Radio România Internațional

Tag: UNHCR

  • The Pact on Migration and Asylum – a criticized deal

    The Pact on Migration and Asylum – a criticized deal

    The 9th edition of the European Migration Forum took place in Brussels in November. High on the agenda was the role of civil society in the implementation of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. Launched in April 2024, the document replaced the former Dublin III Regulation and seeks to support the European Union’s efforts to untangle the current migration gridlock by strengthening border security, facilitating asylum and repatriation procedures and strengthening solidarity with Member States located at the Union’s external borders. Far from being unanimously welcomed, the Pact was met with criticism from NGOs, publications and specialists across the European continent – ​​both from anti-migration and far-right parties (for whom the new regulation does not propose sufficient measures to stop migration) and from leftists and activists (for whom the document poses a threat to human rights). At the end of 2023, for instance, 50 NGOs signed an open letter to the European Commission voicing fears about a future system with possible flaws. This system would favor the normalization of arbitrary detention of migrants, racial profiling, and would use “crisis” procedures as a reason to reject entry at the border and redirect people to so-called safe third countries, thus exposing them to risks of violence, torture and imprisonment.

     

    Professor Cristian Pîrvulescu, the Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at SNSPA and President of the Integration and Immigration Group of the European Economic and Social Committee, tried to account for part of the hesitancy towards the new regulation:

     

    “We had our misgivings towards the Pact, primarily regarding the definition of third countries, because the list of third countries where people who are denied asylum in the European Union are expelled is not at all certain. There are, from our point of view, many shortcomings in the way the Commission has compiled this list, and there are states that are apparently safe, but which the geopolitical situation can turn into completely unsafe states. Moreover, one of our problems concerns the right to apply to enter the territory of the European Union and to go through asylum procedures, which is essential for all those who arrive at the EU borders, whether we are talking about Schengen or non-Schengen borders. In addition, the asylum procedures, as explained by the new Pact, are greatly shortened”.

     

    In 2023, over 117 million people were forcibly displaced, and the UNHCR estimated that by the end of 2024, this figure would increase to 130 million. However, the majority remain in their regions of origin, and only a small share seek protection in Europe.

     

    On the sidelines of the European Migration Forum, RRI spoke to Flavius ​​Ilioni Loga, executive director of the LOGS Association, a grassroots organization operating in Timișoara since 2019, which promotes the integration of vulnerable migrant groups through education and combating human trafficking. Flavius Ilioni was designated “Urban Hero” in Timișoara in 2021, and his team is made up of social workers, psychologists and cultural mediators. I asked him about the vulnerabilities of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum:

     

    “We could not say that we ideally suited to make a legal analysis of the Pact. But there is criticism at the level of organizations regarding policies related to pushbacks, what is happening at the external borders, including on the Romanian border with Serbia, the presence of FRONTEX — how many FRONTEX employees are inspected to actually protect the rights of those who are refugees and who have the right to seek asylum. There is also criticism regarding the implementation of the Pact exclusively with support of the authorities versus that of civil society. We are talking about this exclusive responsibility of national governments to determine who will be involved in the resettlement or integration of people arriving from abroad. The processing of asylum applications, obviously, is the remit of national authorities, but when it comes to legal assistance, counseling, how will this be done? This can be seen as a barrier in the way of organizations like ours, to have direct access to the authorities in Bucharest, for example, which are 600 kilometers away from Timișoara, and that might raise issues when it comes to helping and supporting the solidarity effort at the local and community level”.

     

    According to data provided by the General Inspectorate for Immigration submitted for publication and analysis to the European Council for Refugees and Exiles, in 2023 Romania received a total of 10,346 applications for international protection, of which, by the end of 2023, only 5,561 had been processed. Of these, only 491 had received refugee status, and 438 subsidiary protection. (VP)

  • Bilingual textbooks for Ukrainian children and teenagers in Romania

    Bilingual textbooks for Ukrainian children and teenagers in Romania

    Today’s edition explores a series of bilingual Romanian language textbooks addressing Ukrainian children and teenagers in Romania.

