March 7, 2016 — The International Rescue Committee commends EU nations for coming together to try and find a way forward through this crisis. But NATO and the British Navy must be clear that they will abide by their obligations under international law to escort any boats in distress to the nearest safe port – whether that is in Turkey or Greece. When people do make it to Greece, and the EU must ensure a smooth and organized arrivals process, including through effective “hotspots” for registration.
Closing all of Europe’s borders without offering alternative routes to safety will not work – in fact the only winners will be the smugglers, as people take more elaborate and more dangerous routes to safety. Our staff in the Balkans are reporting that refugees are simply having to find “better smugglers” as a result of unilateral border closures to date. We are heartened that Angela Merkel and Jean-Claude Juncker recognise this in the discussions today.
In Europe, the answer lies in strengthening mechanisms for relocating refugees within Europe and resettling refugees from Syria and beyond, including through voluntary admissions. These are the humane and necessary actions to take, and the EU must press ahead regardless of how quickly agreements with Turkey progress. Safe and legal routes must be coupled with significant and better aid for Syria’s neighbouring countries, to follow through on the pledges made at the London Conference.
Ireland, Norway and Italy are stepping up to the mark and showing leadership, offering to welcome their fair share of refugees and help the EU towards the 160,000 relocations agreed. We are encouraged by the actions of these countries and hope to see more of this from other EU member states.
David Miliband, CEO and President of the International Rescue Committee said: “There is a way through the refugee crisis for the EU. But the EU cannot seal off its borders without offering safe and legal routes to refuge, effective relocation for refugees already in Europe, and better aid for Syria’s neighbors. The European Union was set up to deal with problems that unilateral actions cannot fix, and the refugee crisis fits into this category. Europe’s response needs concerted and coordinated action, not a race to the bottom."