Statement by António Guterres on World Refugee Day 2015
UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
20 June 2015
Fifteen years into a millennium that many of us hoped would see an end to war, a spreading global violence has come to threaten the very foundations of our international system.
More people fled last year than at any other time in our records. Around the world, almost 60 million have been displaced by conflict and persecution. Nearly 20 million of them are refugees, and more than half are children. Their numbers are growing and accelerating, every single day, on every continent. In 2014, an average of 42,500 people became refugees, asylum-seekers or internally displaced persons, every single day – that is four times more than just 4 years ago. These people rely on us for their survival and hope. They will remember what we do.
Yet, even as this tragedy unfolds, some of the countries most able to help are shutting their gates to people seeking asylum. Borders are closing, pushbacks are increasing, and hostility is rising. Avenues for legitimate escape are fading away. And humanitarian organizations like mine run on shoestring budgets, unable to meet the spiraling needs of such a massive population of victims.
We have reached a moment of truth. World stability is falling apart leaving a wake of displacement on an unprecedented scale. Global powers have become either passive observers or distant players in the conflicts driving so many innocent civilians from their homes.
In this world at war, where power relations are unclear, and unpredictability and impunity have become the name of the game, it is now urgent for all those with leverage over the parties to these conflicts to put aside their differences and come together to create the conditions for ending the bloodshed.
But in the meantime, the world must either shoulder collectively the burden of helping the victims of war, or risk standing by as less wealthy countries and communities – which host 86% of the world’s refugees – become overwhelmed and unstable.
Since the beginnings of civilization, we have treated refugees as deserving of our protection. Whatever our differences, we have recognized a fundamental human obligation to shelter those fleeing from war and persecution.
Yet today, some of the wealthiest among us are challenging this ancient principle, casting refugees as gate crashers, job seekers or terrorists. This is a dangerous course of action, short-sighted, morally wrong, and – in some cases – in breach of international obligations.
It is time to stop hiding behind misleading words. Richer nations must acknowledge refugees for the victims they are, fleeing from wars they were unable to prevent or stop. And then wealthier countries must decide on whether to shoulder their fair share, at home and abroad, or to hide behind walls as a growing anarchy spreads across the world.
For me, the choice is clear: either allow the cancer of forced displacement to spread untreated, or manage the crisis together. We have the solutions and the expertise. It won’t be easy or cheap, but it will be worth it. History has shown that doing the right thing for victims of war and persecution engenders goodwill and prosperity for generations. And it fosters stability in the long run.
The world needs to renew its commitment now to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its principles that made us strong. To offer safe harbor, both in our own countries and in the epicentres of the crises, and to help refugees restore their lives. We must not fail.
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Joint statement on the occasion of the World Refugee Day
European Union
Brussels, 19 June 2015
On the occasion of World Refugee Day, Frans Timmermans, First Vice President for Better Regulation, Inter-institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, Neven Mimica, Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs, and Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, made the following statement:
“Every day, thousands of people are forced to flee their homes to escape violence and seek refuge, in their own countries or abroad. Many leave behind family members without knowing when or whether they will see them again. They are forced to abandon their education and professions.
The scale of displacement is immense and, as conflicts persist, the numbers are growing. Almost 60 million people are displaced worldwide – the world has not seen so many people fleeing conflict since the Second World War. Europe will not turn a blind eye. Nor can we when many of these displaced persons are seeking out safe haven on European shores.
With a crisis situation in the Mediterranean and instability at our borders, in May, the Commission set out a European response on managing migration better, addressing all parts of the chain – from the immediate need to save lives to working on root causes with partner countries and fighting against traffickers to a long term strategy on strengthening our asylum system and borders – making best use of EU agencies and tools, and involving all actors: Member States, EU institutions, International Organisations, civil society, local authorities and third countries. A week before a European Summit where EU leaders will discuss these proposals, solidarity and responsibility are the order of the day. We will be counting on leaders to match our level of ambition.
As part of these efforts, the Commission is working to open up legal channels for people to reach Europe without having to risk their lives on treacherous journeys in unseaworthy boats. We are calling on Member States to follow the Commission’s recommendation by committing to an EU wide pledge to resettle 20,000 refugees from outside Europe over the next two years. Offering protection to those in need is a global responsibility – this is also about alleviating the pressure on our international partners such as Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, where refugees now make up a considerable proportion of the population.
Beyond our borders, the EU is at the forefront in supporting refugees and internally displaced persons, and addressing the conflicts that force them to flee their homes in the first place. The EU provides humanitarian aid to refugees and internally displaced persons in 33 countries, and EU development assistance supports refugees in their host countries. The Commission is also a leading international donor, supporting refugees in developing countries with €200 million in ongoing projects from development funds and has provided more than €850 million of humanitarian assistance during 2014. Regional Development and Protection Programmes also provide shelter to those in need of international protection, often in close cooperation with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
As long as there is instability, people will continue to flee and seek refuge. There is no simple solution to this complex problem, but it is clear that there is no solution a single country can provide alone. This is why we are working everyday with international partners to try to build stability and preserve peace.
On World Refugee Day, the Commission calls on leaders in Europe to follow through on their commitment to greater solidarity and shared responsibility in addressing refugee crises. These are human lives at stake, and the European Union as a whole has a moral and humanitarian obligation to act.”
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