RIGHT TO A FUTURE – Empowering refugees from Syria and host governments to face a long-term crisis
JOINT AGENCY BRIEFING PAPER 9 NOVEMBER 2015 :: 20 pages
Download full report
Signatories: Care, Danish Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, Save the Children and World Vision International

Overview
With no end to the conflict in Syria in sight, the four million people forced to flee the country have no foreseeable prospect of safe return. And as the impact of the crisis on neighbouring countries grows and aid dries up, the situation for these refugees is becoming increasingly dire.
This briefing calls for a new approach by the international community, including Syria’s neighbours; one which offers hope, safety and dignity to the millions of refugees, and gives them a chance to contribute to the societies and economies of their hosts.

Excerpt
…To address the challenges facing refugees and the countries that received them, seven organizations call on international donors and refugee-hosting governments to work together on five different areas:
:: Ensuring the ‘resilience agenda’ benefits the most vulnerable. The resilience agenda should include and benefit all those affected by displacement – including refugees and vulnerable members of host communities.
:: Enabling refugees from Syria to reside in neighbouring countries legally without discrimination. Procedures to maintain valid documentation and registration must be clear, accessible, and affordable.
:: Allowing refugees from Syria to access basic services, including adequate and affordable education, medical care and housing, without compromising the quality of public services for host communities. This means significant new investment in national institutions and infrastructure to boost service delivery.
:: Supporting refugees to be more self-reliant through greater livelihoods opportunities, without negatively affecting the economies of host communities. Donors and host governments should work together to unlock the potential economic contribution that refugees can make to meet their basic needs, while also benefiting the countries where they temporarily reside.
:: Ensuring countries neighbouring Syria receive adequate support to change policies and practices to allow refugees and the communities hosting them to cope better; pending a political solution to the conflict in Syria and options for the safe return of refugees or resettlement or other forms of admission to third countries…