|
17th January 2003
Convention
on refugees gives terrorists no safe haven
-
Letter to the Editor of The Daily Telegraph
Sir,
The 1951 UN Convention on Refugees
excludes terrorists. It excludes those who have committed terrorist
acts and those who are a threat to national security or public order.
It thus does not provide a safe haven to terrorists, nor does it
protect them from criminal prosecution.
It is important
to understand that the 1951 Refugee Convention was designed precisely
to enable governments to decide who is a refugee in need of sanctuary
and who needs to be excluded because they are a threat to the safety
of the public. Article 1F of the Convention explicitly enables governments
to exclude individuals who even though they may be facing persecution
in their country, have been involved in serious criminal or terrorist
activities.
It is well known that governments in the UK as well
as other western countries have been facing difficulties in managing
and implementing asylum systems. One major problem is their difficulties
in returning those who are rejected or excluded, to their countries
of origin. Much more needs to be done to make
asylum seekers work and UNHCR is very actively working with governments,
to add new agreements to the framework provided by the Convention.
These agreements
are urgently needed to enable governments to deal with the challenges
they face today. The co-operation between the UK and French governments
and UNHCR which led to the closure of Sangatte as well as the new
tripartite agreement between the UK, the Afghan authorities and
UNHCR on repatriation to Afghanistan for those who do not face protection
problems, are recent examples. 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.
Most important of all however for countries which
cherish human rights and civil liberties, is the need to ensure
that neither the problems that exist in implementing asylum procedures,
nor the activities of a tiny number of individuals who may have
abused the system, should
be used as
an excuse for undermining the important principle of asylum, and
the protection that it gives to those who are genuinely fleeing
a fear of persecution.
In the dangerous world in which we
live, the UK has a proud record of compassion and international
humanitarian support. The 1951 Convention is a central example of
this, whilst at the same time it defends states' legitimate interests,
safety and security. We can build on it or lose it to our peril.
Yours faithfully,
Anne Dawson-Shepherd
UK
Representative for UNHCR
The
Editor
The
Daily Telegraph
1
Canada Square,
London E14
5DT
Click
here for The Daily Telegraph online
|
