On World Refugee Day the EU highlights a need for global action
Today is World Refugee Day. This year has illustrated the plight of refugees even more clearly than before, with thousands of people arriving in Europe, requiring a coordinated and concerted response from the European Union.
"An estimated 60 million persons are forcibly displaced in the world - as refugees, asylum seekers, migrants or internally displaced persons. Providing support and protection for refugees and effectively managing migration is a challenge, which requires a global response,” said a joint statement by High Representative Federica Mogherini, First Vice President Timmermans, and Commissioners Mimica, Avramopoulos i and Stylianides.
“From families fleeing war in Syria, to those escaping conflicts in Africa, the personal fight for survival and security is driving millions of people to move from their homes. Developing countries are hosting the vast majority of the world's refugee population - over 85% - but we also feel the impact closer to home, with more than 1 million people seeking protection in the EU last year. Many vulnerable people have fallen victim to unscrupulous people smugglers and traffickers, suffering during their journey or even losing their lives.”
“World Refugee Day commemorates the plight of these men, women and children. It is for this reason that we are launching the #SupportRefugees campaign, with the aim to raise awareness of their situation and to demonstrate how the European Union provides tangible help.
“The EU has not and will not turn a blind eye to this crisis and we will continue to share in the global efforts to address it. We are continuously looking at ways to strengthen our humanitarian response and increase our support to refugees, internally displaced people and the millions affected by crisis around the world. As the world's leading humanitarian donor, our humanitarian response has helped millions affected by the crisis in Syria: we have provided them with over €6 billion collectively from EU and Member State budgets and we will continue to pledge financial support to displaced Syrians inside and outside their country.
“Overall, more than €10 billion of the EU budget for the years 2015 and 2016 has been allocated to address the refugee crisis within the EU and in third countries. In April, the European Commission set out a strategic vision on how its external action can support refugees and displaced people in long lasting crises. The Communication "Lives in Dignity: from Aid-dependence to Self-reliance" lays out an approach to prevent refugees and displaced people relying only on emergency humanitarian type assistance. In May, the World Humanitarian Summit launched a new approach to humanitarian aid, and the EU will maintain its pledge to implement the commitments it made at the Summit, including on political leadership to prevent and end conflict.”
“We look forward to the UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants, which will be held in New York on 19 September. We call on all partners to strengthen the international framework for refugee protection and resettlement through global responsibility-sharing and solidarity."
The European Commission has launched the #SupportRefugees campaign, to raise awareness of the life-saving support that the EU provides for refugees and displaced people all over the world. The campaign takes advantage of the visibility offered by the Euro 2016 football championship and special testimonials by Belgian international Marouane Fellaini, and German international Anja Mittag. It runs from 15 June to 10 July under the hashtag #SupportRefugees, with a large amount of material published, inclusing video and social media content.