INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE DAY
On the occasion of the International Refugee Day we thank CCAR (Catalan Commission for Refugee Aid), their collaboration in this blog contributing the writing that you will read below. Acknowledging their work, we call on them to work for the rights of people living in these situations.
ASYLUM STATUS IN THE WORLD (1)
According to the UNHCR, in 2022 there are already more than 100 million people in a situation of forced displacement worldwide as a result of human rights violations, armed conflicts, violence and persecution. It's a sad record we should never have reached. In just 10 years, the number of people forcibly displaced has doubled
1% of the world's population has left their homes in search of safety and protection.
We closed in 2021:
– 53.2 million internally displaced people as a result of violence and conflicts. Mainly: Syria, Colombia, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Yemen.
In June 2021:
– 26.6 million refugees.
– 4.4 million asylum seekers.
– 3.9 million people from Venezuela displaced abroad.
Syrian refugees by 2021 remained the world's largest refugee population, sheltered in 129 countries.
Afghanistan: with the worsening situation it is estimated that more than 800,000 new people are on internal displacement, of which 60% are children, and only about 170,000 people managed to leave the country in 2021.
Once again, more than 50% of refugees were welcomed in 10 countries. Turkey with 3.6 million refugees (mostly Syrians) was the main receiving country.
73% of refugees were welcomed in the country's border countries from which they fled. The effort in reception continues to decline by 85% in impoverished countries.
THE ASYLUM SITUATION IN EUROPE
In absolute terms, applicants from Afghanistan and Syria increased the most in the EU as a whole with 39,200 (88.6% more) and 34,700 (54.6% more) respectively. In contrast, the number of applications from people from Venezuela fell by 42.7% compared to the previous year (12,600 fewer applications).
3,130 people lost their lives trying to reach Europe. The Mediterranean remained the common grave for 1,977 people, while 1,153 died trying to reach the Canary Islands.
(1) All the data in this heading, unless other Source is indicated, are from the UNHCR Internal Displacement Monitoring Center
Ukraine's refugee situation, EU response
On 4 March 2022, the European Council unanimously activated Directive 2001/55/EC of the Council, of 20 July 2001, on the minimum standards for the granting of temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and measures to promote an equitable effort between member states to accommodate these people and assume the consequences of their
The Temporary Protection Directive had never been activated since its adoption in 2001.
Temporary protection is an emergency mechanism that can be applied in the event of a mass influx of people and whose objective is to provide immediate and collective protection (i.e. without having to study each application individually) to displaced persons who are not in a position to return to their country of origin. The aim is to ease pressure on national asylum systems and allow displaced people to enjoy harmonised rights across the EU. These rights include residence, access to the labour and housing market, medical care, social care and access to children in education.
Temporary protection will last at least one year (until March 4, 2023) and up to a maximum of three years, depending on how the situation evolves in Ukraine.
Since February 24, 2022, according to UNHCR, more than 7.3 million people have fled the country. Of which 3.2 million have temporary protection or other state protection mechanisms.
Catalonia once again was the second Autonomous Community in number of international protection applications processed with 8,519. Representing almost 9% less than the previous year (9,614).
PROPOSALS OF THE CCAR FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE PROTECTION FOR THE REFUGEES
• Activate safe and legal channels that allow access to international protection for all those who need it:
o Apply article 38 of the Asylum Law, promoting the transfer of applicants for international protection from embassies and consular representations to Spanish territory so that they can formalize their request to the Spanish State.
o Increase the granting of humanitarian visas and make the requirements for family reunification more flexible.
o Eliminate the requirement of a transit visa for people originating from countries in conflict such as Syria, Palestine, Yemen or Ethiopia. The population of these countries is suffering serious human rights violations and is susceptible to international protection.
• In terms of resettlement of refugees: raise the agreed quota and respect the agreements assumed. Remember that it is a lasting solution for refugees, especially those with special needs that they cannot cover in the countries where they have received protection.
• End the illegal returns of people arriving in Ceuta, Melilla and Islands such as Chafarinas.
• Improve the appointment procedures for processing the PI in order to guarantee access to the International Protection procedure.
• Improve care protocols for girls and boys arriving on shores, in Ceuta or Melilla, especially those who arrive without family references; identify whether they have international protection needs or are victims of trafficking for sexual and/or labour exploitation purposes; guarantee a territorial distribution in which their interests are at the centre of the action.
• Study international protection applications individually without applying standard criteria by nationality. The agility in the study and in the resolution of files can not have an impact on its quality.
• Advance in the recognition of the right of asylum in cases of persecution carried out by non-state agents when effective protection is lacking by the authorities of the country of origin.
• Ensure the flexibility and sustainability of the foster care system to guarantee all applicants for international protection and refugees a comprehensive and personalized care process through effective inclusion itineraries, which adapt to changing health, social and labour needs and provide the necessary means to attend to people with special needs as well as gender diversity, sexual, religious, cultural and age preference, among others.
• Ensure that the new model of decentralized reception system that is being formed maintains the specialization, that applicants for international protection and refugees are treated equally regardless of the territory where they are cared for, avoiding the appearance of private operators for profit in their management, highlighting the current model of collaboration with specialized social entities.
