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Syria safe zones will not end need for asylum in west, UN refugee head warns Syria safe zones will not end need for asylum in west, UN refugee head warns
(about 2 hours later)
The head of the UN refugee agency has warned that proposals to set up safe zones inside Syria should not be seen in the west as an alternative to accepting people seeking asylum from the conflict.The head of the UN refugee agency has warned that proposals to set up safe zones inside Syria should not be seen in the west as an alternative to accepting people seeking asylum from the conflict.
France has raised the idea of safe zones at this week’s UN general assembly, as a possible solution to the influx of refugees that has set off a political crisis in Europe. But the UNHCR chief, Antonio Guterres, said that the practicalities of setting up such areas and then protecting them from the proliferation of warring parties were daunting.France has raised the idea of safe zones at this week’s UN general assembly, as a possible solution to the influx of refugees that has set off a political crisis in Europe. But the UNHCR chief, Antonio Guterres, said that the practicalities of setting up such areas and then protecting them from the proliferation of warring parties were daunting.
“In our opinion it is always good there are areas where there is no violence and in which people can be protected. That is positive,” Guterres told the Guardian in an interview. “But safe areas should not undermine the right of people to seek and enjoy asylum. Safe areas could not be seen as a deposit for refugees.” “In our opinion, it is always good there are areas where there is no violence and in which people can be protected. That is positive,” Guterres told the Guardian in an interview. “But safe areas should not undermine the right of people to seek and enjoy asylum. Safe areas could not be seen as a deposit for refugees.”
“Experience shows these kind of situations are very risky and we had the tragic event in Srebrenica [when more than 8,000 people were massacred after a UN-protected town in Bosnia was overrun in 1995]. That was supposed to be a safe area,” Guterres added. “The complexity of the situation in Syria makes it very difficult to have an area that is absolutely safe for our purposes.” “Experience shows these kind of situations are very risky, and we had the tragic event in Srebrenica [when more than 8,000 people were massacred after a UN-protected town in Bosnia was overrun in 1995]. That was supposed to be a safe area,” Guterres added. “The complexity of the situation in Syria makes it very difficult to have an area that is absolutely safe for our purposes.”
Turkey has long called for the creation of safe zones. The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said on Tuesday that his country had raised the issue again in its discussions on the Syrian crisis at this year’s UN general assembly.Turkey has long called for the creation of safe zones. The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said on Tuesday that his country had raised the issue again in its discussions on the Syrian crisis at this year’s UN general assembly.
“It could be an idea to have within Syria one or two or three … safe zones, security zones, in order that these zones will be able to welcome Syrian people without forcing them to go out of the country,” Fabius said, stressing that no decisions had been made. Apart from practical considerations, any such proposal would be likely to face determined opposition from Russia in the UN security council. “It could be an idea to have within Syria one or two or three … safe zones, security zones, in order that these zones will be able to welcome Syrian people without forcing them to go out of the country,” Fabius said, stressing that no decisions had been made.
Apart from practical considerations, any such proposal would be likely to face determined opposition from Russia in the UN security council.
Related: 'My body is in America but my soul is in Syria': a refugee family's journey to USRelated: 'My body is in America but my soul is in Syria': a refugee family's journey to US
The political crisis in Europe created by the arrival of about half a million refugees this year, has brought a late inflow of money from donor countries to the severely underfunded UN Syrian refugee response plan. Guterres said that $120m had come in over a couple of weeks, but even after that, the aid agencies still only have half the money they need to look after the four million refugees in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. The political crisis in Europe created by the arrival of about half a million refugees this year has brought a late inflow of money from donor countries to the severely underfunded UN Syrian refugee response plan. Guterres said that $120m had come in over a couple of weeks, but even after that, the aid agencies still only have half the money they need to look after the four million refugees in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.
The UNHCR chief described the European crisis as largely self-inflicted, first through the underfunding of the refugee response in these neighbouring countries, and then by the lack of coordination in handling the influx of refugees when they started arriving in Europe.The UNHCR chief described the European crisis as largely self-inflicted, first through the underfunding of the refugee response in these neighbouring countries, and then by the lack of coordination in handling the influx of refugees when they started arriving in Europe.
“What has happened recently in Europe demonstrates that when you create all the conditions for something to happen – that thing happens,” he said.“What has happened recently in Europe demonstrates that when you create all the conditions for something to happen – that thing happens,” he said.
A sharp contraction in the flow of western funding for the Syrian refugees earlier this year, led to the World Food Programme cutting its provisions to Syrians in camps in the Middle East by 40%, and the UNHCR also had to make economies in what it provided. A sharp contraction in the flow of western funding for the Syrian refugees earlier this year led to the World Food Programme cutting its provisions to Syrians in camps in the Middle East by 40%, and the UNHCR also had to make economies in what it provided.
“This reduction was in my opinion the trigger,” Guterres said. “You have a situation that is getting worse and worse with the potential moment of despair in which people decide to move on, and then you have a trigger. And the trigger was the impression that the international community was abandoning the Syrian refugees.” “This reduction was, in my opinion, the trigger,” Guterres said. “You have a situation that is getting worse and worse with the potential moment of despair in which people decide to move on, and then you have a trigger. And the trigger was the impression that the international community was abandoning the Syrian refugees.”
That “trigger” impelled people who felt they had nothing to lose to make the sea and land crossings to Europe, which was entirely unprepared.That “trigger” impelled people who felt they had nothing to lose to make the sea and land crossings to Europe, which was entirely unprepared.
“The dramatic thing is that with numbers that were manageable, they were not managed,” Guterres said. “We are taking about five or six thousand a day in the last few weeks … coming to the shores of Europe, but the reception capacity was practically not there in Greece and with serious gaps in Italy.” “The dramatic thing is that with numbers that were manageable, they were not managed,” Guterres said. “We are taking about five or six thousand a day in the last few weeks … coming to the shores of Europe, but the reception capacity was practically not there in Greece and with serious gaps in Italy.
“That led to an onward movement through the western Balkans, for which nobody was prepared. There was no comon strategy, no common European policy. Total lack of solidarity among European states and so people started moving from border to border and states started reacting in an uncoordinated way and sometimes changing policies many times. This is a chaotic situation, a general confusion which is of course regrettable.” “That led to an onward movement through the western Balkans, for which nobody was prepared. There was no comon strategy, no common European policy. Total lack of solidarity among European states – and so people started moving from border to border and states started reacting in an uncoordinated way, and sometimes changing policies many times. This is a chaotic situation, a general confusion which is of course regrettable.”