C Explanatory memorandum
by Lord Alexander Dundee, rapporteur
1 Introduction
1. Armed conflicts, terrorism,
serious human rights violations and natural disasters have resulted
in more than a hundred million people needing humanitarian aid to
survive. Worldwide, nearly 80 million people are forcibly displaced.
Note Within this group, women and children
remain the most vulnerable.
2. This alarming situation has led colleagues and myself to table
a motion for a resolution (
Doc. 14654), initiating this report. While the Council of Europe
is not an organisation which delivers humanitarian aid, national
parliaments have the power to approve national budgets including
funds for humanitarian aid, either under bilateral frameworks or
through multilateral organisations such as the United Nations (UN)
and the European Union (EU). Therefore, the Parliamentary Assembly
can and should look at humanitarian action.
3. The Mediterranean Sea has been a major route for migrants
and refugees from the Middle East and North Africa trying to reach
the European Union, with changing numbers of persons who succeeded
over the past years.
Note Countries in the Middle East and
North Africa and their crisis situations hence become very important
for all member States.
4. The poor humanitarian situation of migrants and refugees in
many countries in the Middle East and North Africa aggravate their
conditions and frequently compel them to use those countries as
mere transit countries. In order to improve the situation, a country-by-country
analysis is necessary as well as an identification of the crises
which displace so many persons.
5. Most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic brought severe suffering
to many countries, interrupted humanitarian assistance from being
delivered across borders, and heavily affected national budgets
in virtually all countries worldwide, thus potentially leading to
reduced possibilities for international aid in the future.
6. For Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region
is of particular importance due to its geographical proximity. Conflicts
in the region, as in Yemen, Syria and Libya, are affecting their
own population, but also have an impact on the whole region due
to the massive influx of migrants and refugees. Up to 85% of displaced
persons are hosted in developing regions. Although Covid-19 infections
in the MENA region have not reached the high European and American
figures, growing poverty in a global recession could lead to more people
leaving their homes, exacerbating the situation further.
7. Our committee visited Amman (Jordan) in March 2018 to examine
the situation of refugees and migrants in the country and to exchange
views with the Jordanian authorities. More than 650 000 Syrian refugees
live in Jordan, and the majority of them are still in need of humanitarian
aid.
8. I had hoped to visit relevant countries and hear from experts
working in the field, but the Covid-19 pandemic paralysed travel
and made such preparatory work impossible. Therefore, I am particularly
grateful to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) for their written briefing notes and their participation
in our meetings.
9. This report analyses the current humanitarian situation in
the MENA region regarding migrants and refugees and seeks to inform
Council of Europe member States on possible future priority action
for refugees and migrants in the different countries concerned.
10. Countries of the region are no longer just countries of transit
for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, they have also become,
increasingly, countries of destination. Refugees and asylum seekers
frequently do not receive the support needed. In addition, most
countries in the MENA region have high numbers of migrant workers,
many of whom work in precarious situations or have lost their work
due to the pandemic and economic recession.
11. MENA countries with readmission agreements for irregular migrants
require specific assistance for returned migrants, including when
returnees are from third countries. Humanitarian assistance should
be part and parcel of voluntary and assisted return programmes.
12. Considerable differences exist in the MENA region and require
a closer geographic analysis of relevant data, in order to decide
on adequate and focused humanitarian assistance. While some countries
produce considerable financial revenues from natural resources and
trade, many are affected by conflicts, terrorism and other challenges
to the rule of law. These differences need to be taken into account.
2 Humanitarian situation of refugees
and migrants in North Africa and the Middle East
13. In this chapter, I will try
to identify the particular situations and needs of countries in
North Africa and the Middle East.
Morocco
14. Morocco is a major transit
country for migrants trying to reach Spain, with 40 326 sea arrivals
and 1 535 land arrivals in 2020, among them some 4 000 Moroccan
nationals.
Note Experts estimated there to be some 700 000
Sub-Saharan migrants living in Morocco in 2019, mostly from Senegal
and the Ivory Coast as well as Cameroon and Guinea, but also from
Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Note As of 31 October 2020, UNHCR Morocco
registered 7 790 refugees and 4 868 asylum-seekers, approximately
half of them from Syria.
