Refugees: crisis demands exponential increase in global solidarity

March 31, 2016
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EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos participated in the UNHCR high-level conference on “Global responsibility sharing through pathways for admission of Syrian refugees” in Geneva on Wednesday 30 March 2016. 
 
“Today is a very important event to step up international efforts in managing the refugee crisis. The global community expects the EU to deliver. I want to tell you that Europe is here too, and that’s what I have come to confirm today,” Mr Avramopoulos said in its opening speech.
 
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on dozens of countries attending the high-level conference to welcome more Syrian refugees and not to leave this responsibility to Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.
 
Some 4.8 million Syrians have been forced to flee the country by five years of war, while another 6.6 million have been internally displaced. While talks are underway to find a lasting peace, the UN chief said more countries needed to step up and provide solutions for Syrian refugees.
 
“We are here to address the biggest refugee and displacement crisis of our time … This demands an exponential increase in global solidarity,” Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the gathering at the United Nations in Geneva, attended by representatives from 92 countries together with governmental and nongovernmental organisations.
 

Countries covered:

  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Syria *