| 28
October 2003 |
MPs
Support 1951 Refugee Convention
New research amongst members of Parliament has shown strong
support for the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention. In a poll by
MORI, 84 percent of MPs agreed that “the 1951 Geneva Refugee
Convention has a key role to play in protecting refugees and
human rights”. The release of the research coincides with
today’s visit by UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud
Lubbers. |
| 23
October 2003 |
UN
Refugee agency has grave concerns over tabloid reporting of
asylum
UNHCR
welcomed the publication today by the Press Complaints Commission
of guidance on the reporting of asylum and refugee issues, but
expressed its grave concern that the tabloid press will continue
to publish inaccurate and misleading stories which are a danger
to good community relations. |
| 23
June 2003 |
UNHCR
takes Camp Challenge to Glastonbury
The UN
Refugee Agency is taking part in its first ever Glastonbury
Festival to raise awareness of the refugee issue among young
people.Instead of distributing tents,
blankets and water, staff of the world's premier refugee agency
will be handing out a pop quiz to some of the estimated 150,000
festival goers. The quiz, entitled Camp
Challenge, draws parallels between Glastonbury and UNHCR
camps around the world.
|
| 20
June 2003 |
UNHCR asylum policy:
setting the record straight
In a signed editorial Ruud Lubbers, UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, lays down UNHCR's current suggestions for ways to
improve protection of refugees in their regions of origin, and
also for possible actions in the context of the EU and in individual
domestic asylum systems. In the run-up to the Thessalonika Summit,
UNHCR's position has been widely misinterpreted, and we would
like to set the record straight. |
| 28
April 2003 |
UNHCR
response to first forcible returns of Afghans by the UK Government
UNHCR
accepts that those who have no protection needs should return.
However UNHCR is not a party to the process of forcible returns.
There are groups of afghans who remain in need of international
protection and security is still a concern. In UNHCR’s
experience voluntary return is the best way to achieve long
term and sustainable solutions to refugee situations. As a
partner in the UK voluntary repatriation scheme, UNHCR provides
impartial information on the situation in Afghanistan and
ensures that prospective returnees receive all relevant information
on which to base their decision.
|
| 28
February 2003 |
UNHCR
response to 2002 UK Asylum statistics
The 2002 increase in numbers seeking asylum in the UK is a
reflection of a trend across Europe. This emphasises the need
for there to be one unified European system for dealing with
asylum claims. UNHCR recognises the burden on countries in
Europe and supports a common approach to sharing responsibilities.
Governments need to do more to work in countries and regions
of origin in order to address the crises that are creating
refugees.
|
| 28
January 2003 |
Response
to Conservative Party policy proposals on asylum in the UK
UNHCR is concerned that focusing on asylum seekers and calling
for their detention, reinforces fears and prejudices whilst
ignoring other potential threats to national security. The
1951 United Nations Convention does not provide a safe haven
for terrorists. It specifically provides that individuals
who have committed serious crimes or are threat to public
safety or security may be excluded. UNHCR is already talking
to governments, including the UK Government, about how agreements
can be added to the Convention to help governments deal with
the changing asylum environment. Termed Convention Plus, these
discussions and agreements are designed to make the system
more effective, ensuring greater sharing of responsibilities
between countries, and help governments manage their asylum
systems.
|
| 20
January 2003 |
UNHCR
calls for Government to rethink Zimbabwe visas
UNHCR
has called upon the UK Government to review its decision to
impose visa requirements on Zimbabwean nationals announced
in November. UNHCR has expressed its concern that the need
to gain a visa will prevent many people who are under real
threat of persecution from seeking asylum in the UK. UNHCR
believes that the increasingly difficult human rights situation
in Zimbabwe is causing a significant increase in the numbers
under threat of persecution and seeking asylum.
|
| 17
January 2003 |
Convention
on refugees gives terrorists no safe haven - Letter to the
Editor of the Daily Telegraph
In
response to Charles Moore’s article ‘The reign
of terror, or the rule of British law?’, UNHCR drew
attention to provisions already present within the 1951 Convention
for the exclusion of terrorists. The Convention does not provide
a safe haven to terrorists, nor does it protect them from
criminal prosecution. UNHCR acknowledges that much more needs
to be done to make asylum systems work and is actively working
with governments to add new agreements to the framework provided
by Convention. It is in this direction that the International
Community urgently needs to move rather than creating the
chaos and suffering which would result from withdrawing from
the very Convention which enables governments to sort out
those who need protection from those who don’t.
|
| 7
January 2003 |
International
co-operation, not destitution, is the solution to UK asylum
issues says UN
The UNHCR does not believe that the introduction of new draconian
rules affecting the provision of minimum support for asylum
seekers who claim in country is the answer to UK asylum issues.
The trauma that individuals may have suffered often makes
it difficult to claim asylum immediately on reaching the UK.
The new rules may simply result in needless hardship and destitution
for refugees.
|
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