    The initiative was carried out by Terre des hommes Romania Foundation, in partnership with UNCHR, the UN Refugee Agency and Swiss Solidarity, and addresses pupils and teenagers, as well as their parents. The manuals can be used both in class and at home.

    More about the reach of this project from interviews featured in today’s installment, featuring Pablo Zapata (UNHCR representative to Romania), Rodica Novac (project coordinator on behalf of TdH) and Angelica Stus (co-author of the textbooks).

     

  • The UNHCR Refugee Response Plan – the chapter for Romania

    The UNHCR Refugee Response Plan – the chapter for Romania

    According to data provided by the UNHCR, since February 2022, over 5.4 million people have crossed the border from Ukraine and Moldova into Romania, of which over 155,000 received various forms of temporary protection. Some 78,000 Ukrainians are still present in Romania.

    On February 23, at the North Rail Station in Bucharest, the UNHCR, together with UN agencies and NGOs, launched the Refugee Response Plan. This year, the 37 partners of this initiative, comprising 24 national NGOs, 7 international NGOs, and 6 UN agencies will implement targeted activities to support the protection and inclusion of refugees from Ukraine in Romania.

    More details about this initiative and ongoing efforts to help Ukrainian refugees in Romania from the UNHCR representative to Romania, Pablo Zapata, in this exclusive interview for RRI.

     

     

    Click on the link below to listen to the full interview

  • Romania expresses solidarity with Ukraine 1 year since the start of the war

    Romania expresses solidarity with Ukraine 1 year since the start of the war

    On February 24 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Romania and the Government of Romania hosted a special event celebrating 1 year of solidarity with Ukraine.

    On this occassion, local and international officials reasserted their full support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, condemning Russia’s unprovoked and unwarranted attack on this country.

    Attending the event were Romanian officials, foreign ambassadors and representatives of international organizations.

  • May 23, 2022

    May 23, 2022

    Fiscal code – The Romanian Finance Ministry is analyzing a possible amendment to the Fiscal Code this week, after the National Liberal Party – PNL and the Social Democratic Party – PSD agreed that the collection of funds to the state budget should be improved. The Social Democrats are talking about the opportunity to return to progressive taxation, and the Liberals are defending the flat tax, which they say they are not willing to give up. Both parties give assurances that there will be no new taxes and duties for Romanians.



    Ukraine – The number of people forced to flee the conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecutions has exceeded 100 million for the first time, as a result of the war in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts, shows a statement from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The figure of 100 million people is staggering, worrying and should have never been reached, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. By the end of 2021, the number of people displaced worldwide had reached 90 million due to new waves of violence or protracted conflicts in countries such as Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. On February 24, the Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of neighboring Ukraine, throwing further millions of people into the streets to flee fighting and reach less exposed regions or other countries. Europe has not seen such a rapid inflow of refugees since the end of World War II, UNHCR points out. Nearly 6.5 million Ukrainians have left the country, mostly women and children, and the UN estimates that their number could exceed 8 million by the end of the year.



    Refugees — The number of Ukrainian citizens who entered Romania on Sunday decreased by 17.4% as compared to the previous day, according to a communiqué of the Border Police General Inspectorate, issued on Monday. Since the onset of the crisis until Sunday, more than a million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. The Interior Ministry also states that the occupancy rate in the accommodation centers of the General Inspectorate for Immigration is almost 47%. Since March 18, the same Inspectorate has issued 27,353 residence permits for beneficiaries of temporary protection. Equally, since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, 4,349 Ukrainian citizens have applied for asylum in Romania, enjoying all the rights provided by national law.