Note
15. Morocco is also increasingly becoming a major country of destination
for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. It was the first country
in the Middle East and North Africa region to launch a National
Strategy on Immigration and Asylum, setting out mechanisms of response
to meet the needs of refugees and asylum seekers on the Moroccan
territory. The UNHCR has worked closely with the country and in
its country evaluation report on Morocco for 2016 to 2019,
Note it described its strategy, namely
to (i) register refugees in conjunction with the authorities; (ii)
provide humanitarian assistance and protection to refugees in co-operation with
Morocco’s national immigration and asylum strategy; (iii) strengthen
the institutional capacities of national actors involved in the
field of asylum; and (iv) establish durable solutions for refugees
by focusing on socio-professional integration, voluntary repatriation
or resettlement in a third country for the most vulnerable. Morocco’s
efforts as well as those of the UNHCR in this area need to be recognised
and supported further.
16. Following on from earlier programmes, the European Union provided
Morocco with a specific programme of €101.7 million to deal with
irregular migration in 2020.
Note While the EU Council gave the European
Commission the mandate to establish a readmission agreement for
irregular migrants with Morocco in the year 2000, such an agreement
has not yet been concluded.
Note In February 1992, Morocco and Spain signed
a bilateral readmission agreement.
17. The Council of Europe has an office in Rabat. Morocco is a
member of the North-South Centre, of the Co-operation Group to Combat
Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Drugs (Pompidou Group) and
of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission).
The Parliament of Morocco is an active partner for democracy with
the Assembly.
18. Morocco is a host country for work migrants from the Sub-Sahara
and other regions in Africa affected by economic problems linked inter alia to the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the same time, a high percentage of migrants trying to enter
Spain or Italy are Moroccan citizens. Therefore, the Council of
Europe should assist Morocco’s efforts to work for social rights
and against human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Closer co-operation
with Spain, Italy and the European Union should be supported.
Algeria
19. Algeria hosts approximately
90 000 refugees from the Western Sahara region in five camps located
in the south-western part of the country and some 9 000 refugees
and asylum seekers in the capital.
Note The conflict in the neighbouring
Western Sahara region started with fighting with the Polisario Front
in the 1970s over Morocco’s claims to this territory. Since 1991
peacekeepers for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in
Western Sahara (MINURSO) have monitored a ceasefire agreement.
Note MINURSO has a budget of US$56 million
and is mostly staffed by nationals from Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana,
Pakistan and the Russian Federation, with 10 duty stations in the
Western Sahara region and one in Algeria.
Note
20. From January to September 2019, 2 900 Algerian citizens arrived
as refugees or migrants by boat in Spain and 800 in Italy.
Note In 2020, a significant increase
of boat migrants departing from Algeria was observed
Note, with 1 380 Algerian boat migrants
arriving in Italy.
Note
21. The EU Council mandated the European Commission to establish
a readmission agreement with Algeria in 2002, with no success so
far.
Note The bilateral Swiss-Algerian agreement
on circulation and readmission entered into force in November 2007,
Note and the readmission agreement between
the United Kingdom and Algeria dates from 2010.
Note
22. The EU maintains an informal dialogue with Algeria on migration
and provided assistance to Algeria under the European Neighbourhood
Initiative which has a budget framework of between €108 million
and €132 million for the period 2018-2020.
Note Under the EU Emergency Trust Fund
for Africa, Algeria is also eligible for funds.
23. According to the UNHCR, Algeria is lacking a comprehensive
national asylum and protection framework.
Note The UNHCR is thus planning to help
establish a mechanism for the referral of asylum-seekers.
24. Algeria is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) with considerable oil and gas resources.
Note It is a country with a high risk
of terrorist attacks, mainly from Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
and other regional Islamist groups including Al Murabitun and Daesh-affiliates.
Note
25. Algeria is member of the Venice Commission and the North-South
Centre of the Council of Europe.
26. Given the high percentage of Algerian boat migrants trying
to enter Spain and Italy and the fact that Algeria is affected by
the neighbouring conflict in the Western Sahara region, closer co-operation
with Spain, Italy and the European Union might help improve the
living conditions of work migrants and Algerian boat migrants who
returned to Algeria.
Tunisia
27. In Tunisia, the UNHCR counted
4 447 asylum seekers and refugees in April 2020.
Note The UNHCR has appealed for funds
of US$8.8 million in 2020.
Note The UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) does not however have humanitarian
response operations in Tunisia presently.
