UN refugee agency official urges EU to prioritize safety in Mediterranean

ANKARA (AA): A UN refugee agency official has called on the EU governments to place safety and solidarity at the forefront of their actions in the wake of the June 14 shipwreck off the coast of Greece which caused the deaths of at least 82 migrants while hundreds more are feared to have drowned.

“The EU, its Member States, and all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea must prioritize safety and solidarity as the driving forces behind their actions in the region,” Philippe Leclerc, the Turkiye representative of the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), said.

“In view of the increased movements of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean, collective efforts, including greater coordination between all Mediterranean States, solidarity, and responsibility-sharing, as to be reflected in the EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum are essential to save lives,” Leclerc added.

“This includes the establishment of an agreed regional disembarkation and redistribution mechanism for people who arrive by sea, which we continue to advocate for,” he said.

Noting that by the end of 2022, the number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence and human rights abuses stood at a record 108.4 million, up 19.1 million from a year earlier, Leclerc said that this “was the largest ever increase.”

“It includes 35.3 million refugees, 62.5 million internally displaced people, 5.4 million asylum seekers and 5.2 million other people in need of international protection,” he added.

110 million displaced 

Noting that the upward trajectory in global forced displacement showed no sign of slowing in 2023 due to the eruption of conflict in Sudan, the UNHCR official said that this “triggered new outflows, both internally displaced and refugees, pushing the global total to an estimated 110 million by May 2023.”

“These figures show us that some leaders are far too quick to rush to conflict and way too slow to find solutions,” Leclerc said.

“The consequence is devastation, displacement, and anguish for each of the millions of people forcibly uprooted from their homes,” he added.

He called for supporting refugees in restarting their lives.

Leclerc said that low- and middle-income countries hosted 76% of the world’s refugees and others in need of international protection. “High-income countries, which account for most of the global wealth, hosted 24% of refugees at end-2022,” he said. “This is a much greater proportion than in recent years due primarily to the number of Ukrainian refugees hosted in high-income, mainly European countries.”

The UNHCR official said: “The forthcoming Global Refugee Forum 2023 will be an opportunity to demonstrate that this solidarity remains solid, as States and other stakeholders showcase good practices and make new commitments in support of refugees and their host communities.”

About the EU countries’ different responses to Syrian and Ukrainian refugees, Leclerc said: “We have always advocated for access to asylum for all refugees – and have made our positions clear, publicly and with governments.

“Respecting human rights is not a choice – it is a legal and moral obligation,” he said.