (approximately 600,000). German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also promised the discontinuation of the Dublin Regulation, thus granting asylum to any migrant or refugee that manages to reach German soil. Germany has set an example for other European nations and has followed in the footsteps of countries like Sweden, which have performed similar reforms. Germany has been able to acquire several supporters, including countries like France, and has shown its interest in conserving the Schengen Zone, rather than abolishing it as advocated by some countries. Neighboring Nations- Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan The nations sharing borders with the countries of origin have also played a major role in the European Refugee Crisis. Considering their geographical proximity to these conflict driven lands, many of the refugees and migrants attempting to escape immediately chose these nations as their first destinations. These nations are primarily relevant to the Syrian refugees, whom make up for a large amount of peoples coming into Europe, as they are Syria s neighbors. It was estimated by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that just slightly less than 4 million Syrians took refuge in these nations since 2011, with nearly 1.9 million Syrians going to Turkey, 1.1 million going to Lebanon, and around 600,000 going to Jordan. These waves of refugees and migrants have had negative impacts on these neighboring countries as well, causing economic hardship and a shortage of supplies. Their Research Report Page 5 of 11
geographical proximity has also caused for these nations, primarily Turkey, to become what are known as countries of passage. Essentially meaning that migrants and refugees have been using these countries as routes to move on to the next nation, to ultimately reach their destination. *Graphic on right detailing the number of refugees taken in by some of Syria s neighboring countries as well as some of the Migrant Routes borrowed by migrants coming into Europe, from the Middle East Timeline of Events Date July 28, 1951 June 14, 1985 June 15, 1990 November 1, 1993 September 1, 1997 December 18, 2010 March 15, 2011 2011 October 26, 2013 June 2014 April 20, 2015 August, 2015 Early September, 2015 Description of event Signing of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees Signing of the Schengen Agreement Signing of the Dublin Convention (Dublin Regulation) Foundation of the European Union Implementation of the Dublin Convention (Dublin Regulation) Beginning of the Arab Spring Beginning of the Syrian Civil War More and more shipwrecks off the coast of the Italian Island, Lampedusa, draws the world s attention to the issue of refugees and migrants evading their homelands. End of the Arab Spring Beginning of the Iraqi Civil War Deadliest Shipwreck, Killing 800 migrants Hungary builds a barb-wired fence to keep out migrants, along the border with Serbia Picture of drowned Syrian boy becomes viral, bringing the world s attention once again on Europe s Refugee Crisis. Page 6 of 11 Research Report
Relevant UN Treaties and Events Declaration on the Critical Economic Situation in Africa, 3 December 1984 (A/RES/39/29) Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 28 July 1951. European Agreement on Transfer of Responsibility for Refugees, 16 October 1980, (ETS 107) Note: This is an agreement made by the E.U. Main Issues Xenophobia & Fear/Rejection of Islam Though quite a controversial and rather taboo subject, xenophobia has been a major underlying theme within European nations. With the large hit the EU faced due to the Financial Crisis of 2008, many, if not most, of the nations within the continent were left in terrible economic shape. This created a slight snowball effect leading to the rise of extremist nationalist groups and consequently growing levels of xenophobia. This was made abundantly clear by several nations upon the arrival of migrant refugees on their soil. One prominent example of this is the building of a very controversial wall in Hungary. Implemented by the ruling populist party in Hungary (Fidesz) and led by the country s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, this wall was meant to keep migrants and refugees out of the country. As he explained, his people wanted to, preserve a Hungarian, Hungary. Building on this point is also an evident fear of Islam present specifically in eastern European nations. Many of these nations including Slovakia, Poland, and even Hungary, have openly stated their preference for non-islamic migrants and refugees. Slovakia for example has openly stated it would rather take Christian followers, as they believe they could help them more than followers of Islam. That being said in an interview with the BBC, the Slovak Spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior stated that due to a lack of mosques in the country and a very small Muslim community, they believe they wouldn t be able to help them as efficiently as Christians, that make up the majority of their current population. Existing Policies & Egoism Another issue that is causing a lot of debate within the European Union is the current existing ratified policies on the issue of refugees. Specifically through laws like the Dublin Regulation, many nations have been largely and negatively affected by the arrival of migrants and refugees. The Dublin Regulation essentially states that a migrant without permission or a grant for asylum, must stay in the first country they arrive in until they receive proper documentation for asylum within another country. Until then they are stuck in the first nation they step foot in. Logically, most migrants and refugees coming from war stricken zones lack the time or ability to file the appropriate paperwork and are thusly forced to stay in the first countries they land in. This has caused for a very large burden to be put on a Research Report Page 7 of 11
small number of nations, primarily Italy and Greece. Coincidentally and unfortunately for these nations, they were among the Europeans nations to have suffered the most from the Financial crisis of 2008, leaving them with very unstable economies. With the added worry of thousands of refugees located on their coasts, with more coming each day, these nations have been unable to provide any solutions to the issue. Additionally, many European nations have proven their egoism in not helping their fellow member states. Simply benefiting off of the clauses in the Dublin Regulation, several of the more developed nations have been reluctant to help and have quite simply not done so. The one exception is Germany, who discontinued the Dublin Regulation and agreed to take in 800,000 migrants and refugees, in an effort to release the burden off of countries like Italy and Greece. Countries of Origin One issue that seems fairly obvious is the current situations in the countries of origin. As previously mentioned several times, one of, if not the leading factor pushing people away from their countries, is indeed what is happening in said countries. Whether it be war like in Syria or Iraq, or the totalitarian rules in countries like Eritrea, everyday citizens are leaving their homelands to join Europe in hope for a better life. Considering that these issues are still taking place and a solution has not been found to put an end to them, refugees and migrants are still leaving their countries. And they will continue to do so until a solution is found to put an end to these unfortunate events. Though it may not be the primary concern at the moment for the EU, by attacking the root of the problem, the number of people coming into the EU could be drastically reduced. Previous Attempts to solve the Issue Very few steps have been taken to solve this issue. Nations throughout the E.U. have proven to be quite reluctant in providing any aid to the refugees and their fellow EU member states. Several proposals of sharing the number of refugees and migrants among nations have been made, but they have ultimately led to nothing. Many nations have also agreed to accept a specific number of refugees, but so insignificant, the number of accepted refugees would make little to no difference. That being said, Germany has recently set the example for taking in refugees and migrants, granting the entrance of 800,000 of these people. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, also called out Germany s discontinuation of the Dublin Regulation, essentially allowing anyone who can make it to Germany refuge. One considerably successful step taken in the past to solve the refugee crisis, is the so called, Operation Mare Nostrum, implemented by the Italian Government. This essentially entailed in putting an end to the sinking of traveler ships in the Mediterranean, by sending out rescue ships to fish out migrants and refugees, to bring them back to shore. In doing so the Italian government managed to save the lives of thousands of refugees, approximately 130,000. The Italians also provided medical and legal aid, to these people, in an effort to help them achieve asylum in the E.U. This operation was later shut Page 8 of 11 Research Report
down due to the fact that, as Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said, Mare Nostrum is closing down because it was an emergency operation. Possible Solutions From an overall perspective many people, might consider this issue as one only affecting, or relevant to the European Union, the issues name itself, The European Refugee Crisis, makes this quite clear. That being said, although mainly being a European issue, the urgency and gravity of what is happening within the continent s borders has started to catch the attention of countries worldwide. Human Rights Violations and poor conditions for migrants and refugees has caused for much outrage within nations outside of Europe. This issue also has worldwide implications. Dealing with nations like Syria, Afghanistan, and even Eritrea, countries where many migrants are coming from, has caused for the implication of many sovereign states into this issue. Though primarily European this issue, is one that can not be undermined by the EU, partly due to the intercontinental range of nations involved in the conflict, as well as the global implications this issue has on the world. Conflict In Countries of Origin In order to find a viable solution to put an end to the European Refugee Crisis, it is essential to attack the root of the problem which is the conflict in countries of origin. Whether it be the Civil Wars in Syria or Iraq, or even the rise of totalitarian regimes in places like Eritrea, it is essential to find a solution to these problems. It seems quite obvious that by preventing the push factors that are making people leave their countries, less people will consequently migrate to the E.U. That being said it is much easier said than done. Which is why this may be a good long term solution, it is essential, considering the state the EU is in now, to find several short term solutions to the issue. Common Asylum Policy A commonly mentioned idea to put an end to this crisis is the creation of a common asylum policy within the E.U. As previously mentioned individual European nations have proven themselves to be increasingly selfish in their ways of dealing with the refugee crisis. It is imperative to relief the burden off of some of the more vulnerable European countries that are plagued by waves and waves of migrants coming onto their shores every day. Countries like Italy or Greece, after both having been very negatively impacted by the Financial Crisis of 2008, were still not strong enough to withstand such a mass of refugees and migrants coming onto their lands. This has caused for flooded refugee camps, unsanitary conditions, and the poor treatment of refugees. For this reason it is necessary for the E.U. to come together as a body and share the burden of this issue, and create a common asylum policy. Recently The European Commission proposed a plan to the E.U. to share out a large amount of refugees and migrants following on a quota system based off of a countries economic stability and its population. Research Report Page 9 of 11
Reforming EU Policy In order to successfully put an end to this refugee crisis, bringing reform to EU Policies can be seen as very useful. Though many countries, in fear of growing waves of people coming into their countries, have claimed to want to change or put an end to the Schengen Zone, this would only promote more egoism and xenophobia within nations. One policy that could be successfully altered is the Dublin Regulation. By forcing asylum seekers to stay in the first EU country they arrived in, some countries can feel more pressure from the matter, than other others. The asylum seekers must stay in these countries until they receive proper documentation, and in some cases will be brought back to these countries if they try to escape. By bringing reform to this policy, it could release some of the burden on nations like Italy and Greece, whom due to their geographical location are the first to greet the asylum seekers into Europe. That being said, many nations have been strongly opposed to the reformation of the Dublin Regulation, or EU policy in general. One primary reason why that is so, is because these laws prevent migrants and refugees from coming into their countries, thusly forcing a larger burden on states like Greece or Germany. Egoism, as previously explained plays a big role here, which is why many nations have been opposed to reforming EU policy. But it might still be a viable solution. Resources to Consider http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home The UNHCR is a UN branch entirely dedicated to refugees. This is their site and could be useful for research and the UN s stance on the issue http://www.iom.int The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an organization entirely devoted to refugees and migrants. Similarly to the UNHCR their site could be useful to see their analysis on the current situation in Europe. http://syrianrefugees.eu Interesting site, worthy to look at. It gives an interesting and very informative perspective on the European Refugee Crisis. It provides the view and opinions of some of the major players in this issue, and is useful to provide information, such as statistics, on these nations and regions. http://time.com/3827862/eu-mediterranean-refugees-europe-libya-italy-lampedusa-migrantsasylum-seekers/ Though quite simplistic, this site may answer the early questions you may have on the issue. It provides an easy to understand basis for the topic of refugees and migrants in Europe. Page 10 of 11 Research Report
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