ASYLUM STATUS IN THE WORLD (1)
According to the UNHCR, in 2022 there are already more than 100 million people in a situation of forced displacement worldwide as a result of human rights violations, armed conflicts, violence and persecution. It's a sad record we should never have reached. In just 10 years, the number of people forcibly displaced has doubled
1% of the world's population has left their homes in search of safety and protection.
We closed in 2021:
– 53.2 million internally displaced people as a result of violence and conflicts. Mainly: Syria, Colombia, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Yemen.
In June 2021:
– 26.6 million refugees.
– 4.4 million asylum seekers.
– 3.9 million people from Venezuela displaced abroad.
Syrian refugees by 2021 remained the world's largest refugee population, sheltered in 129 countries.
Afghanistan: with the worsening situation it is estimated that more than 800,000 new people are on internal displacement, of which 60% are children, and only about 170,000 people managed to leave the country in 2021.
Once again, more than 50% of refugees were welcomed in 10 countries. Turkey with 3.6 million refugees (mostly Syrians) was the main receiving country.
73% of refugees were welcomed in the country's border countries from which they fled. The effort in reception continues to decline by 85% in impoverished countries.
THE ASYLUM SITUATION IN EUROPE
In absolute terms, applicants from Afghanistan and Syria increased the most in the EU as a whole with 39,200 (88.6% more) and 34,700 (54.6% more) respectively. In contrast, the number of applications from people from Venezuela fell by 42.7% compared to the previous year (12,600 fewer applications).
3,130 people lost their lives trying to reach Europe. The Mediterranean remained the common grave for 1,977 people, while 1,153 died trying to reach the Canary Islands.
(1) All the data in this heading, unless other Source is indicated, are from the UNHCR Internal Displacement Monitoring Center
Ukraine's refugee situation, EU response
On 4 March 2022, the European Council unanimously activated Directive 2001/55/EC of the Council, of 20 July 2001, on the minimum standards for the granting of temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and measures to promote an equitable effort between member states to accommodate these people and assume the consequences of their
The Temporary Protection Directive had never been activated since its adoption in 2001.
Temporary protection is an emergency mechanism that can be applied in the event of a mass influx of people and whose objective is to provide immediate and collective protection (i.e. without having to study each application individually) to displaced persons who are not in a position to return to their country of origin. The aim is to ease pressure on national asylum systems and allow displaced people to enjoy harmonised rights across the EU. These rights include residence, access to the labour and housing market, medical care, social care and access to children in education.
Temporary protection will last at least one year (until March 4, 2023) and up to a maximum of three years, depending on how the situation evolves in Ukraine.
Since February 24, 2022, according to UNHCR, more than 7.3 million people have fled the country. Of which 3.2 million have temporary protection or other state protection mechanisms.
Catalonia once again was the second Autonomous Community in number of international protection applications processed with 8,519. Representing almost 9% less than the previous year (9,614).
PROPOSALS OF THE CCAR FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE PROTECTION FOR THE REFUGEES
• Activate safe and legal channels that allow access to international protection for all those who need it:
o Apply article 38 of the Asylum Law, promoting the transfer of applicants for international protection from embassies and consular representations to Spanish territory so that they can formalize their request to the Spanish State.
o Increase the granting of humanitarian visas and make the requirements for family reunification more flexible.
o Eliminate the requirement of a transit visa for people originating from countries in conflict such as Syria, Palestine, Yemen or Ethiopia. The population of these countries is suffering serious human rights violations and is susceptible to international protection.
• In terms of resettlement of refugees: raise the agreed quota and respect the agreements assumed. Remember that it is a lasting solution for refugees, especially those with special needs that they cannot cover in the countries where they have received protection.
• End the illegal returns of people arriving in Ceuta, Melilla and Islands such as Chafarinas.
• Improve the appointment procedures for processing the PI in order to guarantee access to the International Protection procedure.
• Improve care protocols for girls and boys arriving on shores, in Ceuta or Melilla, especially those who arrive without family references; identify whether they have international protection needs or are victims of trafficking for sexual and/or labour exploitation purposes; guarantee a territorial distribution in which their interests are at the centre of the action.
• Study international protection applications individually without applying standard criteria by nationality. The agility in the study and in the resolution of files can not have an impact on its quality.
• Advance in the recognition of the right of asylum in cases of persecution carried out by non-state agents when effective protection is lacking by the authorities of the country of origin.
• Ensure the flexibility and sustainability of the foster care system to guarantee all applicants for international protection and refugees a comprehensive and personalized care process through effective inclusion itineraries, which adapt to changing health, social and labour needs and provide the necessary means to attend to people with special needs as well as gender diversity, sexual, religious, cultural and age preference, among others.
• Ensure that the new model of decentralized reception system that is being formed maintains the specialization, that applicants for international protection and refugees are treated equally regardless of the territory where they are cared for, avoiding the appearance of private operators for profit in their management, highlighting the current model of collaboration with specialized social entities.
