Friday

29th Sep 2023

Opinion

EU leaders have until Friday for refugee resettlement pledges

  • Member states now have until Friday (7 October) to make bold, ambitious resettlement commitments for 2023 for the European Commission's deadline (Photo: International Rescue Committee)
Listen to article

Last summer, the EU hosted an unprecedented forum on refugee resettlement — bringing together EU countries, Canada, the US and civil society organisations — with the goal of reviving this vital refugee protection tool.

"I want more people to come safely to Europe, so fewer people will risk their lives," EU commissioner Ylva Johansson told attendees. "If we show leadership and ambition, I am sure that many more will follow our lead".

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Johansson's words were a welcome reminder that the EU can and should lead by example on refugee protection.

But, worryingly, the commitments made by EU leaders at the forum have not translated into action. A record 2 million refugees are projected to be in need of resettlement in 2023 — a dramatic increase of 36 percent over the past year — but global efforts to support them remain slumped at record lows.

In 2021, only 40,000 refugees were resettled globally.

Of these, just 15,660 arrived in EU countries, accounting for just over one percent of global needs.

At this pace, it would take the EU more than 60 years to meet just half of today's resettlement needs. This year, despite Covid-related travel restrictions being largely lifted, the EU's efforts remain at rock bottom.

Of the over 20,000 resettlement places pledged by EU countries for this year, only 7,240 people had arrived via this route by July. It now looks extremely unlikely that these pledges will be met in time, leaving thousands of refugees needlessly stuck in limbo.

Sweden, Germany, France

It's particularly alarming that just a few EU countries are doing the majority of this important work. Last year, 78 percent of all refugees resettled in the EU arrived in just three countries: Sweden, Germany and France.

The number of EU states involved in resettlement has also halved in less than a decade, from 20 countries (excluding the UK) in 2017, to 15 countries (excluding the UK) in 2019, and merely 10 countries so far this year.

As the number of people displaced globally tops 100 million for the first time ever and more active conflicts rage than at any time since World War II, it has never been so pressing for EU states to kickstart their resettlement programmes.

And while there's still time for them to save face, this is running out fast.

Member states now have until Friday (7 October) to make bold, ambitious resettlement commitments for 2023 before the European Commission's deadline.

The International Rescue Committee is calling on EU states to make bold pledges in the coming weeks, committing to resettle more than 40,000 refugees across regions in need next year, in addition to at least 8,500 Afghan refugees.

This figure is entirely achievable, and just a drop in the ocean compared to the 4 million Ukrainian refugees they welcomed over the past seven months. Reaching these targets would bring the EU to meet 2.4 percent of global resettlement needs, a proportion which is well within its ability.

These bold new commitments are vital for three key reasons.

Firstly, Europe must live up to its word. Growing its resettlement programmes year-on-year to meet rapidly rising needs is not only a humanitarian imperative, it would mean European leaders standing by the commitments made at last year's High Level Resettlement Forum and, before that, the Global Compact on Refugees.

Each and every delay has a direct impact on refugees in vulnerable situations, often leaving them languishing in camps and stuck in limbo. It also ramps up pressure on the low- and middle-income countries that currently host some 83 percent of the world's refugees, including Turkey, Colombia, Uganda and Pakistan, making it even harder for them to offer lasting, dignified protection.

Secondly, a number of unexpected emergencies in the past few years — including the Covid-19 pandemic, a shift to urgent evacuations from Afghanistan, and the Ukraine refugee response — have resulted in the EU's priorities being diverted.

Many resettlement programmes are now at grave risk of being suspended, delayed or downscaled.

Unless efforts are urgently refocused, resettlement now risks taking a permanent blow. Once these programmes shrink, it is costly and time-consuming to rebuild them. Expertise, networks and local engagement on refugee resettlement have blossomed across Europe over the past decade.

We cannot afford to lose these now.

Finally, over the past year, European states have shown real commitment to protecting and welcoming refugees forced to flee Ukraine.

While their response has not been not perfect, this time, grand statements on refugee protection were matched with equally bold action.

Global, geopolitical, and humanitarian actor

In order to maintain the EU's credibility as a global geopolitical and humanitarian actor, it must now extend the same approach to people fleeing equally devastating contexts elsewhere.

If it fails to do so, the EU should expect to face accusations of creating a two-tier asylum system whereby some refugees are welcomed with dignity and respect, and others face discriminatory treatment.

At a time of mounting humanitarian and protection needs worldwide, the EU must lead by example. The short window until the pledging deadline on Friday provides a golden opportunity for them to do just that.

We urge leaders to kickstart Europe's lifesaving resettlement programmes before it's too late, and create the 'success story' they once promised — not just for EU policymakers, but the lives of millions of refugees across the globe.

Author bio

Harlem Désir is senior vice-president for Europe for the International Rescue Committee.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author's, not those of EUobserver.

EU migration and asylum pact faces reality check

The EU wants to finalise the overhaul of the migration and asylum laws before the end of the current mandate in 2024. But big issues on solidarity remain unsolved, including in the European Parliament.

Council must act on core of EU migration package

By only screening, fingerprinting or relocating (some) refugees, or by outsourcing our border control to Turkey and giving Erdogan our keys, we will not solve the current problems.

Punish Belarus too for aiding Putin's Ukraine war

While Belarus has not sent its own troops to fight Russia's war in Ukraine, the Minsk dictatorship has been heavily involved. As a result, Belarus must be punished for its involvement — what can the world do to sanction Belarus?

How do you make embarrassing EU documents 'disappear'?

The EU Commission's new magic formula for avoiding scrutiny is simple. You declare the documents in question to be "short-lived correspondence for a preliminary exchange of views" and thus exempt them from being logged in the official inventory.

Column

Will Poles vote for the end of democracy?

International media must make clear that these are not fair, democratic elections. The flawed race should be the story at least as much as the race itself.

Latest News

  1. EU women promised new dawn under anti-violence pact
  2. Three steps EU can take to halt Azerbaijan's mafia-style bullying
  3. Punish Belarus too for aiding Putin's Ukraine war
  4. Added-value for Russia diamond ban, as G7 and EU prepare sanctions
  5. EU states to agree on asylum crisis bill, say EU officials
  6. Poland's culture of fear after three years of abortion 'ban'
  7. Time for a reset: EU regional funding needs overhauling
  8. Germany tightens police checks on Czech and Polish border

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  2. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
  2. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  3. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  4. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us