UNHCR appeals to the EU for protection-sensitive measures
Briefing Notes, 2 June 2009
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 2 June 2009, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
In advance of the European Union (EU) Justice and Home Affairs Ministers on 4-5 June, High Commissioner António Guterres is calling on the EU and its Member States to ensure that migration control measures do not undermine fundamental rights of asylum seekers and refugees. In a letter addressed to the Czech EU Presidency last week, Mr. Guterres expressed concerns about the situation of persons intercepted at sea in the Mediterranean and the responses of governments to this, including those of Italy.
The High Commissioner called for EU support to Libya to improve the general conditions for asylum seekers and refugees in the country. He appealed to EU Member States to admit those who appear to be in need of international protection.
UNHCR recognizes the challenges which irregular migration poses both to North African and southern European countries. UNHCR would welcome further EU support for its work, but emphasizes that its activities cannot be a substitute for State responsibility. For that reason UNHCR continues to call on EU countries to offer resettlement places for refugees who are currently without solutions in Libya and other countries where durable solutions are not available.
The High Commissioner is aware that some EU Member States, and particularly those located along the Mediterranean, face particular pressures from the arrival of asylum-seekers and refugees. UNHCR is prepared to support responsibility-sharing mechanisms within the EU, including some relocation of people found in need of international protection, when reception and asylum systems in specific Member States are under strain. At the same time it is important for EU Member States to redouble their efforts to improve asylum facilities and procedures, as part of the effort to build a Common European Asylum System.
Advocacy is a key element in UNHCR activities to protect people of concern.
July-December 2011. Also available in Spanish on Refworld.
Results from UNHCR's research project on the application of key provisions of the Asylum Procedures Directive in selected European Union Member States, March 2010.
Detailed comparative analysis on the application of key provisions of the Asylum Procedures Directive in selected Member States, March 2010.
Summary of main points, Brussels, 24 February 2011
Brussels, 6 December 2007
Introductory remarks by Volker Türk at the Ministerial Conference, Brussels, September 2010.
Updated UNHCR observations on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending directive 2003/109/EC establishing a long-term residence status to extend its scope to beneficiaries of international protection, August 2010.
UNHCR comments on the European Commission's proposal for a recast of the directive laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum-seekers.
UNHCR comments on the European Commission's proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on minimum standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection and the content of the protection granted, July 2010
UNHCR comments on the European Commission's proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing international protection, August 2010
EU law and practice affects creation of refugee protection mechanisms in other countries.
Related Internet Links
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Drifting Towards Italy
Every year, Europe's favourite summer playground - the Mediterranean Sea - turns into a graveyard as hundreds of men, women and children drown in a desperate bid to reach European Union (EU) countries.
The Italian island of Lampedusa is just 290 kilometres off the coast of Libya. In 2006, some 18,000 people crossed this perilous stretch of sea - mostly on inflatable dinghies fitted with an outboard engine. Some were seeking employment, others wanted to reunite with family members and still others were fleeing persecution, conflict or indiscriminate violence and had no choice but to leave through irregular routes in their search for safety.
Of those who made it to Lampedusa, some 6,000 claimed asylum. And nearly half of these were recognized as refugees or granted some form of protection by the Italian authorities.
In August 2007, the authorities in Lampedusa opened a new reception centre to ensure that people arriving by boat or rescued at sea are received in a dignified way and are provided with adequate accommodation and medical facilities.
Drifting Towards Italy
Nansen Award presentation for the late Senator Edward Kennedy
UNHCR's annual Nansen Refugee Award was posthumously awarded to Senator Edward Kennedy at a ceremony in Washington DC on October 29 for his life-long commitment to refugee rights. Kennedy's wife, Victoria, accepted the award on behalf of her late husband. In presenting the award, UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, praised the "vision and commitment" of Senator Kennedy in his support for the displaced.
The prize money of US$100,000 will be donated to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, where it will be used to train the next generation of leaders dedicated to the cause of refugee advocacy. The Nansen Award is given to an individual or organization for outstanding work on behalf of refugees. It was created in 1954 in honour of Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian polar explorer, scientist and the first global High Commissioner for Refugees.
Nansen Award presentation for the late Senator Edward Kennedy
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