    Cannes — The Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, competing at the Cannes Film Festival, hopes that his film R.M.N., in which a village in Transylvania is like an explosive laboratory of populism, will open the eyes of Europeans to this evil has been gnawing at them, AFP reports. Mungiu is in the race for the second Palme dOr Prize, 15 years after his film 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days. The film title, R.M.N., refers to the medical term MRI – magnetic resonance imaging: Mungiu scans the underbelly of populism, an evil that has metastasized in a still traditional village, on the borders of Europe, AFP reports. I hope that the spectators do not easily shy away from their responsibilities, do not think that this is happening in a remote, wild land. Im afraid thats not the case, said director Mungiu. The film takes place a few days before Christmas, in a village in Transylvania, where the Roma population disappeared, driven away by the inhabitants and the force of prejudice, and where the new cursed people of the Earth appeared, Sri Lankan workers who were brought to work at the local bakery after the Romanians went to work in the west.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse was defeated on Sunday evening by the Belgian Elise Mertens, seed no. 31, in the first round of the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament. Also on Sunday, Sorana Cîrstea qualified to the second round, after defeating the German Tatjana Maria. Today, Irina Begu and Ana Bogdan will play at the French Open, and tomorrow three other Romanians Simona Halep, Irina Bara and Mihaela Buzărnescu will play in the inaugural round. Halep, seed no. 19, is a Roland Garros champion in 2018 and a finalist in 2014 and 2017. (LS)

  • Ukraine: Flüchtlingswelle reißt nicht ab

    Ukraine: Flüchtlingswelle reißt nicht ab




    Knapp 10% der ukrainischen Bevölkerung haben das Land seit dem Angriff der russischen Truppen am 24. Februar verlassen. Insgesamt 4 Millionen Menschen sind vor Tod und Zerstörung vor allem in Nachbarländer der Ukraine geflohen. Die meisten Flüchtlinge wählten die westliche Route, etwa 2,4 Mio. Ukrainer sind nun vorübergehend oder dauerhaft in Polen angekommen. Doch weitere hunderttausende Flüchtende haben einen sicheren Hort auch in anderen Nachbarländern der Ukraine gesucht, nämlich in Rumänien, der Moldaurepublik und in Ungarn. Filippo Grandi, UN-Diplomat und Hoher Flüchtlingskommissar der Vereinten Nationen, beschrieb den Exodus der Ukrainer (allen voran Frauen und Kinder) als die schlimmste und rasanteste Flüchtlingskrise in Europa nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg“. Der Krieg in der Ukraine sei so verheerend, dass sich insgesamt etwa 10 Mio. Menschen in Bewegung gesetzt haben und entweder in andere Landesteile umsiedeln oder ins Ausland flüchten mussten, sagte noch der Diplomat.



    In Bukarest traf sich Premierminister Nicolae Ciucă am Montag mit Linda Thomas-Greenfield, der US-Botschafterin bei der UNO. Vor dem Hintergrund der russischen Aggression stand auf der Gesprächsagenda vorrangig die Situation der Flüchtlinge aus der Ukraine. Der rumänische Premierminister stellte die aktuelle Sicherheitslage in der Region vor und erörterte auch die Perspektive eines lang anhaltenden Kriegs in der Ukraine, eine Situation, die alle Nachbarländer erheblich unter Druck setzen würde. Rumänien sei auf ein solches Szenario zwar vorbereitet, doch gleichzeitig sei eine Kooperation mit internationalen humanitären Organisationen wie dem UN-Flüchtlingshilfswerk (UNHCR) unabdingbar, um die Krise in den Griff zu bekommen. Ciucă lobte in diesem Zusammenhang den Einsatz der rumänischen Zivilgesellschaft und vieler freiwilliger Helfer, die sich beispielhaft für die Aufnahme und Unterbringung der ankommenden Flüchtlinge eingesetzt haben. Rumänien unterstütze gleichzeitig auch die benachbarte Moldaurepublik, die die humanitäre Krise mit weitaus weniger Ressourcen meistern muss.



