Appendix 6: Letter from UNHCR
Letter dated 16 September 2015 from Vincent Cochetel, Director, Bureau for Europe, UNHCR, to Baroness Prashar, Chairman of the EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee.
I appreciate that the House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee has undertaken an inquiry on the EU Action Plan against migrant smuggling, as one of the components of the European Agenda on Migration.
UNHCR has welcomed the European Commission’s proposals, released in May 2015 and September 2015, which aims to address the current refugee crisis in Europe, in particular the holistic approach adopted in the Agenda on Migration that recognises the need for coordinated action. In this respect, my Office has contributed a number of proposals focusing on persons in need of international protection.
While the EU Action Plan against migrant smuggling recognises the importance of opening more safe legal pathways for people in need of international protection to reach Europe, it still requires development in terms of concrete and practical measures to effectively expand legal avenues for seeking protection in Europe. UNHCR has been urging EU countries to further create legal alternatives for refugees, such as enhanced resettlement, family reunification, humanitarian visas, and “refugee friendly” student and labour migration schemes. Some of these proposals are annexed to this letter for easy reference.175 Indeed, with more legal alternatives to reach safety in Europe, fewer people in need of international protection will be forced to resort to smugglers and undertake perilous irregular journeys.
UNHCR stands ready to support collective action with the overall objectives of consolidating the Common European Asylum System; ensuring people in need of international protection have access to quality asylum and reception systems throughout the Union; building on proposals that will provide those in need of international protection with legal avenues to reach safety in Europe; enhancing protection capacity, asylum space, and solutions in third countries.
175 UNHCR, UNCHR’s proposals in light of the EU response to the refugee crisis and the EU package of 9 September 2015 (10 September 2015): http://www.unhcr.org/55f28c4c9.pdf (accessed 22 October 2015), UNCHR, UNCHR proposals to address current and future arrivals of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants by sea to Europe (March 2015): http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/55016ba14.pdf (accessed 26 October 2015 and UNCHR, Legal avenues to safety and protection through other forms of admission (18 November 2015), http://www.refworld.org/docid/5594e5924.html (accessed 26 October 2015)