The head of the United Nations refugee agency has called the Syrian refugee the “worst humanitarian crisis in decades”. António Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and a former Prime Minister of Portugal, called on the international community to provide greater support, and appealed to Europe to open its borders to more refugees: “It breaks my heart to see a Syrian family, that has suffered so much, leaving their country and putting themselves in the hands of smugglers to cross the Mediterranean… It’s essential to have more legal avenues for Syrians to be able to enter Europe.”
The Syrian refugee crisis represents the largest operation in the history of the 64-year-old UN refugee agency, with almost half of Syrians forced out of their homes since the fighting began in 2011. To date, more than 9.5 million Syrians have been uprooted, with over 3 million fleeing across the border and a further 6.5 million displaced within Syria.
However, the vast majority of Syrian refugees are living in neighbouring countries. Less than 100’000 Syrians have sought asylum status in Europe, and last month the UN announced that Turkey had received more refugees in three days than all of Europe had in three years.
We had a comment sent in by Marianne arguing:
To those claiming that Syria’s neighbours should take care of the majority of the refugees: they already do. The vast majority of the Syrian refugees are found in camps in Jordan, Turkey and Kurdish Iraq… The only acceptable solution to this situation is resolving the Syria crisis, but in the meantime people all over the world have to show solidarity and do what we can to aid – not just ask for somebody else to take action.
We recently put Marianne’s comment to Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He responded that we shouldn’t forget the majority of Syrians fleeing the fighting have actually been displaced internally:
The Syrian civil war also raise questions about the robustness of international humanitarian law. Conflicts today often being asymmetric in nature, involving a confusing mix of state and non-state combatants. Do the Geneva conventions – which give the ICRC a mandate to care for the victims of armed conflicts – need to be updated?
We had a comment from James who said he would like to see a world with “stronger international legal norms”, but he didn’t think it was very likely. Did Peter Maurer share James’ pessimism about the future of international humanitarian law?
Interested in the issues raised by this debate? Then stay-tuned for the official report of the Security Jam, organised by our partner think-tank, the Security & Defence Agenda! Taking place from 14 to 16 October 2014, the Jam focused the brain power of almost 2,300 participants from 114 countries contributing to 2,800 posts on key security issues, including a dedicated forum on the conflict in Syria. The top 10 recommendations – to be published shortly – will form a roadmap for the EU’s and NATO’s new leadership.
Should Europe do more to support the 9.5 million displaced Syrians? Should it provide more aid and open its borders to more refugees fleeing the fighting? As traditional warfare between two states grows less common, do the Geneva conventions need to be updated? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policy-makers and experts for their reactions.
45 comments Post a commentcomment
No
Laura Tirsolea, how can a person who worked in the human rights area be like that?!
Start by stop funding either side and help this conflict to end… Then let the UN take over and offer strictly humanitarian assistance and assist repatriation!!
Yes send them to your countries!Here in Greece we already have 2.000.000 immigrants we don’t need more!
I don’t know as I am not really following the story but one thing I would like to say is we can’t lift the weight of the world on our shoulders, especially when we are unemployed, we’re dying because we can’t afford the doctor and we have our own people sleeping in the streets.
Stop helping creat war in the first place!
Yes. We happily exchange far-right voters with displaced refugees.
I presume You`re Greek native?
Military conflicts in the region will not gonna end any time soon. I agree that killing civilians shouldn’t not be tolerated, but if Europe is seen at the moment as the potential world’s refugee camp, it should be simple as “my house, my rules”, and no burka on the streets.Otherwise there are several asian countries capable of sheltering refuges.
Shouldn’t instead “shouldn’t not”, sorry :)
There will never be peace in the Middle East, peace is just not part of the mentality of the average Arab. Any society that prefers to give their kids AK47’s instead of toys is just nuts
Are we supposed to allow all the “normal” people to leave the middle east and leave the whole region to the extremest nutters? all this will do is just cause overpopulation problems in the rest of the world. What they really need to do is grow up and realise there is more to life than fighting over religion, most civilised countries gave that up centuries ago
If the (super) powers stop create wars , no one will leave his country risks their lives and go to live in another world,
As long they creat wars it will be a refugees and we should give them a shelters .