    Die US-Diplomatin bedankte sich für den engagierten Einsatz der rumänischen Behörden und würdigte die Offenherzigkeit der rumänischen Bevölkerung in der Aufnahme von Flüchtlingen aus dem leidgeprüften Nachbarland. Linda Thomas-Greenfield berichtete auch, dass Russland im UN-Sicherheitsrat isoliert“ sei, und bezeichnete die Teilnahme Russlands am UN-Menschenrechtsrat als eine Farce“. Es sei an der Zeit, dass die UN-Generalversammlung die Mitgliedschaft Russlands suspendiere, so die amerikanische Diplomatin. Zuvor hatte US-Präsident Joe Biden ein internationales Strafverfahren gegen den russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin gefordert, den er einen Kriegsverbrecher“ nannte.



    Die EU-Kommission hat indessen den europäischen Banken empfohlen, in Ländern, die Flüchtlinge aufnehmen, eine freie Konversion der ukrainischen Währung Hrywnja (UAH) zu ermöglichen. Somit soll auch dem Land geholfen werden, denn die Nationalbank der Ukraine hat angesichts des Kriegs den freien Umtausch von Hrywnja gegen Devisen unterbunden, um die ohnehin begrenzten Devisenreserven des Landes zu schützen.

  • March 17, 2022

    March 17, 2022

    WAR IN UKRAINE – In the absence of any
    sign the Russian forces are willing to break the siege on Mariupol, a city on
    the Azov Sea, efforts continue to evacuate the civilian population via
    humanitarian corridors. 30,000 inhabitants have so far left the city, including
    300 people Moscow claims to have crossed into Russia by bus. On Wednesday, a
    theatre in Mariupol sheltering hundreds of civilians was hit by shelling.
    According to Human Rights Watch, at least five hundred civilians had taken
    refuge within the theatre walls. Satellite footage shows the word children
    written in Russian on the walls of the theatre. The number of victims left in
    the wake of the attack is unknown, considering that rescue teams have so far
    been unable to intervene due to uninterrupted bombing. The United Kingdom, the
    United States of America, Albania, France, Norway and Ireland have called an
    emergency meeting of the UN Security Council as the humanitarian situation in
    this country continues to deteriorate, AFP reports. In turn, Russia has called
    for a one-day postponement of the vote on its humanitarian resolution
    regarding Ukraine. The request comes as Russia’s proposition failed to rally
    support from China and India, Moscow’s traditional allies in the Security
    Council. The Kremlin today rejected the ruling of the International Court of
    Justice, the highest judicial body of the UN, ordering Russia to immediately
    stop all military operations in Ukraine. The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov,
    said consent must be obtained from both sides for the ruling to be valid.




    NATO – In Brussels, NATO
    Defense Ministers decided to extend the term of the Alliance’s consolidated
    posture, particularly on the eastern flank, due to the war in Ukraine. NATO
    Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Russia’s readiness to use force
    must not be underestimated, nor should the fact that Russia is a nuclear power.
    The NATO official said there is unanimity in the Alliance’s decision not to
    send forces on the ground or to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Soltenberg
    explained that NATO wants to prevent the war in Ukraine from spreading to the
    region. In turn, NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, said
    the Alliance’s new posture does not mean the Alliance believes Russia will
    attack NATO, but is simply a form of deterrence. Mircea Geoană explained that the battlegroup created in Romania will soon be fully
    operational.




    REFUGEES – The UN High
    Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that over 3 million people have
    left Ukraine since the start of the war, of whom 450 thousand have reached
    Romania. This is the biggest war-caused migration in Europe since WWII. Adding
    to the number of refugees who left Ukraine are people who are displaced within
    the country’s borders. The humanitarian crisis has been worsened by continuous
    bombing targeting civilian objectives. According to the Romanian Border Police,
    over 15,200 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania within the space of 24 hours, up
    by 0.4% compared to yesterday. Right now, the border checkpoints are working at
    full capacity, with the observance of national and community regulations.




