The UN refugee agency on Friday called for European nations to do more to help Syrian refugees who are trying in growing numbers to reach the safety of Europe.
A new report, Syrian Refugees in Europe: What Europe can do to Ensure Protection and Solidarity, found that Europe is shouldering only a small part of the Syrian refugee problem. Just four per cent of Syrian refugees have sought asylum in Europe.
Since the conflict began in March 2011, some 123,600 Syrians have sought asylum in Europe, not including Turkey. There are over 2.9 million refugees in countries immediately neighbouring Syria.
The UNHCR report urges countries across Europe to implement a long-term response based on their responsibilities under international law and to clearly demonstrate solidarity with countries in the region.
In Malta, 166 Syrians arrived by seas during 2013, making Syria third in the list of the main countries of origin of asylum seekers in Malta (8 per cent of the total). It is noted that some Syrian refugees have also arrived regularly in Malta through the airport..
The UNHCR report also makes reference to the use of detention in some Member States. Syrians and Palestinians from Syria who are in transit and do not apply for asylum are often subjected to detention for irregular stay or entry.
In Malta, mandatory detention continues to be applied for asylum seekers who are considered to arrive irregularly. UNHCR notes, however, that a positive exception was made for Syrian families and children who were rescued by Malta after a boat capsized on 12 October 2013. These families were not detained but accommodated in open reception centres upon arrival.
UNHCR has also welcomed the announcement of the Prime Minister of Malta to end detention of children asylum-seekers. Ending detention of children is one of the main goals of UNHCR’s Global Strategy – Beyond Detention, a five-year initiative (June 2014–June 2019). The Global Strategy seeks to support Governments in addressing some of the main challenges and concerns around immigration detention policies and practices, espe¬cially for asylum-seekers and refugees.
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