Quite how any super power is to blame for what IS is trying to do I’m not sure?
Basically its an unstable region full of unstable people, the stupidity of external superpowers is the belief that they can interfere and try sort things out. Imo the world would be much safer place if they just used the Middle East as a nuclear testing range
saudi arabia ,qatar support isil
let them take the muslim refugees
let the christian europe remain christian
????? ??? , at the Second World War how many greeks went to Australia, after the war to Germany , USA , and all around the world, no body kick them out , they give us a shelter they they help us to settle , today we should do the same for them .
@Ibrahim Uzun
The Greeks that went to Australia were not looked upon favourably BTW.
Yes send them to USA, after all they wanted to export ”democracy” to them.
The problem is that refugees with Islamic beliefs find it difficult to integrate into European societies and always feel mistreated in some way. This is why Europe is not the best destination for them. They should look for safety in Muslim countries, so that they do not feel discriminated. Europe should just help as much as it can those countries look after and provide for the refugees on their territories until they can return to Syria, but the lead role should be left to countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia who are in a much better financial position to help their suffering brothers in faith. It is not a good decision for Europe to take in mass numbers of people who are culturally so different that more problems will be created than solved. It is time for the Muslim countries to demonstrate in practice how good, charitable and sympathetic their religion is, rather than only claim it in worlds. They should be the ones who invite and take care of displaced people from Syria. After all, some of them are among the richest countries in the world, so money is not a problem for them. It is time for the Middle Eastern kings and princes to show some real compassion and give a bigger share to help those who are in need.
Absolutely agree with this comment.
Maia, You couldn`t have said it any better!!! Agree 100%!!!
I think that any host country should have the within sorted before taking “guests”… that’s what I do with the little one I call home…
Stop immigration without control
…abandoning Syria’s refugees? No- but how best to assist- that should be the debate!
…….António Guterres: .“It breaks my heart”…//…& my European one also…& that the “Security JAM” with the brain power of almost 2,300 participants from 114 countries will not find a solution either- except- “more war”-, since NATO DSG Alexander Vershbow said: “there can be no talks with IS but that it must be defeated”!
“Should Europe do more”? NO! Except be tough!
Does the Geneva conventions need to be updated? No & why? ISIL & Extremists listen to nobody & the EHRC is watching only the “goodies” anyway!
New approach: this conflict with its consequences is and must remain a Muslim controversy without outside interference or involvement- including Europe & Europe’s NATO. This religious conflict is out of hand and should be treated like a geopolitical one- or medical Ebola-emergency of the soul!
Rather consider being “pc” incorrect: (the emerging “road-map & top 10 JAM recommendations” want bring groundbreaking solutions either.) and introduce a total “LOCK-DOWN” of Europe and ban all Muslim immigration/migration until:
• the Schism of the Shia and Sunni (ca 632) is finally resolved by all Muslims & their Sects. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schism
• the Muslim world speaks with one united voice and stop spreading confusing hierarchical teachings by the many hidden mullahs in ‘Trojan Horses’.
• The refugee calamity is a global problem to be tackled by the UN- not Europe or EU- under the leadership and finances of all Muslim countries and the Arab League. The Muslim followers of ~2bio globally can surely raise all required funds to assist their brothers & sisters in dire need.
• Safe haven territories are proclaimed & established by the UN & Arab League & its military- all within the effected countries first & foremost.
• If that is impossible, than the Arab League with its 22 members and having 14 million km² available must decide where to build such permanent/temporary cities to shelter its dislodged refugees- asylum seekers.
• Demand from the UN & Arab League an implementation timetable & agree penalties.
• No more fatwa’s & inflammatory bulletins issued until than- by anybody!