Note
28. Bordering Libya, the Tunisian coast guard has been dealing
with boat migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
Note The UN Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) considers Tunisia a country of origin, transit and destination
for humans who are exploited in various forms, including through
human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.
Note
29. In 2020, approximately 12 500 Tunisian citizens arrived as
boat migrants in Italy, which equals 38.4% of all 34 133 migrants
having arrived across the Mediterranean Sea in Italy in 2020 and
constitutes the highest percentage and is three times higher than
the 12.7% or 4 122 boat migrants from Bangladesh, which is the next
highest group.
Note
30. Under the European Neighbourhood Instrument of the European
Union, Tunisia received assistance of €300 million per year from
2017 to 2020.
Note The European Commission was mandated
by the EU Council to establish a readmission agreement with Tunisia
in 2014, but such an agreement does not yet exist.
31. The Council of Europe has an office in Tunis. Tunisia is a
member of the Venice Commission and the North-South Centre.
32. In view of its border with Libya, Tunisia requires particular
support. Closer co-operation with Italy and the EU might reduce
the risk of people drowning in the Mediterranean Sea on their route
to Italy. The Council of Europe could work with Tunisia in protecting
social rights and combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Libya
33. Libya has been terribly affected
by armed conflicts.
Note International stabilisation efforts
have led to a ceasefire agreement in Geneva in October 2020, which
all warring parties agreed to follow-up through implementation measures
in November 2020.
Note The situation remains difficult,
with Libya’s revenues from natural resources still being interrupted.
34. In 2020, only 380 Libyans arrived in Italy or 1.2% of the
total arrivals of boat migrants in Italy.
Note This indicates that Libyans do not
generally migrate to, or seek asylum in, Europe.
35. Libya has become a prime country of transit for migrants seeking
to reach Europe by sea.
Note The UNHCR appealed for funds of
US$84.1 million for 2020.
Note OCHA called for US$114.9 million.
Note
36. The European Union has set up several programmes for Libya,
including protection and assistance for migrants and asylum seekers.
Note The EU Trust Fund for Africa funded
10 projects in Libya for nearly €340 million.
Note To put this in context, the general
budget of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa is over €4.5 billion.
37. The UNHCR documented 373 709 internally displaced persons,
448 573 returnees and 48 626 registered refugees in Libya.
Note In February 2020, the IOM counted
653 800 migrants, 83% of whom were employed in Libya.
Note
38. Due to its rich oil and gas resources,
Note Libya has traditionally been a country
with many work migrants. The conflict in Libya affected their situation
dramatically, and the African Union reacted to a modern slave market
of foreign workers in Libya in 2017.
Note Council of Europe direct action
in Libya does not seem practical at the moment, but member States
and national parliaments are strongly encouraged to provide humanitarian support
to this country which continues to have great needs. For instance,
Italy has resettled refugees from Libya to Italy.
Egypt
39. In Egypt, half of the 258 910
registered refugees and asylum seekers were from Syria in April
2020.
Note In November 2020,
Note the UNHCR still had registered 258 882
refugees and asylum seekers, 130 187 of whom were from Syria.
Note Most of them depend on aid and live
on the outskirts of urban areas. The UNHCR appealed for funding
of projects in Egypt totalling US$108.8 million for 2020.
Note
40. Under its Neighbourhood Instrument, the European Union has
allocated an envelope of €432 to €528 million for Egypt for the
years 2017 to 2020.
Note
41. Egypt is currently affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and has
been the target of terrorism, mainly by Daesh-Sinai, Al Qaeda aligned
groups and Muslim Brotherhood aligned groups.
Note In 2020, Italy was the destination
of 1 118 boat migrants with Egyptian citizenship.
Note
42. The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue
Between Cultures, which has its seat in Alexandria, works with more
than 4 500 civil society organisations from some 40 countries and
had a budget of some €16 million for 2018-2020.
Note As the Council of Europe is not
present in Egypt, co-operation of the Assembly with this foundation
or other partners could be envisaged.
Jordan
43. Already before the armed conflict
in Syria, approximately half a million Syrians worked in neighbouring Jordan.
Government estimates indicate that Jordan currently hosts approximately
1.3 million Syrians, of whom 654 681 have been registered as refugees
at the end of 2019, besides some 90 000 refugees from other countries.
Note The current number of Syrian refugees
in Jordan is approximately 660 000.
