As Minister of Immigration and Asylum Jean Asselborn and Prime Minister, Minister of State Xavier Bettel discuss the refugee crisis abroad, the Associationde Soutien aux Travailleurs Immigrés (ASTI) has come forward to outline the challenges of the crisis.
ASTI began by emphasising the difference between 'refugees' and 'migrants', drawing on the UNHCR definition that "refugees are people who flee armed conflict or persecution. Their situation is often so perilous and intolerable that they cross national borders to find safety in neighbouring countries, and are therefore recognised internationally as refugees with access to the assistance of States, the UNHCR and other organisations. We acknowledge them precisely because it is dangerous for them to return to their countries and because they need shelter elsewhere. Refusing asylum to these people could potentially have deadly consequences".
ASTI continued by pointing out that migrants, on the other hand, choose, perhaps equally justifiably, to leave their territory and that returning to their country of origin would not pose a threat to their safety.
The Association stated that although the 'Lëtzebuergerslüchtlingsrot' (LFR) claims that asylum is an inalienable human right, little is being done to affirm this. Figures from the UNHCR show that the number of IDPs (internally displaced people) and refugees following the multiple global conflicts reached a new record of 60 million in the last year, with nearly 9 in 10 refugees found in countries considered financially less developed.
ASTI reported that 38 European countries recieved 264,000 asylum requests, of which 216,300 were submitted in the 28 EU Member States. By contrast, Turkey alone has received over 1,7 million asylum seekers and refugees from Syria, Iraq and other countries.
ASTI criticised the EU's slow response to the reception of these displaced people, stating that it failed to establish a timely harmonisation of legislation on an 'asylum package' and that the European Commission needed to develop further strategies in addition to the creation of a single list of safe countries.
The Association suggested that humanitarian corridors be opened in order to deal with the emergency and prevent the aggravation of the 2,800 figure death toll among refugees who have attempted to cross the Mediterranean since January.
ASTI continued by outlining the flaws of the Dublin Treaty, which is now in its third version, citing it as "totally ineffective, especially in emergency situations" and a theoretically simple text which in reality posed many problems.
It referred to the principle of the treaty which indicated that the first country that a refugee enters then becomes responsible for the processing of the asylum application and final decision taken, stating that Italy, Greece and Hungary proved the inefficacy of such a practice.
ASTI went on to comment that here in Luxembourg, asylum seekers living in emergency reception centres should benefit from all reception measures including free public transport and social and psychological care, rather than just shelter.
The Association then referenced an aspect it discussed with the Minister of Labour, Employment and Social and Solidarity Econmc, Nicolas Schmit, on Tuesday, with regards to the LFR's aim to integrate refugees into the labour market in order to facilitate their autonomy. ASTI stated that in order to make this a reality the Luxembourg government needed to shorten or eliminate the waiting period for the necessary administration allowing the integration of asylum seekers into the labour market.
ASTI concluded by saluting the solidarity shown towards refugees by the majority of the Luxembourg population in recent weeks and stated that it would remain available to collaborate with the state and municipalities and would stay on top of the evolving situation.
