Sta te m e n t o n In te rn a tio n a l Re fu g e e Da y
20 J u n e 20 24
Europe can and must show more solidarity with refugees On this World Refugee Day, Caritas Europa calls for a Europe that facilitates access to protection in its territory, encourages solidarity towards refugees and promotes inclusion.
social
With th e in c re a s in g n u m b e r o f wa rs a n d c o n flic ts o c c u rrin g a c ro s s th e wo rld , th e n u m b e r o f p e o p le b e in g fo rc e d to fle e th e ir h o m e s is a t a n a ll- tim e h ig h . In 20 24 , 120 m illio n p e o p le g lo b a lly a re e s tim a te d to b e fo rc ib ly d is p la c e d , wh ile UNHC R e s tim a te s th a t o ve r th re e m illio n p e o p le will b e in n e e d o f re s e ttle m e n t in 20 25 , a 20 % in c re a s e c o m p a re d with 20 24 . Wh ile s e ve ra l Eu ro p e a n p o lic y m a ke rs in c re a s in g ly p ro m o te th e e xte rn a lis a tio n o f th e EU’s a s ylu m s ys te m a lo n g th e lin e s o f th e in fa m o u s UK- Rwa n d a d e a l, fig u re s s h o w th a t m o s t fo rc ib ly d is p la c e d p e o p le a re n o t h o s te d in Eu ro p e . In fa c t, 70 % o f re fu g e e s a n d d is p la c e d p e o p le live n e a r th e ir c o u n trie s o f o rig in , o fte n in ve ry fra g ile c o n te xts , s u c h a s in s u b - Sa h a ra n Afric a a n d th e Mid d le Ea s t. No w is n o t th e tim e fo r Eu ro p e to with d ra w in to its e lf; in s te a d , it m u s t s h o w s o lid a rity a n d re s p e c t its re s p o n s ib ilitie s u n d e r th e 19 5 1 Re fu g e e C o n ve n tio n . Eu ro p e a n le a d e rs m u s t re s is t a tte m p ts to s h ift th e ir a s ylu m re s p o n s ib ility to n o n - EU c o u n trie s a n d s to p m a kin g d e a ls with g o ve rn m e n ts th a t d o n o t re s p e c t h u m a n rig h ts in o rd e r to s to p a rriva ls to Eu ro p e a t a ll c o s ts .
We n e e d a c o n fid e n t Eu ro p e wh ic h e n a b le s s a fe a c c e s s to its te rrito ry a n d p ro te c ts p e o p le s e e kin g re fu g e . C a rita s will c o n tin u e its wo rk o n th e g ro u n d a s we ll a s its a d vo c a c y s o th a t th e rig h t to a s ylu m is u p h e ld a n d th a t re fu g e e s a re we lc o m e d in Eu ro p e a n d g ive n th e o p p o rtu n ity to fu lly p a rtic ip a te in a n d c o n trib u te to o u r s o c ie tie s . Maria Nyman
, Secretary General of Caritas Europa
C a rita s Eu ro p a is c o n c e rn e d th a t th e n e w EU Pa c t o n Mig ra tio n a n d As ylu m will lim it a c c e s s to p ro te c tio n fo r th o s e in n e e d . Se ve ra l p ro vis io n s will p re ve n t a c c e s s to th e EU’s te rrito ry o r ke e p p e o p le in o ve rc ro wd e d c a m p s in EU b o rd e r c o u n trie s , je o p a rd is in g a c c e s s to rig h ts wh ile th e ir p ro te c tio n c la im s a re p ro c e s s e d . As EU Me m b e r Sta te s a re p re p a rin g fo r th e im p le m e n ta tio n o f th e Pa c t, we u rg e th e m to p re ve n t b la n ke t d e te n tio n , e n s u re d ig n ifie d a n d e ffic ie n t a s ylu m p ro c e d u re s a n d re c e p tio n c o n d itio n s . In a d d itio n , th e im p le m e n ta tio n o f th e Un io n Re s e ttle m e n t Fra m e wo rk u n d e r th e Pa c t m u s t e n s u re th a t m o re p e o p le h a ve a c c e s s to s a fe p a th wa ys a n d lo n g - te rm s o lu tio n s . Th e e xp a n s io n o f re s e ttle m e n t, h u m a n ita ria n vis a s a n d fa m ily re u n ific a tio n s h o u ld b e p a rt o f th e s o lu tio n , in a d d itio n to th e rig h t to c la im te rrito ria l a s ylu m . Th e n e w Eu ro p e a n Pa rlia m e n t c a n d e m o n s tra te g lo b a l le a d e rs h ip in p ro m o tin g a m o re we lc o m in g Eu ro p e th a t re s p e c ts h u m a n rig h ts . In s te a d o f s c a p e g o a tin g a n d s tig m a tis in g re fu g e e s , Eu ro p e m u s t s h o w a n d e n a c t s o lid a rity with th e m a s we ll a s with n o n - EU c o u n trie s h o s tin g re fu g e e s . A we lc o m in g Eu ro p e a ls o m e a n s th a t re fu g e e s h a ve o p p o rtu n itie s to th rive in , a n d c o n trib u te to , th e c o m m u n itie s th a t h a ve we lc o m e d th e m .
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