Note
44. In 2014, the Jordan Humanitarian Fund was established by OCHA,
which funds humanitarian projects and has received US$10 million
for 2020, 7 million of which came from Germany, the United Kingdom
and Sweden.
Note
45. An envelope of €335.5 million to €410.1 million has been allocated
to Jordan under the EU Neighbourhood Instrument for the years 2017
to 2020.
Note The establishment of a readmission
agreement with Jordan was decided by the EU Council in 2015, but
the European Commission is still pursuing this mandate.
46. As the Jordanian Parliament has partner for democracy status
with the Assembly, dialogue should be increased with a focus on
humanitarian needs.
Lebanon
47. Lebanon hosted 910 256 refugees
from Syria and 13 002 from Iraq in 2019.
Note In addition, approximately 200 000
Palestinian refugees are hosted in Lebanon and supported by the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA). By September 2020, the number of Syrian refugees fell
to 879 529 registered refugees.
Note
48. The UNHCR requested US$535 million for Lebanon in 2020. In
2019, it provided
inter alia unrestricted cash
assistance of US$175 per month to some 34 600 refugee families in
Jordan and intended to do the same for 2020.
Note
49. The major explosions in the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020
heavily damaged parts of the city, injured some 6 000 persons and
left 204 persons dead. On 14 August 2020, the United Nations launched
a US$565 million appeal to support relief and recovery action.
Note WHO called for US$ 76 million for
its Beirut Port Blast Emergency Strategic Response Plan.
Note The UNHCR mobilised US$35 million
for its emergency response action.
Note The IOM appealed for emergency funding
of US$10.37 million.
Note The suffering caused by the explosions
still continues, as reconstruction work seems to be difficult.
Note
50. The EU Neighbourhood Initiative allocated an envelope of €186.5
million to €227.9 million to Lebanon for the years 2017 to 2020.
Note Following the explosion at the port
of Beirut, the European Union adopted an additional support package
of nearly €100 million.
Note
51. Islamist terrorism is a grave problem in Lebanon, in particular
in Tripoli, Palestinian refugee camps and in areas close to the
Syrian border.
Note
52. Boat migrants from Lebanon often try to reach Cyprus, which
signed an agreement on irregular migration with the Lebanese government
in 2002.
Note Lebanon also signed a bilateral
readmission agreement with Switzerland in 2004, which entered into
force in 2006.
Note Numbers of returned migrants are
not known, but they would obviously require support at home in Lebanon.
53. Due to the difficult situation in Lebanon, and in particular
the security situation, direct Council of Europe action seems unlikely.
It is thus all the more important that members of the Assembly,
and national parliaments with bilateral contacts, do what they can
to promote support for this country in crisis.
Syria
54. Syria has been heavily affected
by armed conflict and terrorism, with some 6.1 million internally displaced
persons, 5.5 million Syrian refugees registered in other countries,
Note and 1.4 million persons returned to
Syria by 2019.
Note There were 16 213 refugees and 11 795
asylum seekers in Syria in 2019.
Note
55. The northern part of Syria bordering Turkey has been called
a safety zone by Turkey, which formerly included several camps for
displaced persons and a large penal detention centre at al-Hol for
alleged or convicted Daesh fighters.
Note
56. This complex situation causes severe and unclear humanitarian
situation. The UNHCR is present in many parts of Syria and requested
funds of US$584.7 million for 2020.
Note
57. In 2015 the European Union set up the Regional Trust Fund
in Response to the Syrian Crisis, which has reached a total volume
of €1.8 billion, in order to provide assistance for countries hosting
Syrian refugees. In addition, the European Union provided €920 million
of humanitarian assistance to the population affected inside Syria.
Note
58. It is important to note that Turkey currently hosts 3.65 million
registered Syrian refugees,
Note most of whom are in the Istanbul
region and in south-eastern Turkey along the Syrian border.
Note Almost 60 000 of these persons live
in camps.
Note Turkey has been at the forefront
of dealing with Syrians with protection needs.
59. Far greater support needs to be given in particular to Turkey
as well as other countries which have to deal with the brunt of
this massive population flow into Europe. A huge amount of investment
is also needed in Syria to help meet the humanitarian needs and
rebuild society and infrastructure.
Iraq
60. Iraq had been affected by the
armed conflict with Daesh from 2014 to 2017. In August 2019, the
IOM counted 1 552 914 internally displaced persons in Iraq besides
4.35 million returnees, and the UNHCR registered in Iraq 228 573
Syrian refugees as well as 42 559 other refugees and asylum-seekers,
mainly from Turkey, Iran, the Palestinian territories and Sudan.
