UNHCR welcomes resumption of Belgium resettlement programme
Briefing Notes, 4 September 2009
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 4 September 2009, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
On Wednesday September 2nd, 36 Iraqi refugees were resettled to Belgium from Syria and Jordan. Their arrival marks the resumption of resettlement by Belgium, which was actively involved in resettlement until the mid 1990s.
The decision to resume resettlement was taken earlier this year by the Federal government, following a Conclusion adopted by the Council of the European Union on 27 November 2008 which encouraged the resettlement of up to 10,000 Iraqi refugees in EU Member States.
This first group comprised women alone and some single mothers with their children. Later this month, 11 Palestinian refugees from the no-man's land refugee camp located at the Al Tanf border between Syria and Iraq will be welcomed for resettlement.
All the resettled refugees will receive refugee status in Belgium. Upon arrival they will be taken to Federal reception centres where they will receive cultural orientation and support. Once private homes have been identified, the refugees will move from the reception centres. NGOs have offered to help them to settle in their new communities.
UNHCR welcomes this resumption of resettlement, which plays a critical role in the system of international protection for refugees. On a global level, there is still a huge gap between resettlement needs and resettlement places. There is thus considerable scope for expanding resettlement in the European Union.
A relevant handbook on the reception and integration of resettled refugees.
A repository for exchanging ideas on resettlement partnerships, June 2011.
An alternative for those who cannot go home, made possible by UNHCR and governments.
July 2011 edition of the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook.
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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Crisis in Iraq: Displacement
UNHCR and its partners estimate that out of a total population of 26 million, some 1.9 million Iraqis are currently displaced internally and more than 2 million others have fled to nearby countries. While many people were displaced before 2003, increasing numbers of Iraqis are now fleeing escalating sectarian, ethnic and general violence. Since January 2006, UNHCR estimates that more than 800,000 Iraqis have been uprooted and that 40,000 to 50,000 continue to flee their homes every month. UNHCR anticipates there will be approximately 2.3 million internally displaced people within Iraq by the end of 2007. The refugee agency and its partners have provided emergency assistance, shelter and legal aid to displaced Iraqis where security has allowed.
In January 2007, UNHCR launched an initial appeal for US$60 million to fund its Iraq programme. Despite security issues for humanitarian workers inside the country, UNHCR and partners hope to continue helping up to 250,000 of the most vulnerable internally displaced Iraqis and their host communities
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Crisis in Iraq: Displacement
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After Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled in Iraq in 2003, groups of refugees who had lived in the country for many years tried to leave the chaos and lawlessness that soon ensued. Hundreds of people started fleeing to the border with Jordan, including Palestinians in Baghdad and Iranian Kurds from the Al Tash refugee camp in central Iraq.
Aside from a few Palestinians with family connections inside the neighbouring country, the refugees were refused entry and free movement in Jordan. Thousands were soon stranded in the no-man's land between Iraq and Jordan or at the desert camp of Ruweished, located 60 kilometres inside Jordan.
Since 2003, Palestinians, Iranian Kurds, Iranians, Sudanese and Somalis have been living there and suffering the scorching heat and freezing winters of the Jordanian desert. UNHCR and its partners have provided housing and assistance and tried to find solutions – the agency has helped resettle more than 1,000 people in third countries. At the beginning of 2007, a total of 119 people – mostly Palestinians – remained in Ruweished camp without any immediate solution in sight.
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Non-Iraqi Refugees in Jordan
Iraqi Refugees in Jordan
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Al Tanf Camp Closes
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