There is more news today about European countries saying ‘no’ to Syrians attempting to get across their borders, and the UNHCR wants a moratorium on the stepped-up border security some countries are putting in place.
Here is the UN High Commissioner for Refugees:
UNHCR is greatly concerned over reports of some EU countries placing barriers to entry or forcibly returning asylum-seekers including people who have fled the conflict in Syria. UNHCR is calling, globally as well as in the European Union, for a shift away from border protection to protection of people. If practices to prevent asylum-seekers from accessing territory and procedures are taking place, UNHCR calls on states to cease them immediately. Push-backs and prevention of entry can put asylum-seekers at further risk and expose them to additional trauma.
In Bulgaria UNHCR is seeking more information from the authorities on their reported activities at the border to stem the flow of refugees into the country. Media reports say Bulgaria turned back 100 migrants at the border over the weekend and deployed some 1,200 police officers to the border region. Introducing barriers, like fences or other deterrents, may lead people to undertake more dangerous crossings and further place refugees at the mercy of smugglers. [We have written a lot about Bulgaria’s problems here—ed]
UNHCR is also concerned over similar reports of asylum seekers being pushed back from Greece to Turkey.
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In Cyprus, UNHCR has received reports of Syrians arriving irregularly by boat in the northern part of the country and being returned to Turkey following a brief detention.
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UNHCR is calling for a global moratorium on any return of Syrians to neighbouring countries. This would represent a concrete gesture of solidarity with these countries that currently host over 2.2 million Syrian refugees.
Rather than disrupt economically-struggling countries, the UN must build more camps in the Muslim world (hey! how about Saudi Arabia!) for Muslim refugees until the civil war is over! It would be cheaper than permanent resettlement of Syrians all over the world! And, they could stay in their own “culture zones.”
BTW, what ever happened to the UN’s “state-of-the-art” camp in Jordan that was sitting empty last time we heard.
The EU is avoiding dealing with the issue of migration until after elections next spring fearing the wrong moves now would usher in the “right wing” here.
Photo is from Deutsche Welle on Cyprus trying to cope.