The problem with that plan is that the quran itself is quite clear in approving of violence. The ‘radical’ vision of IS and its confederates comes very close to what the quran says and what the medieval desert dweller Muhammad himself practised: violence at every turn.
It is the moderates who ignore half the quran. The radicals quite rightly see the quran for the radical intolerant book that it is (and so is the bible, incidentally).
The quran explicitly and repeatedly mentions how it is a religious duty to fight, subjugate, extort or outright kill unbelievers. No amount of denial and censorship can make the truth go away. And islam’s beacon of guidance, the socalled prophet himself did things that would make even the 1930s German regime blush.
I don’t know as I am not really following the story but one thing I would like to say is we can’t lift the weight of the world on our shoulders, especially when we are unemployed, we’re dying because we can’t afford the doctor and we have our own people sleeping in the streets.
Absolutely right, Yvetta. But, in the politicians eyes, these people on our streets are deserving of their plight as they are Europeans and Europeans deserve all they get as they dared to sit back and allow the manipulation of their state revenue by the fraudsters at the top.
Watch this video link and understand why our people or us, Europeans, are on the streets and ignored as they step over the bodies they pass going into the office. The money laundering and fiddles only work easily when they keep the propaganda going by showing the misery they create elsewhere. This thread is a very good example. It’s the old game of keep your eyes on my fancy footwork whilst I pick your pocket.
http://enochered.wordpress.com/tag/max-keiser/
And it’s all done for this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSaugshzywA
Charity begins at home folks, as if it doesn’t, all of us in that home will be in the same mess they are highlighting here. It’s a game called bleeding hearts.
A emigrao tem de estar controlada e ser uma causa humanitria.
A emigrao tem de estar controlada e ser uma causa humanitria.
Why should only Europe still be obliged to help?
Off topic I know but today’s news that the EU is expecting the UK to cough up another 1.7 Billion will just speed up our exit from this farcical “club”
Just how stupid are these so called politicians? Th UK is going through a phase of very strong anti-EU feeling and they pull a stunt like this?
With a bit of luck they’ll not be gaining an extra 1.7 billion but losing the whole UK contribution and don’t tell me the basket case economies of Europe can survive without it
@Paul X:
Education Education Education – as the devil once told us all.
http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/tory-demon-eyes-mastermind-joins-blair.html
If you go back to my previous post aimed at Yvette, and you scroll down to the Max Kaiser clip, you will learn a great deal about what you use as guff here. We, every single European tax payer, are being robbed blind by your Gods on legs in the city. And the bunch of clowns in our Parliaments are ignorant of it. Or, pretend to be as they have their fingers in that very plummy pie. All they want to do is play in the sand pit akin to Thomas Crown, and do the same as he, aquire.
Nero come to mind?
guff?..err ok
tbh “gods in the city” are no friends of mine and I’ve regularly expressed an opinion that all politicians are tubes.
..and taxes? yes the wasting of my taxes has been my main topic of posting on there forums
Methinks you confuse me with someone else
@Paul X
I think the EU’s objective is to weaken Cameron so as to encourage a labour victory at the next election and thus NO EU Referendum.
As a footnote, here is a little statistic I would like you all to know and enjoy. Each bomb the US/UK/EU drops on these human beings costs the tax payers of the West, yes, including us, as we are set up to pay for it through NATO, is astounding. Read all about it, and remember this is a gross understatement, as the news is shoved into the news feed by government stooges and they are not about to fess up to any form of reality, now are they?. It’s the old propaganda machine working at full speed.
http://www.pfhub.com/taxpayers-have-spent-1-billion-dropping-bombs-on-isis-1244/
Why are the British and the Europeans in there with this bunch of moronic dumbbells, backing this when the people who fund you and pay for this lunacy did not vote to become killing machines to enable you to do this with our hard earned money and in our name?