Note
61. The UNHCR requested funding of US$510.5 million for 2020.
Note Since 2015, the European Union provided
humanitarian aid of some €458 million to displaced persons and refugees
in Iraq.
Note
62. Iraq is a member of OPEC and has important oil and gas resources.
Note Similar to other countries in the MENA
region, the current Covid-19 pandemic also reached Iraq. OCHA follows
the situation.
Note
63. Given the high level of funding of humanitarian aid for Iraq
from European States and the EU, national parliaments should follow
closely the effectiveness of this aid and be ready to share information
and strategies for humanitarian assistance to migrants, internally
displaced persons and refugees in Iraq.
Yemen
64. The armed conflict of the Houthis
in Yemen has continued since 2015 and displaced many persons, leading
to more than 230 000 fatalities.
Note According to UNHCR data, there were
3 647 250 internally displaced persons and 1 280 562 returnees in
August 2019.
Note In October 2019,
Note the UNHCR registered 266 877 refugees
and 10 435 asylum-seekers, with some 150 000 remaining unregistered.
In February 2020, there were 282 257 refugees, some 90% of whom
were from Somalia,
Note but the UNHCR estimates that the
number of refugees might decrease to some 140 000 in 2020 due to
returns of refugees.
Note
65. The UNHCR has appealed for funds of US$211 857 873 for Yemen
in 2020.
Note Since 2015, the EU allocated €484
million in humanitarian aid.
Note For 2021, OCHA estimates that 24.3
million persons in Yemen need humanitarian assistance due to escalating
violence and deteriorating economic prospects.
Note
66. In addition, Yemen has been experiencing an outbreak of cholera
since 2016. WHO estimates that 1.3 million persons have been infected
between 2018 and January 2020.
Note In this context, the World Bank provided
in 2017 an emergency grant of US$200 million for Yemen.
Note
67. Faced with an extremely serious humanitarian crisis, Yemen
requires more attention from European States including national
parliaments.
3 Humanitarian
action concerning migrants and refugees in North Africa and the
Middle East
Council of Europe
68. The situation of migrants and
refugees in the MENA region has been of interest and on the agenda
of the Assembly in the past.
Resolution
2224 (2018) “The humanitarian situation of refugees in the countries neighbouring
Syria”, and
Resolution
1971 (2014) “Syrian refugees: how to organise and support international assistance?”,
highlighted the difficulties faced by neighbouring countries in
dealing with Syrian refugees.
Resolution
2215 (2018) “The situation in Libya: prospects and role of the Council
of Europe” stressed the dramatic situation of refugees and migrants
in Libya and required member States to refrain from sending migrants
back to countries where their lives were endangered.
Resolution 1919 (2013) “Recent developments in Mali and Algeria and the threat
to security and human rights in the Mediterranean region” focused
on threats to security and human rights, especially those due to
terrorism in the Sahel Zone.
69. Through its North-South Centre, the Council of Europe has
worked with countries in the MENA region.
Note Some MENA countries have acceded
to Council of Europe conventions and are members of partial agreements
such as the Venice Commission and the Pompidou Group. The Assembly
maintains inter-parliamentary contacts with observers and partners
for democracy from the MENA region.
70. The Council of Europe has offices in Rabat and Tunis, which
implement practical work in Morocco and Tunisia. Regarding the subject
of this report, the EU/CoE regional joint programme “Ensuring Sustainable Democratic
Governance and Human Rights in the Southern Mediterranean” 2020-2022
could be of particular relevance.
71. For example, Morocco’s National Commission for Co-ordinating
Measures for Combating and Preventing Trafficking in Human Beings
and the Council of Europe organised an event to mark the World Day against
Trafficking in Persons in Rabat on 27 July 2020, in partnership
with the IOM and the UNODC. For and with Tunisia, the Council of
Europe supports the creation of a national anti-trafficking body
under the “Project to support independent bodies in Tunisia” and
launched the Passport on the Rights of Victims of Trafficking in Persons
(in Arabic and French) on 27 July 2020.
Note
72. In view of the magnitude of the crises and the geographical
proximity of MENA countries, the plight of refugees and migrants
in this region should receive more attention, in particular from
the Assembly and national parliaments. It will therefore be important
to continuously raise awareness about the specific humanitarian needs.
