[UK] The Guardian: UK pledges £100m extra for Syrian refugees

8 February 2015

Total committed by Britain to Syrian crisis now £800m – Britain’s largest ever response to a humanitarian emergency

The UK has pledged a further £100m to help support Syrian refugees who have been forced from their country by almost four years of fighting.

The package – intended to assist refugees and the communities hosting them in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq - was announced by the international development secretary, Justine Greening, as she visited Jordan with the Prince of Wales on Sunday.

It brings the total committed by the UK to the Syrian crisis to £800m – Britain’s largest ever response to a humanitarian emergency.

As well as aiming to ease the burdens shouldered by Syria’s neighbours, the extra money will be used to provide food, medical care and relief items to some of the 3.8 million Syrians who have fled their homeland.

Greening, who visited a Unicef youth centre, a World Food Programme supermarket and a school in Za’atari village, said the money was proof of the UK’s commitment to helping Syrian refugees and those looking after them.

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[TURKEY] German Institute for International and Security Affairs : Turkey’s Policy toward Syrian Refugees Domestic Repercussions and the Need for International Support

November 2014

Turkey’s humanitarian activities toward Syrian refugees are part and parcel of its overall policy in the Syria conflict. Yet, it has become increasingly clear that the Turkish government has overestimated its capacities, and thus failed to deliver sufficient assistance to Syrian refugees on its territory. At the same time the government’s handling of the refugee issue has led to stark tensions among Turkey’s political and societal forces, as Turkey’s border regions contend with increasing security and economic challenges. Germany and its European partners should support Turkey in maintaining and improving services to Syrian refugees in Turkey, and in delivering aid more effectively to internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside Syria. They should also push Turkey to adopt a long-term strategy for dealing with Syrian refugees. 

The recent flow of Syrian-Kurdish refugees from the region of Ayn al-Arab (in Kurdish: Kobanê) to Turkey is just one of many episodes in which Turkey has been affected by the Syrian refugee crisis. Indeed, ever since the militarization of the Syrian uprising in mid-2011 Turkey has seen an influx of refugees from its neighboring country. In early 2011, after the Turkish government failed to convince Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to engage in profound reforms that could have contained the crisis, Ankara took a clear stance against the Assad regime: it sought the international isolation of the regime; it hosted, supported and overtly influenced the armed and unarmed opposition; it tried to shape the international coalition through the so-called “Group of Friends of the Syrian People”; and it welcomed refugees and provided humanitarian assistance to civilians and IDPs inside Syria.

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[TURKEY] Amnesty International: Border abuses and destitution aggravating plight of Syria refugees

20 November 2014

The international community’s failure to deal with the growing number of Syrian refugees fleeing into Turkey has led to a crisis of unprecedented proportions with refugees facing push-backs and live fire at the border and hundreds of thousands living in destitution, said Amnesty International in a new report published today. 

Struggling to Survive: Refugees from Syria in Turkey documents serious human rights risks faced by the 1.6 million people who have sought refuge in the country over the last three and a half years. It also highlights the deplorable reluctance of the international community to take meaningful financial responsibility for the refugee crisis. 

“Turkey is clearly struggling to meet even the most basic needs of hundreds of thousands Syrian refugees. The result is that many of those who have made it across the border have been abandoned to a life of destitution. The humanitarian assistance offered by the international community has been pitifully low, but Turkey also needs to do more to request and facilitate it,” said Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International’s Researcher on Turkey. 

“While Turkey has officially opened its border crossings to Syrian refugees, the reality for many of those trying to escape the ravages of war is a different story. Many are pushed back into the war zone with some even facing live fire.” 

Turkey is host to half of the 3.2million women, men and children who have fled violence, persecution and other human rights violations in Syria. So far Turkey says it has spent $4billion on the refugee crisis. Meanwhile up until the end of October 2014, only 28 per cent of the $497million earmarked for Turkey in the UN’s 2014 regional funding appeal for Syrians has been committed by international donors. 

Turkey, along with the other neighbouring countries– Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt – host 97 per cent of Syria’s refugees. 

“Turkey has shouldered a significant part of the financial burden on its own. The reluctance of wealthy countries to take greater financial responsibility for the refugee crisis as a whole and the paltry offers of resettlement are deplorable,” said Andrew Gardner 

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[EGYPT] Amnesty International: Scores of Syrian and Palestinian refugees at imminent risk of deportation from Egypt

14 November 2014

The Egyptian authorities must immediately release and refrain from deporting at least 66 refugees from Syria and Gaza, including a number of children, who are unlawfully detained in the country, said Amnesty International. The refugees are being detained in poor conditions with some held in rooms infested with cockroaches, mosquitos and mice.

The National Security Department within the Ministry of Interior has issued deportation orders against at least 64 of the refugees – who could be deported at any time – even though the Public Prosecutor office in Alexandria ordered their release. They include 56 Palestinians threatened with being forcibly returned to Syria.

“By unlawfully detaining dozens of refugees and issuing them with deportation orders the Egyptian authorities have displayed a shocking level of indifference to their suffering,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“These are people who have had their lives devastated by the conflict and humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. The Egyptian authorities are cruelly flouting their international obligations and Egypt’s constitution to offer protection and sanctuary to those seeking refuge in their country.”

At least 150 refugees from Syria have been deported by the Egyptian authorities to Syria or other countries, including Lebanon and Turkey, so far this year, according to information available to Amnesty International.

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[LIBAN] L'Orient le Jour: À Berlin, ni piège ni complot, mais le souci de trouver des solutions à un dossier insoluble

le 13 novembre 2014

Si le Liban officiel considère qu'il a réussi à éviter le piège tendu à la conférence sur les réfugiés qui s'est tenue à Berlin en octobre, les organisateurs de cette conférence (les Allemands qui l'ont accueillie sur leur territoire, mais aussi l'Onu et le HCR) considèrent de leur côté qu'il n'a jamais été question de comploter contre le Liban. Sans vraiment nier les détails du déroulement des faits (voir l'article paru le 11 novembre), une source diplomatique concernée par cette conférence précise que tout est dans l'approche et dans l'interprétation.

Le point de départ est le suivant : il existe actuellement un grave problème de réfugiés en raison de la guerre qui se prolonge en Syrie. Selon les chiffres de l'Onu, ils seraient quelque dix millions, dont près de six en Syrie même et plus de 3,5 millions et demi entre le Liban, l'Irak, la Jordanie et le reste du monde. De plus, la crise syrienne étant appelée à se prolonger (puisque, jusqu'à présent, aucune solution n'est en vue), ce chiffre devrait augmenter. Ce qui pose un énorme cas de conscience à la communauté internationale et un très grand souci à l'Onu et ses organisations.

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[Lebanon] Gulfnews.com : Lebanon to stop accepting Syrian refugees

21 October 2014

Beirut: The Lebanese government has announced that it will not accept Syrian refugees anymore, state media reported.

Following the meeting of the ministerial committee in charge of the Syrian refugees’ issue, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas said on Monday the borders, however, would remain open to people travelling for other purposes.

“Any Syrian national is welcome, but not as a refugee. The borders will remain open but refugee flow will be halted.”

He stressed “Lebanon is no longer able to host anymore,” adding that “there were many border areas on the Syrian side that were free of clashes and could host refugees”.

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[Sytia] Amnesty International: DES RÉFUGIÉS SYRIENS RISQUENT D'ÊTRE EXPULSÉS

17 Octobre 2014

Une centaine de réfugiés de Syrie risquent d'être renvoyés à Kobané/Aïn Al-Arab, ville ravagée par la guerre. Ils font partie d'un groupe de plus de 250 hommes, femmes et enfants de Kobané détenus illégalement depuis le 5 octobre par les autorités turques dans une salle de sport de la ville frontalière de Suruç, province de Şanlıurfa, dans le sud-est de la Turquie. Ce groupe a déjà subi deux vagues d'expulsions, les 14 et 16 octobre.

Selon les informations fournies par les avocats qui ont rendu visite aux réfugiés et par l'un des détenus, plus de 250 Syriens au total (dont jusqu'à 30 enfants) ont été placés en détention aux alentours des 5 et 6 octobre après avoir attendu en vain pendant 24 heures, au poste-frontière de Mürşitpınar, l'autorisation d'entrer en Turquie. Ils fuyaient la ville de Kobané/Aïn Al-Arab, où des affrontements armés ont actuellement lieu entre le groupe armé qui se fait appeler l'État islamique (EI) et les Unités de protection populaire (YPG), branche armée du Parti de l'union démocratique (PYD) kurde syrien qui contrôle Kobané depuis juillet 2012.

Les réfugiés – ils sont au moins 250 – sont détenus dans une salle de sport où ils dorment sur de simples couvertures et où ils ne peuvent ni se laver ni laver leur linge. Le 10 octobre, le gouverneur de la province de Şanlıurfa aurait déclaré aux avocats que ces personnes étaient « sous surveillance administrative dans l'attente de leur expulsion », au titre de l'article 57 de la loi relative aux étrangers et à la protection internationale. Les réfugiés eux-mêmes ont dit ne pas avoir été informés des raisons de leur détention. Des avocats ont indiqué à Amnesty International que les réfugiés avaient été interrogés individuellement sur leur rôle éventuel au sein de la direction du PYD. Ils ont déclaré que certains se sont plaints d'avoir été maltraités, notamment menacés avec des couteaux pendant leur interrogatoire.

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[United Arab Emirates] Gulf News - All countries should open borders for Syrian refugees

15 October 2014

All countries should open borders for Syrian refugees, says Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees

Countries around the world should share the burden with Syria’s neighbouring countries and open their borders to Syrian refugees, said Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees.

This announcement was made during the “Investing in the future: protecting refugee children and adolescents” conference, which aims to come up with a comprehensive and unified strategy to help refugee children

Guterres said the generosity of Syria’s neighbours must be matched by much stronger international support.

“These needs far exceed the resources, expertise and capacities of humanitarian organisations. True and effective burden-sharing also means that borders beyond the neighbouring states must be open for those fleeing violence and war.”

Just last week, Guterres said he addressed the European Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs in Luxembourg and insisted on the need to offer more legal avenues for Syrian refugees to reach Europe through resettlement and humanitarian admission, family reunification or more flexible visa policies.

“And during a visit to this region only last month, I had the opportunity to advocate for the well-being of Syrian refugees in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.”

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[Réfugiés de Syrie] Parlement européen - Syrie et Irak: le nombre de réfugiés met la pression aux pays voisins

14 octobre 2014

Plus de neufs millions de Syriens ont été forcés de quitter le pays ces dernières années. Avec l’avancée de l’État islamique en Syrie et en Irak, la situation a empiré. « Aucun conflit n’a vu tant de morts, tant de réfugiés, tant de personnes déplacées en si peu de temps », a déclaré Frej Fennniche, représentant de l’OHCHR lors d’une audition organisée lundi 13 octobre par la sous-commission des droits de l’homme.

Elena Valenciano, députée démocrate socialiste espagnole et présidente de la sous-commission des droits de l’homme, a ouvert l’audition en rappelant le besoin d’augmenter l’aide humanitaire comme indiqué dans la résolution du Parlement européen du 18 septembre.

Frej Fenniche (Chef de la section du Proche-Orient et de l’Afrique du Nord du Bureau du Haut-Commissariat des Nations unies aux droits de l’homme) a appelé la communauté internationale à répondre à l’appel à l’aide de Kobané, ville du Kurdistan syrien.

5,2 millions de personnes ont besoin d’assistance humanitaire en Irak actuellement. Leyla Ferman, co-présidente de la fédération des yezidis d’Europe qui représente la minorité religieuse des yezidis en Irak, a demandé un soutien international et rappelé que les gens ne survivront pas à l’hiver sans aide

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[Refugees from Syria] European Parliament - Syria and Iraq: growing numbers of refugees put pressure on neighbouring countries

14 October 2014

More than nine million Syrians have been forced to leave their homes in the last few years. Now, with IS advancing in both Syria and Iraq, the situation is getting worse. “No conflict has ever seen so many deaths, so many refugees, so many internally displaced people in so little time,” said Frej Fenniche, a representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), during a hearing on 13 October organised by human rights subcommittee.

Most MEPs agreed that European countries should accept more refugees and give further support to Syria's neighbouring countries.

Opening the hearing, committee chair Elena Valenciano, a Spanish member of the S&D group, stressed the need to increase humanitarian help, as stated in the EP resolution adopted on 18 September. 

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[Cyprus] InCyprus - Cyprus directly affected by illegal immigration

Interior Minister Socrates Hasikos stressed that Cyprus is one of the EU member states which is directly affected by illegal immigration. In an intervention at the EU Council of Justice and Home Affairs which took place in Luxembourg, Hasikos said that there is need for joint action to solve problems such as immigration. The solidarity principle and burden sharing, he added, must be implemented.

Cyprus, he went on to say, is an EU member state which is directly affected by illegal immigration. In this context, he recalled that Cyprus rescued last month 345 Syrian refugees who found shelter on the island.

The Ministerial Council focused on immigration, asylum and external border issues.

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[Turquie] L'Orient Le Jour - À l’hôpital de Suruc, une vision de l’horreur à Aïn al-Arab

7 octobre 2014

Les médecins de l'hôpital de la ville turque de Suruc ont le plus grand mal à faire face à l'afflux de combattants kurdes blessés qui arrivent du secteur de Aïn el-Arab (Kobané en kurde) en Syrie voisine où les combats font rage contre les jihadistes de l'État islamique (EI, ex-Daech).

Depuis un regain de violence il y a un peu plus de deux semaines, on compte plusieurs centaines de morts dans chacun des deux camps, estiment les observateurs. La jeune femme d'une vingtaine d'années amenée ce dimanche inconsciente à l'hôpital, situé juste à la frontière avec la Syrie, ne va pas pouvoir être soignée sur place. Ses blessures à la tête, dissimulées par des bandages ensanglantés, sont trop graves pour les moyens limités de ce petit hôpital. De l'autre côté de la frontière, à dix kilomètres plus au sud, les combats se poursuivent pour le contrôle de Aïn al-Arab entre les jihadistes de l'EI et la milice kurde des Unités de défense populaire (YPG). « C'est une combattante de l'YPG. Cinq ou six sont déjà arrivés aujourd'hui. Hier, une trentaine sont venus », explique à la volée un aide-soignant, alors que la jeune femme est amenée en trombe à l'intérieur. Après les premiers soins, elle est transportée à l'extérieur de l'hôpital et des chauffeurs reçoivent l'ordre de la conduire à 190 km de là, à Diyarbakir, la plus grande ville du sud-est turc à dominante kurde. « Le cerveau est touché. Son crâne est fracturé. Cela ne se présente pas bien », commente un médecin, alors que l'ambulance démarre en trombe toutes sirènes hurlantes.

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[Lebanon] Human Rights Watch - At Least 45 Local Curfews Imposed on Syrian Refugees

OCTOBER 3, 2014

(Beirut) — Lebanese municipalities have increasingly imposed curfews on Syrian refugees. The curfews restrict refugees’ movements and contribute to a climate of discriminatory and retaliatory practices against them. Human Rights Watch has identified at least 45 municipalities across the country that have imposed such curfews.

Some of the curfews were among numerous retaliatory measures directed at Syrians following the August 2014 fighting in Arsal, Lebanon between the Lebanese army and extremist groups operating out of Syria and the execution of at least three Lebanese soldiers abducted by the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra. Such curfews violate international human rights law and appear to be illegal under Lebanese law. Municipal police enforce many of the curfews but Human Rights Watch also received information about the creation of local vigilante groups to enforce curfews, raising concerns about abuses.

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A banner photographed on April 11, 2013 states: “The municipality of Wadi Shahrour announces a curfew starting from Saturday February 9, 2013, for all the foreigners residing within the town, daily starting from 8:30 pm to 5: 30 am in the morning. At the same time, the municipality forbids the use of motorcycles that have not obtained a license from the municipality.”

© 2013 Reuters

[Lebanon] Human Rights Watch - Rising Violence Targets Syrian Refugees

SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

(Beirut) – The authorities in Lebanon are failing to take adequate steps to prevent and to prosecute increasing violence by private citizens against Syrians following the outbreak of clashes in Arsal in August 2014 between the Lebanese Army and extremist groups the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra and the subsequent executions of three Lebanese soldiers by extremists. The attacks against Syrians, most of them refugees, are being carried out in a climate of official indifference and discrimination, with the violence appearing in some cases to be attempts to expel Syrians from specific neighborhoods or to enforce curfews.

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[Cyprus] Cyprus Mail - Syrian refugees will be free to choose final destination

September 29, 2014 

AUTHORITIES on Monday asked some 340 refugees rescued from a fishing trawler last week to put their requests in writing, separately for each one, after some appointed themselves leaders and spoke on behalf of everyone.

