Remarks at the conference: “National Mechanisms for the Protection of refugees and migrants”
Remarks by Reinhold Brender, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. at the conference
“National Mechanisms for the Protection of refugees and migrants”
organised by the
Egyptian Foundation for Refugee Rights (EFRR)
funded by the European Union
16 October 2016
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning and welcome to the final conference of the project entitled “Expanding Legal Advocacy for Refugees in Egypt”.
This project has been implemented by the Egyptian Foundation for Refugee Rights with the financial support of the European Union.
Representing the European Union, it is my great pleasure to be here with you today.
This conference today has two objectives:
Firstly, our aim is to take stock of the project that started in June 2013 and will end on 30th of October this year and its achievements and lessons learned.
Secondly, our aim is to move the debate forward on the mechanisms for protection of refugees and migrants in Egypt, and globally.
Therefore, let me say a few words on both topics from the point of view of the European Union, starting with the second one:
As you know, recognised refugees have the right to international protection under the Geneva Refugee Convention of 1951 and the Protocol of 1967.
The rights of refugees can only be ensured by the host Governments. It is the host Government's duty to set and implement the legal and policy frameworks that grants rights to refugees and through which all refugees can satisfy their needs.
Because more than 60 million people are displaced worldwide - of which over 20 million are refugees - this is indeed a global challenge.
Many countries are housing millions of refugees, many of them unaccompanied minors, who were forced to leave their homes and countries.
Many host states are often not able to address these challenges on their own, especially when it comes to providing access to basic livelihoods, jobs and services, such as healthcare, education and housing.
Consequently, international actors have a vital role to play in providing external support and long term burden sharing, to make the best out of difficult situations.
The EU is committed to supporting partner countries like Egypt in hosting large refugee populations.
- The EU and its Member States are the world's largest development and humanitarian donor. And there is an increasing EU financial commitment to immediate humanitarian support to refugees as well as more development-oriented support to host communities.
- The EU has a long-standing tradition of supporting refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities for example in the Horn of Africa and Lake Chad area (Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan).
- The Syrian crisis is the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. The EU is the leading donor in the international response to the Syrian crisis, with over €6.8 billion from the EU and Member States collectively allocated in humanitarian and development assistance since the start of the conflict.
- Since 2011, the European Commission alone has granted support in response to the Syrian crisis in excess of €3.4 billion. This includes both immediate humanitarian assistance, and non-humanitarian aid which responds to medium-term needs.
- The Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis and the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa have allowed more flexible, coordinated and quicker identification and awarding of targeted projects.
- For the Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, the European Commission has already set aside EUR 1.88 billion of which over EUR €750 million is already committed to support agreed projects.
- The EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa is now reaching a total volume of €736 million. Projects focusing on education, livelihoods, health have already been approved to a total of €628 million.
The political imperative for the EU is now to deliver on these commitments.
However, such investments can only be sustainable if host states make it possible for refugees to legally integrate into the local community, even if temporarily. Host governments, therefore, set the parameters for both humanitarian interventions and for development interventions.
From this angle, local civil society can play a key role in promoting establishment of a legal framework for asylum, fostering access of refugees to services, such as health, education, as well as to the labour market, and training.
Local CSOs can also assist with advocacy and with empowering refugees by informing them of their rights and obligations. This will help them help themselves.
I am happy and proud today to tell you that with the funding of the EU, the Egyptian Foundation for Refugee Rights has been able to provide legal assistance to 350 refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt, to organize community meetings with refugees to raise their awareness on their rights and obligations in Egypt, and to provide training for Egyptian lawyers.
As regards the legal assistance, the Egyptian Foundation for Refugee Rights has provided legal advice to individual refugees and asylum seekers as well as representation to clients, including on their civil and/or personal status.
Today’s conference celebrates these achievements.
But we are also here to identify the problems refugees face in Egypt and discuss openly how they might be tackled in order to develop processes on a national level that help refugees. Legal protection is a very necessary element to this.
We as the European Union look very much forward to engaging with you on this very important topic.
Let me end by wishing you a very successful event.
And thank you very much for joining us.
Reinhold Brender,
Chargé d'Affaires a.i.
European Union Delegation to Egypt