A3-0049/94

Resolution on refugees in Africa

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr lvarez de Paz and Mr Arbeloa Muru on refugees in Africa (B3-0053/92),

-having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Development and Cooperation (A3-0049/94),

A.recognizing the gravity of the situation of refugees in Africa who number almost 6.5 million, and bearing in mind that this figure covers only African refugees who have been granted asylum in another African country, as recorded by the UNHCR,

B.whereas the number of displaced persons within individual countries has increased substantially in recent years and now exceeds 13.5 million,

C.whereas the OAU has broadened the definition set out in the 1951 Geneva Convention and in the 1967 Protocol, to the effect that any person who, as a result of military attack, foreign occupation, foreign domination or events which seriously disrupt public order in all or part of his country of origin or country of nationality, is forced to leave his normal place of residence and seek refuge elsewhere outside his country of origin or country of nationality should be regarded as a refugee; whereas the European Union and the Member States should endorse, through their policy in this area, this broader definition of the status of refugee,

D.concerned that international attention is no longer focused on Africa and that the problem of African refugees is being to a great extent ignored,

E.concerned also

-on the one hand, by the way in which the governments and oppositions in the countries of origin and host countries are exploiting these refugees politically in their internal and external conflicts, in a way which is serving to destabilize the countries concerned,

-on the other, by the role which certain groups of refugees play in their host countries by taking up arms with rebellious forces, thereby endangering the stability of such countries and the safety of their peoples,

F.disturbed by the conditions in which so many African refugees subsist, the majority of them women and children facing extreme physical and moral depravation and danger,

G.whereas the increase in the number of refugees is also due to the break-up of states such as Somalia, Liberia and Burundi, and the ensuing civil wars,

H.concerned that certain Member States have refused to grant Somali refugee status on the grounds that the Geneva Convention makes such status conditional on the existence of state persecution in the refugee's country of origin,

I.aware of the remarkable ability of African societies to absorb large numbers of refugees, without which many more would have to be accommodated in camps,

J.whereas

-on the one hand, refugees settled in a host country may be shunned by the local population, whether on the grounds of ethnic, tribal or other differences or because such groups of refugees are regarded as receiving 'privileged treatment' in the form of aid from the community,

-on the other, the arrival of refugees places a further strain on the already unstable economic and social situation in the host countries,

K.concerned by the fact that many African states are now returning groups of refugees to their countries of origin or countries of nationality, regardless of the dangers they face there,

L.noting that Community refugee policy was formulated largely as a result of initiatives by and pressure from the European Parliament,

1.Calls on the European Community and its Member States to address the fundamental causes that give rise to refugees and displaced persons when formulating cooperation and development policies with African countries, whether through the Lomé Convention, the Mediterranean agreements and protocols, or bilateral arrangements;

2.Believes that policies aimed at improving economic conditions, reducing discrimination against ethnic, religious or social groups, furthering respect for human rights and good governance and avoiding the outbreak of armed conflicts are the best means of avoiding future refugee flows;

3.Is convinced that security and conflict settlement must no longer be viewed in purely military terms as they are intimately connected with economic, environmental and social development;

4.Believes that, in view of the tension between the conflicting parties on certain key points, it could in the future play a valuable role as broker and conciliator in the various African regional meetings held in an effort to solve the problems of refugees;

5. Insists on refugee assistance being fully integrated into overall national and regional development policies and development aid, and on its including not only temporary, but also permanent aid measures;

6.Calls for the setting up of early warning systems and the establishment of food and emergency stocks as a logistic precaution to reduce as much as possible the impact of natural disasters including droughts, famines and floods which give rise to refugees;

7.Pays tribute to the invaluable contribution of the UNHCR and other agencies and NGOs to the relief and rehabilitation of refugees;

8.Recognizes the vital role played by the European Community, through the Commission and its delegates, in working with specialized agencies and African governments for the protection, subsistence and ultimate integration, voluntary repatriation or resettlement of refugees;

9.Sees the need for enhanced assistance for refugees and displaced persons both through the Lomé Convention (Article 225) and the EC budget, while recognizing that such aid is only a palliative and that the freely consented return or the integration of refugees into society constitutes the only long-term solution and must, consequently, be the long-term aim of Community refugee assistance policy;

10.Calls for greater harmonization of policies and coordination of aid between the Community and the Member States in the light of the Treaty on European Union;

11.Points out that the proportion of women and children among refugees is generally disproportionately high and appeals for every effort to be made to ensure their protection and well-being;

12. Is fully aware of the special need for education and vocational training for refugees so as to facilitate their reintegration into normal society;

13.Recognizes the special role of the EC Humanitarian Office (ECHO) in coordinating and implementing a European Union strategy and overall policy on refugees, welcomes the recent signature of a framework partnership agreement with the UNHCR and insists on the Community's right of control over the funds and materials it provides to UN agencies;

14.Is aware of the serious effects of refugees on the environment since, through their use of soil, fuel and water resources, they can upset delicate ecological balances; calls for vigilance and preventive measures on the part of the UNHCR and other relevant agencies, and of host countries, aimed at protecting the environment;

15.Notes that an increasing number of people in Africa are becoming economic refugees as a result of environmental degradation, desertification, soil erosion and water shortages; stresses the link between environmental management and the creation of refugees and urges that the causes of water shortages should be tackled with a view to solving the problems they create;

16.Calls for asylum application cases from countries in which state authority is no longer exercised, such as Somalia, Liberia and Burundi, to be examined in the light of the actual state of affairs in each of those countries;

17.Notes the restrictive attitude of most European Community governments with regard to applications for refugee or asylum status, compounded by the Schengen Agreement; calls for flexibility where real humanitarian reasons exist and insists that the procedures laid down in the Geneva Convention be respected scrupulously;

18.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the UNHCR and the NGO Liaison Committee.