What possible reason is there in dropping bombs that kill, then showing us the misery we are causing in our ignorance. Ah, could it be the state run charities that hide under private names will fill its coffers if they create enough destitute people and wag the pictures of them in our faces. Our channel four nightly news has become the laughing stock of the aware. It has nothing but foreign war coverage with its front running clown Snow and that Tonto at his side, the one with bleached permed hair that looks as if she is an old fashioned scarecrow made of yellow straw. The pair of them selling their souls and their fellow man for a pittance.
Well done Europe, how much did it cost the tax payer to educate you all? That money was certainly a huge waste of our resources. Just as these bomb freaks are. How about a strike on tax paying. Alternatively, nobody show up for work for just one month and see how quick they change their policies on squandering our money.
Why? What EU has done till now to help them? Oh yes I forgot it supported and financed the IS murderers!!!
@DEBATING EUROPE
Hmmm, your spellchecker is NOT set up for British English.
Bearing in mind the UK is still at the moment in the EU, WHY?
We don’t want them. We don’t have jobs for them and don’t want to pay for supplying them with housing, healthcare and all that.
Those in favor of admitting more should volunteer to take them into their own houses, and not cherrypicking the ones they like but being randomly assigned a family or two.
Otherwise all these progressive whites (who live in upper class neighbourhoods far away from the ‘immigrants’ they profess to love so much) will simply agree to take a million or so in and then dump them in the poorer parts of town where no progressive white lives themselves.
Progressive white liberals sure do love immigrants, but the vast bulk of these white liberals makes sure that they don’t actually live anywhere near ’em. And then the progressive white liberals are amazed that the poor and lower middle class, whose areas have been flooded with migrants, turn to more nationalistic parties.
There is another solution, the introduction of a voluntary solidarity with refugees tax. Everyone in favor of more immigration can sign up to pay an extra 25% in income tax. I think this would expose the progressive hypocrisy quite quickly.
“Everyone in favor of more immigration can sign up to pay an extra 25% in income tax. I think this would expose the progressive hypocrisy quite quickly”
I like that idea, you ever thought of putting yourself forward as an MEP?…you’d get my vote
Not Europe have to protect refugees from Syria
e more legal avenues for Syrians to be able to enter Europe.”
The Syrian refugee crisis represents the largest operation in the history of the 64-year-old UN refugee agency, with almost half of Syrians forced out of their homes since the fighting began in 2011. To date, more than 9.5 million Syrians have been uprooted, with over 3 million fleeing across the border and a further 6.5 million displaced within Syria.
However, the vast majority of Syrian refugees are living in neighbouring countries. Less than 100’000 Syrians have sought asylum status in Europe, and last month the UN announced that Turkey had received more refugees in three days than all of Europe had in three years.
Syrian-Refugees
i think Muslim countries should take muslim refugees and non muslim countries should refuse coz even when u help muslims out they go and create problems everywhere they go since most countries that cant solve their conflicts like Somalia are all muslim they should solvetheir own problems or this will make them think twice be 4 they pick up a sword
This refugee crisis is sad and heart breaking. Iyswawful what these poor people are going through. That being said Europe can’t just solve this crisis for the world.
Other countries need to step up and help too. I’m not just taking about Middle Eastern Ines either, what about the Ines who are making the most noise about this? Like the United States? Why don’t they take more refugees? Same gies for Canadfor Canada and the US will argue that it’s not feasible to allow too many refugees jn because of the economic complications it brings. what makes them think that Europe is any different? Most European countries can barely afford to keep thejr own citizens employed and living above the poverty line, how will they afford it with more people who require even more social assistance than normal?
if it did not…if it hasn’t …it should!
The Middle East is being deliberately made uninhabitable, forcing the peoples to flee. There is no excuse for what Europe has done to Libya, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, however much they complain when a few of us are killed, we deserve it. Even now Hollande is letting us know that in response to “something” in Nice, the solution is to destroy even more of Syria. There is no excuse for what the peoples of Europe are allowing to be done in their name. You are the real target, they do not want millions of refugees because they care, it is to destroy European culture and nothing more, we have been targeted in two Woirld Wars and now they are finishing us off. Wake up.
She joined the York Glaziers Trust in January 2016.