Agenzia Habeshia. Escape for Life
Refugees.
Possible Solutions.
The European
Union is preparing to face an enormous problem with the mass exodus crossing
its borders. To finally reach a new
immigration policy, it is necessary to take into account the rights of refugees
and migrants and to enforce an immediate shared solution into concrete options
in the short, medium and long term. Some signs have emerged in recent days,
especially by Germany, with the statements of Chancellor Angela Merkel and the
single European asylum system with mandatory quotas, exceeding the Dublin
Regulation 3. They are definitely
encouraging. In view of the forthcoming meeting between the European
governments, the Agency Habeshia, based on it’s over the years experience, gained
directly by assisting asylum seekers,
migrants, field study and the situation that has gradually created over time,
there are some proposals.
The possible solutions to end the humanitarian
catastrophe comprising the exodus of millions of refugees fleeing war,
dictatorship, persecution, terrorism, famine, poverty and endemic famine,
environmental disasters, dissolution of States of origin, derive from the
analysis of the very issues that cause it. The problems must be examined from
two perspectives:
- In the immediate term, requiring prompt action in
the short and medium term regarding the rising tide of arrivals. Especially, the massacre of predominately men
and women from Africa and the Middle East without legal alternatives on the
ground whom are forced to entrust their lives to smugglers before traveling via
the Sahara, onto the northern African coast and finally crossing the
Mediterranean in deplorable fishing boats and rafts. The facts show a
staggering escalation of victims: 25,000 in the last fifteen years, about 3,600
last year alone (including deaths at sea and on the ground before arriving at
the Mediterranean coast), nearly 2,600 since January to present.
- In the long term, in order to eliminate the root
causes that drive millions of men and women to leave in search of an authentic
life, there needs to be peace and stability in the countries and regions where
the vast majority of refugees depart.
Interventions
in the short and medium term-
A point most fundamental point is to organize a legal
immigration system to dismantle the blackmail of smugglers and human
trafficking that refuges fall prey.
Essentially, there are four points.
These four points are interrelated to each other and need to should be
implemented together as the project could not stand in the absence of one of
the four. The four essentials: humanitarian channels, ‘open’ embassies,
dignified living conditions for refugees in countries of transit and ‘first
stop’, a new reception system in Europe.
- Humanitarian
Channels:
There should be a developed rescue or transfer system
by air/sea and legal immigration in the shortest time possible for those at
risk, such as children, women, the sick, the wounded and for refuges or asylum
seekers whose life are threatened in the
countries where they currently reside. There should also be assistance for
refugees currently hosted in countries reaching the limits of their
possibilities. The most obvious case is
that of Lebanon, with less than 5 million inhabitants, it opened its borders to
more than one million refugees and asylum seekers. In the past years, UNHCR has
long urged this type of operation and proposed resettlement programs for tens
of thousands of people, starting with the "weakest" which they
repeated and voiced even a few weeks ago. This request, except for a few
notable exceptions - has so far remained unanswered. This can be initiated with
programs UNHCR already has in the pipeline.
- Open
Embassies:
The
idea is to give the opportunity for refugees to present their asylum
application directly to the embassy of an EU member located in the African
country of transit and/or the initial stop where there is refuge with
sufficient safety and respect for human rights. They will complete this process
with the embassy before they leave and not in Italy or in another European
country. Clearly, if not all but at
least the vast majority of European governments should adhere so the problem is
not a downloaded on a handful of states. At each embassy or consulate there
should be a special commission in consultation with the UNHCR.
- Conditions of
refugees in countries of transit and first stop.
For
refugees who decide to remain in the ‘first stop’ country and are waiting for
their asylum application or any other form of international protection to be
considered, should be guaranteed a dignified and secure living condition. To this end, we need to study, interventions
in support of the European policy on asylum and aid, in consultation and
collaboration with the host countries, so obviously, one is not burdened by
accommodation costs, logistics, service as well as that of social integration
for those who choose to stay. In this
context, they could effectively use the available funds of the cooperation
system.
However, it is clear that to implement a program of
this kind, we must choose (as mentioned in step two) states
"reliable" for the respect of human rights and security. For example, it is not common sense as it is
with the Process of Khartoum to ask collaboration with states that lead with
questionable democracy and/or dictatorships who also force the refugees to
"escape for life." For instance, the president of Sudan, Omar
al-Bashir was served by an international arrest warrant for crimes against
humanity and recently the police and military have become protagonists of
looting, violence, persecutions against populations considered close to the
rebel forces; particularly in the Darfur region. In addition, the accusations of
representatives in various levels of the security apparatus of the regime are
in complicity with the smugglers against the refugees. This is also the case in Egypt; illegal entry
into the country is a crime and the punishment is imprisonment followed by
forcible return. These conditions have
worsened with the dictatorship of General Al Sisi. The same applies to the Eritrean dictator
Isaias Afewerki. Currently, in
proportion to a population of 5 million, Eritreans particularly the young are
the highest number of refugees fleeing their country. This year, 115,000 immigrants arrived in
Italy and 25 percent are Eritreans, a growth trend of about 2 percentage points
higher when compared to last year - 23 percent of a total of about 170,000
arrivals.
- Unique system
of European asylum and reception.
In the very near future, there should be in a single
system of asylum and reception, with mandatory quotas, shared and implemented
by all Member States of the European Union, with the same standards of treatment
and the same chances and opportunities for social inclusion in each country,
modeled on the national systems currently do best. In essence, setting a quota
mechanism for each country, it is a playing field so that the results flow
balanced and controlled, taking into account not only the geographical,
population, economy, job opportunities , etc. in each country, but also any
special situations such as the presence of family members, friends of the
refugees and previous contacts through work, school. It should also be studied
a system of equalization and support in favor of European countries that are
less "attractive".
In this manner, there is the potential of at least
changing the most contradictory and punitive aspects of the Dublin Regulation 3
and would exceed automatically the pending implementation of only the new
system of reception. It also appears,
necessary to proceed immediately to currently reform ameliorative systems
inefficient and even disadvantageous for hosts such as the Italians and Greeks.
For these four basic guidelines, one closely linked to
each other, the functions of the system should be supported by interventions in
the short term:
- Using the model of Mare Nostrum, an immediate
implementation throughout the Mediterranean, a rescue operation with a
sufficient deployment of means and teams.
With the contribution of all European Union member states and under the
aegis of the UN, the same rules of engagement for the project as implemented from
1 November 2013 to 1 November 2014.
- Reversal of the broad unitary and state immigration
spending policy. The last budget of the
Union for immigration polices is 7 billion Euros of which 55 percent, is
intended for security interventions, supervision and border control and only 45
percent for the reception. This ratio,
needs to be reversed as soon as possible.
- Revocation of the Process of Khartoum, which is
likely to lead to a further externalization of borders of Fortress Europe, even
moved south of the Sahara, delegating immigration control throughout Africa to
Eastern States of uncertain democracy, or even to real dictatorships,
regardless of the fate that they will meet the refugees. Consequently,
revocation also of bilateral agreements between individual European governments
and individual designed with the same criteria and the same goals of the
Process of Khartoum.
- Program of investigations and joint international
action against human trafficking (coordinated actions between the various
governments concerned, Interpol, etc.). Italy has given great emphasis to the
arrest of hundreds of suspected smugglers. In reality, the smugglers are
generally only the last link of the criminal organization that manages this
lucrative "market". Instead, hardly nothing is done with transnational
investigations conducted in Europe and in the countries of origin to go back to
the top of organized traffickers and transit of refugees.
Long-term
interventions
Launch a common European policy to pacify and
stabilize the countries where the main points of crisis from which the refugees
flee. As a basic principle, in terms of
a new general policy between the northern and southern hemisphere there should
be established the ‘equality’ and the respect for human rights of countries
that were once described as ‘underdeveloped’ and were mostly former colonies of
Western powers. In view of a new
general policy the northern hemisphere against the southern hemisphere, must
take into account, as a basic principle, "equality" and the respect
for human rights and the rights of countries that were once described as
"underdeveloped", mostly former colonies of Western powers.
Much of the many crises that cause emigration and the
flight of thousands of people from their country are the result of actions and
choices dictated by the policy of individual European states and, in general,
the Northern part of the world. This is particularly evident in countries
totally destabilized by wars and conflicts such as Syria, Libya, Iraq,
Afghanistan, Mali and others. In other situations, the sovereignty and freedom
of the same people are being challenged and undermined by Western politics with
the cooperation of governments with little or no representation of the popular
will and collective interests but rather sensitive to external economic and
geopolitical interests. In fact, frequently, at the root of wars, tensions,
undemocratic regimes or even dictatorships "of convenience", there is
a policy dictated by Western interests or at least from a development system that
is essentially based on control and often even the robbery of raw materials and
resources of weaker countries.
The point is to reverse this trend, by implementing
the decision to "go to the suburbs (andare
verso le periferie)" that Pope Francis indicated in his inauguration. Then immediately reaffirmed in July 2013,
during his first pastoral visit on the island of Lampedusa where he launched an
appeal "to the powerful of the earth" to listen to the cry of
"the least powerful of the earth."
Certainly, a speech with perspective, long and hard,
but even now you can take decisions that will mark a turning point, giving
credibility and strength to the will for change. We cite four, as simple
examples:
-Inclusion with the respect for human rights and the
rights of refugees in economic contracts, commercial, projects of cooperation
with the countries of origin, of transit and temporary admission of refugees.
- Implement strict embargo implementation with
international controls on the supply of arms to countries at war and those who
do not respect human rights.
- International isolation of regimes that do not
respect the fundamental rights and freedoms.
- Impartial proposals for mediation interventions
under the aegis of the UN, to try to solve as soon as possible at least some of
the many ongoing conflicts, which often drag on for years with no prospect.
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