UNHCR concerned at reports that asylum seekers, including Syrians, denied entry to some EU countries
The UN refugee agency said it was calling, globally as well as in the European Union, for a shift away from border protection to protection of people.
GENEVA, November 15 (UNHCR) - The UN refugee agency said Friday it was "greatly concerned" over reports that some European Union (EU) countries were placing barriers to entry or forcibly returning asylum-seekers, including people who have fled Syria.
"UNHCR is calling, globally as well as in the European Union, for a shift away from border protection to protection of people," UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards told journalists in Geneva. "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," he added.
In Bulgaria, UNHCR is seeking more information from the authorities on their reported activities at the border with Turkey 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 southern 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," noted Edwards.
UNHCR is also concerned over similar reports of asylum-seekers being pushed back from Greece to Turkey. The agency has asked the Greek authorities to investigate the fate of 150 Syrian refugees, including many families with children, who were reported to have been denied entry in Evros on November 12.
Edwards said: "UNHCR received information, from villagers, of the group being detained and transported in police vehicles to an unknown location, although they have not been transferred to a reception centre. Their current whereabouts is unknown to us."
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. In the southern part of Cyprus, Syrians are increasingly facing difficulties with reception and assistance, and UNHCR is in discussion with the authorities over this issue. As of end September there had been less than 400 asylum applications in Cyprus this year.
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 more than 2.2 million Syrian refugees. Turkey, which lies geographically in Europe and Asia, is hosting more than 500,000 registered refugees.
Returning Syrian refugees to Turkey or other neighbouring countries only adds to the challenges faced by these governments and local communities to support and provide assistance to refugees. Likewise, EU states with external borders cannot be left to shoulder this influx alone. EU responsibility-sharing needs to be demonstrated by greater intra-EU mobility and openness to genuine burden-sharing outside the existing mechanisms.
UNHCR believes that people found to be in need of international protection should have access to lasting solutions. This could include mechanisms for an equitable distribution of those recognized as refugees or beneficiaries of subsidiary protection within the EU. It could also be evacuation to a designated Evacuation Transit Centre based on existing models from where resettlement efforts could be undertaken both to European countries and non-European countries.
In addition, UNHCR welcomes the discretion exercised by some EU countries not to return all those requesting international protection to their first point of entry in the EU and appeals to others to follow suit, in an effort to demonstrate a measure of solidarity with these EU border countries. UNHCR also calls for the application of all the "Dublin" criteria, including those designed to unite families.
Related news and stories
House repairs restore hope for Ukrainian family after year of turmoil
News Comment: UNHCR notes UK High Court judgement on transfer of asylum-seekers from the UK to Rwanda
UNHCR appeals to UK to uphold its international legal obligations
Insecurity and COVID-19 fuel refugee mental health concerns in Libya
Global evaluation: International COVID-19 response fell short in upholding refugee rights
UNHCR expands operations in Poland to reach refugees from Ukraine amid rising vulnerabilities
Your search for « BULGARIA SYRIA BORDER » matched 302 results. Displaying page 13 of 34 pages.
-
Refugee Protection and International Migration in the Western Balkans, Kristina Zitnanova, March 2014
16 May 2014 ... ... formed in 1912 by Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro in ... as Afghanistan, Somalia or Syria. 54 This trend continued in 2012 when detection of illegal border-crossing at the ...... -
Mid-Year Trends, June 2017
Mar 2018 ... displaced outside their own borders as refugees and ... The ongoing crisis in the Syrian arab Republic (Syria) accounted ... - - - - - - 20,524 - 20,524 Bulgaria 18,678 - 18,678 18,678 8,995 ...... -
Global Trends in Forced Displacement - 2020
18 Jun 2021 ... ... borders of their country. Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen continued to be hotspots, while conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria... are Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, ...... -
Fortress Europe and the Iraqi 'intruders': Iraqi asylum-seekers and the EU, 2003-2007, Markus Sperl
1 Oct 2007 ... ... – Jordan was forced to tighten border regulations in mid-2007 to stem the flow of refugees, while Syria followed suit in September. ... 2007 Austria 188 Belgium 372 Bulgaria 192 Denmark 449 Germany 817 ...... -
UNHCR Global Report 2015 - Safeguarding fundamental human rights
1 Jun 2016 ... ... stateless people, in Armenia; Belgium; Bulgaria; Cyprus; France; Georgia; Hungary; ... Turkey (under the framework of cross-border assistance to Syria) and Yemen, four of which were operating ...... -
Summary record of the 668th meeting
18 Oct 2013 ... ... Piperkov (Bulgaria) said that support must be provided to the ... to keep their borders open to refugees and asylum seekers. ... Only 43 per cent of the funds needed for the Syria Regional ...... -
740th meeting
19 Apr 2022 ... ... on displaced persons from Syria, Yemen and Palestine and on ... refugees across the external borders of the European Union for ... Sterk (Bulgaria) said that Bulgaria was also deeply concerned ...... -
UNHCR Global Report 2018 - Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional summary
Jun 2019 ... ... Most borders across the region remained open and asylum space was ... resettlement needs worldwide Syria is the 1 st country of origin ... Private donors in Saudi Arabia 33,550 86,603 120,153 Bulgaria ...... -
UNHCR Global Appeal 2016-2017 - Europe regional summary
1 Dec 2015 ... ... The ongoing conflict in Syria, in particular, is expected to ... Border management measures adopted by certain countries may have ... 3 Includes activities in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech ......