UNHCR despairs over lack of solidarity in Europe in handling refugee crisis

[webfact]

UNHCR despairs over lack of solidarity in Europe in handling refugee crisis



"We are seeing on one hand increasing closures, and on the other hand no openings"

GENEVA: -- The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, on Wednesday criticised the lack of solidarity across in Europe in addressing the migration crisis.

Grandi warned that “restrictions on the flow” of people within Europe would escalate the crisis – and could create a “bottleneck” in Greece.

“We are seeing on one hand increasing closures, and on the other hand no openings. Now, when you look at this flow (of refugees), the way it moves, the ability it has to find alternative ways of moving,” Grandi told reporters in Athens.

“If you block it and you don’t create well managed openings like relocation, like resettlement from Turkey, then the problem becomes very serious because it will fuel new rings, new (smuggling) networks.”

More than 102,547 migrants and refugees have reached Greece by sea since the start of 2016, according to International Organization for Migration figures as of 23 February.

Grandi also stressed that border restrictions implemented by western Balkan states contravene legislation on the protection of refugees.

“(These) restrictions probably go against even European rules and regulations and certainly against basic refugee protection laws,” he said.

Grandi, who began his five-year UNHCR mandate in January, was on a two-day visit to Greece this week, where he discussed the crisis with the government and met with groups of refugees.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-02-25

[ezzra]

Europe is just now started to wake up to the damages of the colossal blunders of allowing millions

of questionable people into their midst, unvetted and unchecked.... burdening communities

and the social fabrics of century old communities with strange and ever needy aliens.....

[shirtless]

Why has the UN left their concern for Syrians so long , and why dont they spend their resources to resolve the root cause of this.The migrant crisis will have ramifications for europe for ever.

[craigt3365]

The UN has tried many times to change things in Syria. Blocked many times by Russia and China. Look at all the resolutions they vetoed as part of the security council. Blame rests here....and with Assad. Now Europe is having to deal with the mess.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetoed_United_Nations_Security_Council_resolutions_on_Syria

[SgtRock]

GENEVA: -- The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, on Wednesday criticised the lack of solidarity across in Europe in addressing the migration crisis.

With that single sentence Mr Grandi, you highlight your complete grasp of reality.

[Kasset Tak]

GENEVA: -- The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, on Wednesday criticised the lack of solidarity across in Europe in addressing the migration crisis.

With that single sentence Mr Grandi, you highlight your complete grasp of reality.

So he can clearly see the Solidarity across Europe!?

There are countries like Germany and Sweden that has taken in hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees over the years and then there are other countries like Finland and Ireland.

As the statistics for 2015 are not done yet I will use the statistics from 2014 to show the solidarity in EU:

Ireland received 1,400 refugees and Finland 3,600 refugees compared to UK with 32,000, Sweden with 81,000 and Germany with 202,000 received refugees.

In received refugees per million population the numbers gets a little different...

Sweden received 8,365 refugees PMP and Germany received 2,513 PMP while Finland received 662 PMP, UK received 494 PMP and Ireland received 315 PMP, even Iceland that only received 170 refugees got a higher PMP than UK... 517 refugees PMP

So there we can all see it the Solidarity across Europe...

[GeorgesAbitbol]

The more despairing is that during world war 2, 60 millions of Europeans fled to North Africa, but they probably have short memory problems

[craigt3365]

The more despairing is that during world war 2, 60 millions of Europeans fled to North Africa, but they probably have short memory problems

Wow! Really????

[SgtRock]

GeorgesAbitbol, on 25 Feb 2016 - 12:00, said:

The more despairing is that during world war 2, 60 millions of Europeans fled to North Africa, but they probably have short memory problems

Could you provide a link ?

I believe you are talking garbage.

[Scott]

“(These) restrictions probably go against even European rules and regulations and certainly against basic refugee protection laws,” he said.

I don't disagree with him on this one point, but before you can protect the refugees you have to determine who is really a refugee. This hasn't been done. Even if it is done, resettlement has to happen in a controlled manner. Overwhelming the host countries is not the way forward.

[craigt3365]

Seems there are some reports that "up to" 60 million were refugees at one point or another during and after WW2. But they definitely didn't all flee to North Africa. Even if there were 60 million refugees, it wasn't all at one time.

http://time.com/4029800/world-war-ii-refugee-photos-migrant-crisis/

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/refugee.aspx

[Steely Dan]

Grandi also stressed that border restrictions implemented by western Balkan states contravene legislation on the protection of refugees.

Well to put that right you can either (as Scott remarked) determine exactly who indeed are refugees, or you can carry on as you are, until nation states unilaterally call time on this insanity. Hungary have called a referendum on imposing limits to the number of migrants. If the EU tries to override the will of the Hungarian electorate there is no clearer demonstration as to how the EU robs its members of their sovereignty. Edited February 25, 2016 by Steely Dan

[SgtRock]

craigt3365, on 25 Feb 2016 - 12:28, said:

Seems there are some reports that "up to" 60 million were refugees at one point or another during and after WW2. But they definitely didn't all flee to North Africa. Even if there were 60 million refugees, it wasn't all at one time.

http://time.com/4029800/world-war-ii-refugee-photos-migrant-crisis/

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/refugee.aspx

There was a huge displacement of people in the immediate aftermath of WW2.

This was mainly a redistribution of people within Europe.

[Galactus]

same old UN. just talking and doing nothign or nobody cares about UN and follow their rules! Israel, Russia, N, Korea, China and now EU and many more.

UNHCR is not different as well but at least they provide some field support or follow cases and offer protection but limited of course.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Galactus

[GeorgesAbitbol]

GeorgesAbitbol, on 25 Feb 2016 - 12:00, said:

The more despairing is that during world war 2, 60 millions of Europeans fled to North Africa, but they probably have short memory problems

Could you provide a link ?

I believe you are talking garbage.

http://time.com/4029800/world-war-ii-refugee-photos-migrant-crisis/

here you go

want another one :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugee

another one ?

You are the one who normally talk garbae or provide obscure links

[GeorgesAbitbol]

Yeah it was not 60 millions in one day : the same we witness today : all migrants didn t fled in one day.

However even if we divide by 2 the numbers of refugees, it is still 30 millions, and yes a lot went to North Africa, you would have know why if you remembered there was colonies spreaded all over africa at this time...

It is hard when the truth hit your face and some of you may have asked their families what they did during world war 2...obviously all fighting for their countries, I know

[SgtRock]

GeorgesAbitbol, on 25 Feb 2016 - 15:29, said:

SgtRock, on 25 Feb 2016 - 12:12, said:

GeorgesAbitbol, on 25 Feb 2016 - 12:00, said:GeorgesAbitbol, on 25 Feb 2016 - 12:00, said:

The more despairing is that during world war 2, 60 millions of Europeans fled to North Africa, but they probably have short memory problems

Could you provide a link ?

I believe you are talking garbage.

http://time.com/4029800/world-war-ii-refugee-photos-migrant-crisis/

here you go

want another one :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugee

another one ?

You are the one who normally talk garbae or provide obscure links

Can you help me out here ?

I can see no reference to any numbers of Europeans fleeing to North Africa around the end of WW2 in any of your links.

Perhaps you could post whatever part is relevant.

[dundee48]

GeorgesAbitbol, on 25 Feb 2016 - 12:00, said:

The more despairing is that during world war 2, 60 millions of Europeans fled to North Africa, but they probably have short memory problems

Could you provide a link ?

I believe you are talking garbage.

http://time.com/4029800/world-war-ii-refugee-photos-migrant-crisis/

here you go

want another one :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugee

another one ?

You are the one who normally talk garbae or provide obscure links

You said 60 m refugees fled to N Africa during WW2,that is complete hogwash,as shown in your links.

edit sp.

Edited February 25, 2016 by dundee48

[Baerboxer]

GENEVA: -- The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, on Wednesday criticised the lack of solidarity across in Europe in addressing the migration crisis.

With that single sentence Mr Grandi, you highlight your complete grasp of reality.

So he can clearly see the Solidarity across Europe!?

There are countries like Germany and Sweden that has taken in hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees over the years and then there are other countries like Finland and Ireland.

As the statistics for 2015 are not done yet I will use the statistics from 2014 to show the solidarity in EU:

Ireland received 1,400 refugees and Finland 3,600 refugees compared to UK with 32,000, Sweden with 81,000 and Germany with 202,000 received refugees.

In received refugees per million population the numbers gets a little different...

Sweden received 8,365 refugees PMP and Germany received 2,513 PMP while Finland received 662 PMP, UK received 494 PMP and Ireland received 315 PMP, even Iceland that only received 170 refugees got a higher PMP than UK... 517 refugees PMP

So there we can all see it the Solidarity across Europe...

So what? It's not a competition to see whose willing to accommodate the most migrants, a mixture of refugees, economic migrant chancers and illegal immigrants.

Merkel was dumb enough to open the flood gates, because it suited her and what she perceived as German interests and agendas. Then when her plan to dictate to other countries they must accept quotas failed, she changed stance and shut the German borders,

EU solidarity is not doing as Germany says, letting Germany play the "do as we see not as we do" game. Germany are not the managers, directors, or moral judges of the EU or any of its member states; although they seem to think they are.

The UN should be encouraging resolutions in people's own countries not trying to force European countries to simply accept very large numbers of unchecked immigrants come and expect to be given everything they want.

All the genuine refugees, Syrians, and possibly Iranians should be protected until they can return safely home. Not be allowed to pick and choose where they fancy living. All the others, who are simply illegal immigrants should be returned to their own countries. But the UN is a powerless talk shop, a provider of high salary jobs for over qualified people who deliver very little but want to complain about everyone else.

[Baerboxer]

The more despairing is that during world war 2, 60 millions of Europeans fled to North Africa, but they probably have short memory problems

Wow! Really????

Apparently not. I can find no source material that details such a mass migration of Europeans into North Africa.

Which countries does he think they came from and where too I wonder?

Such migrations would have attracted considerable historical reference and we would see the results today.

[i claudius]

If anything destroys the E.U it will be the economic migrant crisis ,over the years it will get far worse ,this is just the beginning

[sweatalot]

lack of solidarity in Europe?

Why Europe?

What about solidarity in the middle east? Saudi Arabia, Iran ....

They are countries who have the same cultural background as the invaders , sorry refugees

[Scott]

An inflammatory post has been removed.