Select a language for this section:
Friday 1, August 2008
Budapest, August 1 (UNHCR) – On Wednesday, fighting among asylum seekers in the reception centre in the Hungarian city of Debrecen broke out. The week before, recognised refugees from the Bicske integration centre held a demonstration in front of UNHCR’s office in Budapest to express their grievances with assistance programmes there. For UNHCR’s Regional Representative in Central Europe, Lloyd Dakin, this is not a surprise.
“These events highlight problems which stem from government budget and staff cuts that have reduced the ability of the centres to meet the needs of asylum seekers and refugees. UNHCR has repeatedly pointed these problems out and warned that insufficient funds for assisting asylum seekers are a root cause of the problems. In the long run, this creates frustration and anger leading to such outbursts as we have seen here,” said Dakin.
Lack of staff causes problems
On 30 July fights between two groups of asylum seekers broke out in the Debrecen centre over a minor issue – access to internet. The fighting worsened when knives and makeshift weapons where brought out. In the end, special police units had to intervene forcefully. The events left 13 persons injured. Four individuals were arrested.
In Dakin’s view, the case of the Debrecen centre is indicative of the general situation. “Most of the people are sitting idle in the camp, many of them single males. They have little to do to keep them busy and productive. No wonder their frustrations are piling up.”
The UNHCR Representative pointed out that there are only four social workers for 400 people and that they and the entire camp staff find it hard to cope. “If the situation spirals out of control over such a petty issue, it means that there are more serious problems in the centre”, said Dakin.
Many problems need to be addressed
UNHCR’s continuous monitoring of the situation of refugees and asylum seekers has identified a number of serious shortcomings, Dakin explained: “Access of asylum seekers to health care is far too limited. People have little pocket money and no legal way to earn something for everyday needs such as bus tickets, phone calls or treats for the children. The quality and quantity of food provided in the reception centres is often poor, and does not meet the requirements of persons with special dietary needs such as pregnant women, small children or persons with chronical illnesses.
While some of the problems can be addressed with more financial support, UNHCR has also pointed out that many others can be resolved by improved communication and interaction among the residents and between them and the staff.
Dakin: There is no cheap solution
The main findings of UNHCR’s monitoring activities are compiled in a yearly report (Being a Refugee – How Refugees and Asylum Seekers Experience Life in Central Europe) that is being shared with all relevant stakeholders. In meetings and letters UNHCR has reiterated many times that the under-funding of asylum systems does not save money but in the end creates additional costs. “There is no cheap solution”, said Dakin.
UNHCR has repeatedly expressed concern with Hungary’s over-reliance on money from the European Refugee Fund (ERF) for essential services such as educational or health care projects or the employment of social workers. “Basic assistance requires government funding to be sustainable,” said Dakin. “ERF funds may or may not be granted, often arrive late and basic services for refugees cannot be carried out.”
UNHCR is also alarmed by a new trend among experienced NGOs to withdraw from refugee work and focus on other activities. They say they cannot count on ERF funding due to cumbersome administrative procedures and delays in payments.
Refugee protection at stake
The UN Refugee Agency has warned that scarce resources not only affect the asylum seekers’ everyday lives, but also have a negative impact on the quality of protection. “We hear many complaints about poor interpretation services for asylum seekers. If they cannot communicate properly with those deciding their cases, this directly affects the quality of the decisions”, said Dakin.
Once having gotten refugee status, inadequate language courses and a lack of integration programmes hamper the capacity and willingness of refugees to integrate in Hungary, the UNHCR’s Regional Representative said. Dakin continued to explain the mechanism of what he called a vicious circle. “Security incidents in reception centres and examples of failed refugee integration do not help to improve the image of asylum seekers or contribute towards a positive attitude of Hungarians towards refugees. In fact it could have the opposite effect.”
Over the past years, Hungary has done very well in introducing asylum legislation and setting up the necessary infrastructure, UNHCR’s Regional Representative concluded. “Now the challenge is to make the system work better. This will require political resolve and sustainable funding.”
Melita H. Sunjic in Budapest, Hungary
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter