Caritas Europa: A bridge across the moat for a welcoming Europe, not one of ‘Fortresses’ and siege – Statement on the occasion of World Refugee Day 2021
As we mark 20 years of World Refugee Day and the 70th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Caritas Europa calls on policy makers to protect the right to asylum and the dignity of people on the move, and to facilitate human mobility instead of building walls.
We are concerned that despite 82.4 million people now living forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide, asylum is under threat in Europe – the place where, war-torn, destroyed, with millions of its own refugees and displaced, these protections were created in the first place, for the survivors of Europe’s great war. Yet European countries are increasingly closing access to their territories, including through illegal pushbacks and acute violence towards people seeking protection and a better life in Europe.
The “Balkan Route” is a case in point: people on the move have experienced terrible conditions and human rights violations for years while trying to reach safety in the EU. The documentary “The Game: Fortress of Europe”, produced by the Slovenian national broadcaster with the support of Caritas Slovenia, features shocking and heart-breaking stories of people, including families and children, who have been violently and repeatedly pushed back by police and border forces between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The film documents systematic violence and humiliation to prevent border crossings, including stripping migrants naked and abandoning them in the woods, beatings and torture, dog attacks, destruction and theft, such as of cell phones and money. Thousands of migrants in desperate situations are sleeping rough in abandoned buildings, in the woods or on the streets of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They even risk death from unexploded ordnance, left from the 1990s’ conflict from which Bosnia and Herzegovina is still reeling from the consequences.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina does its best to welcome migrants. After all, we know what it is like to flee war. Caritas leads laundry services, brings food, clothes, and provides different services and support so people can keep their dignity and satisfy their basic needs; however, still we need much more. We need solidarity from our European neighbours above all to support and help people coming into the country.” Msgr Tomo Knežević’ Director of Caritas Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The ‘Balkan Route’ is not an isolated case unfortunately. Every day, people – including toddlers and babies – die before our eyes in relative indifference while trying to reach Europe. In 2021, more than 800 people have already disappeared in the Mediterranean waters, and more than 13,000 have been intercepted and returned to Libya, where terrible suffering is known to await them. Despite vast evidence on the dramatic situation for migrants in Libya, European countries continue to cooperate with the country to prevent people’s arrival in Europe.
As Pope Francis rightly stresses: the globalisation of indifference must cease, and European countries must respect the rights and dignity of people on the move. Concrete action must replace mere intentions in order to end pushbacks and violence and to respect and uphold the Refugee Convention as well as the values on which the EU is founded.” Maria Nyman, Secretary General of Caritas Europa.
Global solidarity with refugees and the countries hosting them is also deeply needed. Developed countries only host 15 per cent of the world’s refugees, while those countries have the capacity to be more welcoming instead of trying to externalise their asylum responsibilities to third countries. UNHCR identified 1.4 million refugees as particularly vulnerable and in need of resettlement, yet only 22,800 refugees were resettled in 2020. Europe must wake up and step-up resettlement and other admission pathways in the years ahead.
Knowing that migration can positively contribute to Europe’s socio-economic development, demographic concerns, and enrich our communities, Caritas Europa calls for policies that facilitate human mobility in a safe and organised manner.
On this World Refugee Day, Caritas Europa urges European policy makers to rethink their indifference, which results in those trying to reach Europe being caught in a lethal ‘game,’ to instead apply a more human-centred approach, respecting EU values and legal commitments. In this regard, we reiterate the need to protect, promote, welcome and integrate people on the move.
