Alternatives to Europe's substandard IDP and refugee collective centres
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Text
adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of
the Assembly, on 18 November 2014 (see Doc. 13507, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and
Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Mr René Rouquet).
1. The collective centres which were
first set up in the 1990s to provide temporary shelter in the wake
of the conflicts in the Balkans and the Caucasus continue to be
used to house refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in
living conditions that are incompatible with human dignity and where
the fundamental rights of the individuals, such as the right to
adequate housing, are often violated.
2. The number of IDPs in the Council of Europe member States,
many of whom live in collective centres, is estimated to be around
2.5 million. However, this figure does not reflect the real situation,
given the intrinsic nature of internal displacement and the difficulty
in determining the exact number of such centres.
3. The Parliamentary Assembly underlines, in this context, the
importance of establishing appropriate population data management
to obtain an idea of the number, the location and the living conditions
of IDPs, in particular people living in collective centres, so as
to be able to meet their needs and protect their rights.
4. The Assembly is also concerned about the steady rise in the
number of refugees, many of whom are obliged to live in collective
centres; this number is increasing even further as a result of the
Syrian conflict.
5. The Assembly recalls Committee of Ministers Recommendation
Rec(2006)6 on internally displaced persons, in which it stressed
“its commitment to the spirit and provisions of the United Nations
guiding principles [Orders concerning collective centres, UNHCR-IOM,
2010] and its willingness to implement them in the member states’
national legislation and policy”.
6. The Assembly also welcomes the initiatives taken by the Council
of Europe Development Bank and, in particular, the Sarajevo Process
on Refugees and Displaced Persons. It also recalls the donors’ conference which
was held in Sarajevo in April 2012 to consider the situation of
refugees and IDPs in the Balkans, during which Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia reasserted their commitment to finding
lasting solutions for refugees and IDPs.
7. The Assembly nevertheless regrets that, despite all the initiatives
taken, the living conditions in many collective centres continue
to be deplorable and that these centres present serious public health
and safety risks for the people living there. Moreover, not all
countries always offer guarantees of security of tenure, including
legal protection against eviction from these centres, which amounts
to an infringement of the right to adequate housing and creates
insecurity which is detrimental to the fulfilment of sustainable
solutions for displaced persons.
8. The Assembly would also like to draw attention to vulnerable
groups and in particular to the specific situation of elderly people
and of women, children, minority groups and persons with disabilities
in collective centres, who need more assistance. Women are often
victims of sexual and domestic violence, while the children do not
always have access to education.
9. The Assembly believes that, in view of these findings, there
is an urgent need for governments to take the necessary steps to
resolve the problems that exist in these centres, particularly with
regard to the quality of housing.
10. Consequently, the Assembly invites the member States of the
Council of Europe:
10.1 with regard
to collective centres, to:
10.1.1 take careful stock of
the situation and of the number of IDPs and refugees in official
and unofficial collective centres, and establish a strategy vis-à-vis
such centres and their occupants;
10.1.2 identify alternative solutions and facilitate the closure
of centres which do not meet minimal requirements in terms of safety
and quality of life, ensuring the full and meaningful participation
of IDPs in the decision-making process;
10.1.3 insofar as possible, make it easier for the occupants
to become owners of their collective centres and ensure that these
meet minimum safety standards;
10.1.4 regularise unofficial collective centres and ensure that
the residents are given adequate protection against any risk of
eviction;
10.1.5 provide for alternative housing measures according to
the different settlement options chosen by the displaced persons,
irrespective of whether these are integration in the local community
or voluntary and safe returns, through the allocation of new housing,
social housing or, in exceptional circumstances, the allocation
of abandoned housing;
10.1.6 inform the people living in collective centres of their
rights and of the possible alternatives in a language they understand;
10.1.7 provide legal assistance and financial resources in cases
where IDPs have lodged complaints concerning the restitution of
their property or reparation for losses incurred;
10.1.8 take specific steps to help elderly people, women, children,
persons with disabilities, minority groups and others with specific
needs;
10.2 with regard to a global approach to:
10.2.1 prepare
a global strategy concerning in particular sustainable solutions
for the rehousing and reintegration of displaced persons, in keeping
with the United Nations Guiding Principles, and in consultation
with relevant international organisations;
10.2.2 set up a national co-ordination centre for IDPs and refugees
and ensure that it has sufficient administrative and financial resources
to help IDPs in the countries concerned;
10.2.3 implement a durable strategy, in collaboration with relevant
actors, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR), to encourage access to livelihoods and independence
so that refugees and IDPs no longer depend on State support, and to
improve their job prospects, for example by offering specialised
training courses, micro-credit and tax exemptions.
11. The Assembly also recommends that, insofar as possible, the
Council of Europe Development Bank and member States of the Council
of Europe provide financial support in the form of donations or
loans, as was done in the context of the Sarajevo Process.
