Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2016
350. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the refugee crisis continues to be monitored at EU-UN level with a view to identifying a reliable means of ensuring the safety of the victims of war and strife at all trouble spots; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32088/16]
View answerThe migration crisis remains a top priority for the European Union. In the past two weeks alone, migration has been discussed at the European Council, the Foreign Affairs Council and the Justice and Home Affairs Council.
The European Union has responded to the crisis by adopting a range of measures including engaging with countries of origin and transit through high level dialogues to address the root causes of migration; agreeing a plan to relocate asylum seekers in Italy and Greece across the EU; an extensive package of measures with Turkey under the EU Turkey Statement, including the Turkey Refugee Facility worth €3 billion; an EU-Africa Trust Fund to address migration from Africa; and EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia, the naval mission in the Mediterranean to prevent loss of life at sea.
At UN level too the migration crisis has been the focus of two summits held in New York last month. Ireland and Jordan were appointed to co-facilitate negotiations on the arrangements for a UN Summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and co-ordinated approach to this issue. The Summit outcome, successfully negotiated under the leadership of Ireland and Jordan, clearly reaffirms the centrality of the legal and normative framework that already exists and commits the Member States of the UN to its implementation. It acknowledges inter alia that not enough has been done to reduce the need for people to flee in the first place and that responsibility for protecting and assisting refugees is not being shared fairly.
The outcome document also sets out a detailed “comprehensive refugee response framework” and launches an informal consultation process, to be convened by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which will culminate in a Global Compact on Refugees in 2018. It further sets out arrangements for the negotiation of a Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, also to be adopted in 2018.
The second Summit - on Refugees - was hosted by President Obama on 20 September. It led to commitments by the 52 countries and international organisations participating (including Ireland) to increase their total 2016 financial contributions to UN appeals and international humanitarian organisations by approximately $4.5 billion above 2015 levels.
