EU & the World

Majority Of EU Countries In 2022 Didn’t Resettle Even A Single Refugee.

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1 year ago

May 13, 2023

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A majority of EU countries failed to resettle refugee last year. They broke their promises to help evacuate up to 20,000 people who were vetted by UN Refugee Agency.

Just under 17,000 people were instead hosted, with the majority going to Germany (4,787) and Sweden (4,535), and a smaller number going to the Netherlands (3,136), Spain, Finland, Ireland and Denmark, Romania, Belgium and Italy.

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The announcement comes as the European Commission tries to convince its member states to increase their pledges next year.

Earlier this week EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johannsson hosted a discussion on resettlement, and a separate meeting behind closed doors on pledges.

Members states have until mid-September now to submit their pledges of resettlement and admissions for humanitarian purposes for 2024-2025.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which is the organization that organizes the appeal, wants them to increase their pledges so they can reach a minimum of 44,000. Imogen Sudbery is IRC’s European advocacy director.

Over eight million Ukrainians are also refugees in Europe, including non EU member states. Sudbery said that it showed the EU’s ability and capacity to welcome people with dignity.

She also said that some EU states were reluctant to increase pledges for the next year due pressure on reception capacity due to both Ukrainian and other arrivals.

She said that the lack of housing, the Covid pandemic, and the change in power in Afghanistan were also factors in the shortfall in pledges.

She said: “We should not welcome Ukrainians at the expense refugees who are fleeing conflict zones and fragile states in the region.”

The political sensitivity of the issue, and the pledging figures included, will likely make it difficult to reach the IRC’s target of 44,000.

It is not uncommon for politicians and human right defenders to be attacked by refugees. Yannick Morez was the mayor of Saint Brevin-les-Pins in western France. His house was set on fire when he proposed to build a refugee centre. He resigned on Thursday.

A far-right French MEP praised the Danish government for its tough stance against asylum seekers during a debate on migration that took place in the European Parliament this week.

IRC says that resettlement is a safe and regular way for vulnerable refugees to enter the EU. Comparative figures on resettlement show that EU member states are reluctant to offer legal protection to people on their territory.

The US resettled 25,000 people last year, which is far below the 125,000 goal set by the Biden administration but still more than all of the EU.

Donald Trump’s administration has resettled more people than the EU in the past two years alone, with over 53,000 people in 2017. This number then drops to just 12,000 in 2020.

Two million refugees need resettlement in the world. The EU’s goal for this year is a little under 16,000