The camp where they are hosted, near Kokkinotrimithia, was visited by Interior Minister Socratis Hasikos who told them that those with a clean bill of health would be free to travel anywhere they wanted or apply for asylum in Cyprus.

“Some may wish to leave the camp, as is their right – they are not illegal immigrants,” Hasikos said. “Others may wish to apply for asylum – that is their prerogative, too. And some others may be able to afford to travel to wherever it is they want to travel. We will look at each case individually and act accordingly.”

An EU country however, could deny them entry and send them back to Cyprus.

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[Cyprus] Cyprus Mail - Distressed refugees rescued off Cyprus

SOME 350 people, thought to be refugees from Syria who may have paid more than $3,000 per person to escape the war-torn area, were safely ashore last night after a massive salvage operation of a fishing trawler that had fallen adrift southwest of the island.

A total of 345 people – 293 adults and 52 children – were given shelter at a processing and receiving terminal specially set up at Limassol harbour. There they were to receive medical attention and were next set to be transported to an army barracks in Kokkinotrimithia, near Nicosia.

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[Cyprus] BBC News - Cyprus cruise ship rescued migrants 'refuse to disembark'

Almost 300 people, thought to be Syrian refugees, are refusing to disembark from a cruise ship that rescued them off the coast of Cyprus, officials say.

Salamis Cruise Lines Managing Director Kikis Vassiliou said they were insisting they be taken to Italy. The cruise ship, Salamis Filoxenia, is in the port of Limassol and all those rescued are said to be in good health. The Cypriot defence ministry said 52 children were on the small fishing boat that had sent a distress signal.

Of the 345 migrants plucked from the sea about 65 willingly left the ship at Limassol and were taken by bus to the Kokkinotrimithia camp not far from Nicosia. Negotiations with those refusing to leave were continuing on Friday morning with doctors, nurses, civil defence and Red Cross workers on hand.

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[Cyprus] Cyprus Mail - Vessel carrying migrants sents out SOS (update 2)

A rescue operation was underway on Thursday morning after a vessel carrying 300 people, thought to be refugees from Syria, sent out a distress signal, authorities said.

Reports said a cruise ship was on its way to the area, around 50 nautical miles off the coast of Paphos.

The defence ministry said the signal was received at 6.25am.

Patrol boats and helicopters were scrambled and all relevant departments have been put on stand by to receive the passengers and provide medical treatment.

A defence ministry spokesperson said that a lot of women and children where on board the vessel.

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[Syria - Turkey] UNHCR - Number of Syrian Kurds fleeing to Turkey nears 140,000; humanitarian needs mount

GENEVA. September 23 (UNHCR) –The UN refugee agency on Tuesday said more than 138,000 refugees, mainly ethnic Kurds fleeing militant threats to towns and villages in northern Syria, have crossed into southern Turkey since Friday.

The latest arrivals passed through the two remaining open border points at Yumurtalik and the crossing east of Murstipinar/Akmanak.

UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming said the Turkish authorities had told the refugee agency that they are now managing the entry of refugees through two border points (previously nine) in three phases: security checks in order to maintain the civilian character of asylum; health checks, including measles and polio vaccination for very young children; and registration.

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[Syrie - Turquie] HCR - 140 000 Kurdes syriens ont déjà fui vers la Turquie ; les besoins humanitaires augmentent

GENEVE, 23 septembre (HCR) – Le HCR a déclaré mardi que plus de 138 000 réfugiés syriens, principalement des Kurdes, fuyant les menaces d'ISIS dans des villes et des villages du nord de la Syrie ont traversé la frontière vers le sud de la Turquie depuis vendredi.

Les tout derniers arrivants ont rejoint la Turquie, via les deux points de passage frontière restés ouverts à Yumurtalik et à l'est de la ville de Murstipinar/Akmanak.

La porte-parole du HCR Melissa Fleming a indiqué que les autorités turques avaient informé le HCR qu'elles gèrent désormais l'entrée des réfugiés via deux points de passage frontière (auparavant au nombre de neuf) en trois phases : des contrôles de sécurité afin de maintenir le caractère civil du statut de réfugié ; des contrôles de santé, y compris des vaccinations contre la rougeole et la poliomyélite, pour les très jeunes enfants et enfin l'enregistrement.

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