European solidarity in the context of asylum and international protection
Recommendation 2248
(2023)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Text
adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of
the Assembly, on 3 March 2023 (see Doc. 15718, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and
Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Lord Alexander Dundee).
1. Referring to its
Resolution 2487 (2023) “European
solidarity in the context of asylum and international protection”,
the Parliamentary Assembly emphasises the importance of encouraging
Council of Europe member States to build up further their humanitarian
action to help refugees, persons under international protection
and internally displaced persons.
2. Since 24 February 2022, when the Russian Federation attacked
Ukraine, several million people have either been displaced inside
Ukraine or else sought international protection in other member
States. Since 2015, following the armed conflict in Syria, more
than 3 million Syrians have found temporary protection in Türkiye.
Since the trilateral ceasefire agreement of 9 November 2020, several
hundred thousand displaced persons in Azerbaijan have been able
to return to their mostly destroyed homes. Thousands of Cypriots, Georgians,
Moldovans and people from the former Yugoslavia are still displaced.
Hundreds of thousands of refugees from outside Europe have sought
protection in several member States.
3. The Assembly recalls the declaration by the Heads of State
and Government of the Council of Europe adopted at the Warsaw Summit
in 2005. In view of unresolved conflicts, this declaration reflects
the threat to the democratic stability of the member States of the
Council of Europe and the populations concerned, while proposing
solutions. Therefore, member States can now proceed within the context
and precedent of the 2005 Warsaw Summit’s provisions calling for
concrete action by the Council of Europe to provide humanitarian assistance
to member States in which high numbers of people have found asylum
or international protection, or are displaced.
4. Convinced that the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government
of the Council of Europe in Reykjavik in 2023 is an opportunity
for the Council of Europe to strengthen European solidarity, including
among its member States, the Assembly recommends that the Committee
of Ministers:
4.1 ensure that Council
of Europe co-operation activities include support for humanitarian
action for vulnerable refugees and displaced persons in member States,
in co-operation and co-ordination with other international stakeholders
mandated in this field;
4.2 call on those member States that have not yet done so
to accede to the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) so that
the geographical reach of the CEB is properly extended, as necessary;
4.3 call on those member States that are not yet members of
the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (North-South
Centre) of the Council of Europe to accede to the North-South Centre,
in order to improve the efficacy of its work for vulnerable refugees
from the global South living in member States;
4.4 enter into agreements establishing closer co-operation
with the European Union and the United Nations regarding practical
humanitarian action for displaced persons, refugees and persons
under international protection in Europe.
