30 September 2014
On 26 September, Australia’s Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and Cambodia’s Interior Minister Sar Kheng, signed a controversial agreement, aimed at resettling asylum-seekers in Cambodia, a country criticised for its deteriorating human rights record. (more…)
Source: The Washington Post | Cambodians protest Australia resettlement deal
Source: UNHCR | UNHCR statement on Australia-Cambodia agreement on refugee relocation
Source: BBC | Australia and Cambodia sign refugee resettlement deal
22 September 2014
High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein urged Egypt and other North African and European states to help bring to justice the people smugglers who allegedly deliberately sank a boat causing the deaths of hundreds of refugees and migrants in the ‘truly horrendous incident’ which may amount to ‘mass murder’ on 10 September 2014 in the Mediterranean. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre | Sinking of Mediterranean migrant boat amounts to ‘mass murder’ – UN rights chief
Source: Reuters | As many as 700 migrants feared drowned in Mediterranean
11 May 2014
Indonesian foreign Minister, Marty Natalegawa launched a veiled attack on Australian policy, saying the region should be looking at ‘shared responsibility’ for the irregular movement of refuges, ‘not shifting responsibility’. The remark represented the opening statement of a conference that was opened on 5 May in Jakarta in order to discuss the protection of refugees in the region. 15 states, including Australia took part in this conference. (more…)
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald | UN representatives criticise Abbott government's boat tow-back policy
12 September 2013
Cross posted on the website of the ESIL Interest Group on Migration and Refugee Law
With breath bated, the world has been waiting to see what will happen next in Syria. On Tuesday 10 September 2013, President Barack Obama said he would pursue a Russian proposal which has “the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without the use of force”. It’s too early to tell whether this diplomatic attempt will succeed, so in the meantime, the option of military action remains on the table. Without a Security Council mandate, any form of military engagement in Syria would violate international law on the use of force. And yet, this may not stop the United States and its allies from moving forward with military intervention. It is all but clear whether intervening will improve matters on the ground. In fact, it could easily make things worse, but that doesn’t seem to matter. What matters is that “we need to do something”. (more…)
26 July 2013
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres addressed gaps in the protection of Syrian refugees who are fleeing to Europe, and urged European states to burden-share and maintain a more generous and consistent approach.
Mr. Guterres said it should be a priority for every EU member state to ensure adequate standards of treatment for Syrian refugees who seek safety in Europe. He observed that only two European states, Sweden and Germany, have received almost two-thirds of the Syrians who are seeking protection in the entire European Union, and highlighted Turkey, which has received more than ten times as many Syrians as have claimed asylum in other countries in Europe.
In order to ‘demonstrate concretely the European commitment to responsibility-sharing with Turkey and other host countries’, it is crucial to find means to ensure that those who seek protection at the borders of the EU have access to procedures, safety and territory, according to Guterres.
He urged that the ‘EU must engage in more burden-sharing initiatives so as to help mitigate the crushing impact which the refugee crisis is having on Syria’s immediate neighbours’.
Source: UN News Centre | As Syrian exodus continues, UN official urges Europe to help shoulder refugee burden
Source: UNHCR News | UN's High Commissioner for Refugees urges Europe to do more for Syrian asylum-seekers