European Union
73. The European Union and its
member States are major donors of humanitarian aid. Under the EU
Trust Fund for Africa, more than 220 programmes have been approved
worth some €4.4 billion.
Note Through its €3.1 billion budget,
the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian
Aid Operations supports humanitarian action in several crisis regions,
which have seen major population movements and caused many to leave
their countries. The European Union is a member of the OCHA Donor
Support Group, which advises on policies and financial questions.
74. The EU also conducts donor conferences in order to supplement
funds for humanitarian assistance. From 12 to 14 March 2019, the
European Union and the United Nations co-chaired the Brussels III
Conference, which addressed key issues affecting Syrians inside
their country as well as refugees within their host communities,
in particular in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Donors pledged US$8.8
billion for the Syria Humanitarian Response, double the money that
was pledged for the year 2018.
United Nations
75. OCHA has called for US$31.7
billion in humanitarian funding for 180.9 million people in need
globally in April 2020
Note and finally received US$25.66 billion
by December 2020.
Note It receives funds from many countries, among
which the five biggest contributors in 2020 were
Note the USA with US$36 730 000, Sweden
with US$31 688 472, the United Kingdom with US$22 547 490, Norway
with US$14 071 696 and Germany with US$12 304 424. In addition,
the European Union has so far contributed US$11 440 960. However,
only a percentage of the estimated funding needs are finally met
by States and donors.
76. The main UN agencies providing humanitarian aid are the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UNHCR, the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP). In
the Middle East, the UNRWA also conducts humanitarian action in
different countries to support Palestinian refugees. The OCHA is
the agency co-ordinating all the responses to emergencies. The role
of the OCHA Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa
(ROMENA) is increasingly important, as the situation within the
region has worsened.
77. The special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council include
a Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced
persons and a Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.
Concerning the country mandates, the UN has established a Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories
and a Special Rapporteur on the situation on human rights in the
Syrian Arab Republic, considering the length and magnitude of both
conflicts.
African Union
78. The African Union legal framework
includes several conventions dealing with the protection of migrants and
refugees in Africa. The Kampala Convention establishes a legal framework
to prevent internal displacement and promotes co-operation between
AU member States. By ratifying the convention, member States agree
to assist internally displaced persons by meeting their basic needs;
to respect the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality
and independence; and to protect their rights. The Convention also
ensures that humanitarian assistance is not restricted.
79. The Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union,
which formulates opinions and provides inputs into the policies
of the African Union, has a specific Sectorial Cluster Committee
on Political Affairs. This includes the issue of humanitarian affairs
and assistance.
80. Other conventions, including the Convention governing the
specific aspects of refugees’ problems in Africa and the Protocol
to the treaty establishing the African Economic Community relating
to free movement of persons, right of residence and right of establishment,
also deserve recognition.
4 Conclusions
81. The Middle East and the Northern
Africa region is very important for Europe, especially with regard
to the numbers of migrants and refugees coming from or through these
countries. Therefore, the Assembly should establish closer inter-parliamentary
contacts and action with MENA countries.
82. MENA countries should be invited to accede to the relevant
legal standards of the Council of Europe or participate in related
work, with a view to improving the humanitarian situation of refugees
and migrants.
83. When human rights and humanitarian standards are not respected,
persons will naturally feel compelled to leave their homes and travel.
Fostering humanitarian co-operation and assisting countries and
persons in need is necessary for allowing people to live in dignity,
freedom, justice and safety in their own countries, countries of
transit or in countries which grant them asylum.
84. National humanitarian assistance needs to be co-ordinated
in order to avoid parallel or even contradictory international action.
As parliaments have the power to decide on national budgets, their
members should actively participate in debates about the funding
of humanitarian action as well as in the parliamentary monitoring
of the proper use of such funding.
85. With the help of the technological progress achieved in teleconferencing
during the Covid-19 pandemic, geographical distances have become
less dividing for political contacts and meetings. The Assembly
should try to establish thematic working relations and co-operation
with the African Union regarding humanitarian projects for refugees
and migrants.
86. Relevant sectors and bodies of the Council of Europe should
enlarge their geographical remit, in particular regarding forced
displacement and migration. The Assembly can be an intra-institutional
partner in such work in particular through the partnerships for
democracy established, or which could be established with a number
of parliaments in the region.