    TALKS – Romania’s president,
    Klaus Iohannis, is today receiving his Estonian counterpart, Alar Kari in
    Bucharest. Also today, Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, will also hold
    talks with the Romanian president and with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae
    Ciucă. The agenda for talks includes the energy reform of the
    EU, in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Pedro Sánchez will call on Romania
    to support Spain’s energy reform of the European Union. One proposition is to
    eliminate natural gas from the method of calculating the price for electricity.
    The second point in Spain’s proposal is to give every state the possibility of
    introducing a cap on electricity prices for end users over a definite period of
    time and based on sound arguments. This week, Spain’s Prime Minister is touring
    Europe, meeting with 8 counterparts from member states, to discuss energy
    prices.




    COVID – The World Health
    Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over the resurge in the number of
    coronavirus cases across the world, against the backdrop of the relaxation of
    restrictions and the promotion of the false idea that the Omicron strain is
    harmless. WHO director, Tedros Ghebreyesus says last week the number of
    infections went up 8% globally compared to the previous week. China is facing a
    large number of infections, after two years when incidence rates were kept at a
    minimum. Israel has announced two new cases of infection with an unknown
    variant, whereas France, the Netherlands and Denmark reported a type of
    infection that combines the Delta and Omicron strains. According to the latest
    report of the Group for Strategic Communication, Romania reported a little over
    4,000 new cases and 63 related fatalities within the space of 24 hours, of
    which 27 were prior to the reference period.




    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player
    Simona Halep, world no. 24, has advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA 1000
    tournament in Indian Wells, totalling some 8.5 million USD in prize money. In
    the quarterfinals, Halep ousted Petra Martic of Croatia. In the semi-finals,
    Halep will take on Iga Świątekof Poland, the competition’s third seed. The Polish player ousted Madison Keys
    of the United States in the previous round. Halep leads 2-1 head-to-head. (VP)





  • War in Ukraine – UPDATE

    War in Ukraine – UPDATE

    In Kyiv, the local authorities have
    announced the city has enough food stored to last 2 weeks, in case the city is
    besieged and the exits are blocked. The food is expected to feed an estimated 2
    million people, with reports saying that at least half of the population of the
    capital-city has fled the country. At least two people were killed and three
    injured in shelling targeting a residential building in a Kyiv suburb on Monday
    morning. According to CNN, fifteen people were rescued and 63 evacuated after a
    shell hit the ninth floor of a residential building in the Obolon district, a
    suburb of the capital Kyiv.


    Also on Monday morning, the Antonov aircraft
    manufacturing facility located in Sviatoshyn, about 10 km from the city center,
    was the target of heavy artillery barrage, the BBC reports. Live footage on
    social media showed heavy smoke rising from the factory. Emergency services are
    at the scene of the explosion.


    Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Economy Minister,
    Denys Kudin, has announced the Russian invasion has caused damages worth 120
    billion USD in Ukraine, an announced a full report detailing GDP losses will be
    presented in April.


    Commissioner Filippo Grandi with the
    UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates over 2.5 million Ukrainians have fled the
    country since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24. The UN official
    spoke about this figure, describing the situation as the fasted growing
    refugee crisis in Europe since WWII. According to the Russian state news
    agency RIA Novosti, a land corridor has been established linking Crimea to
    Donbas. According to the aforementioned source, the corridor would provide a
    strategic route conneting Crimea to Mariupol, a city currently surrounded by
    Russian forces. The information has not yet been verified by independent
    sources.



  • War in Ukraine – UPDATE

    War in Ukraine – UPDATE

    In Kyiv, the local authorities have
    announced the city has enough food stored to last 2 weeks, in case the city is
    besieged and the exits are blocked. The food is expected to feed an estimated 2
    million people, with reports saying that at least half of the population of the
    capital-city has fled the country. At least two people were killed and three
    injured in shelling targeting a residential building in a Kyiv suburb on Monday
    morning. According to CNN, fifteen people were rescued and 63 evacuated after a
    shell hit the ninth floor of a residential building in the Obolon district, a
    suburb of the capital Kyiv.


    Also on Monday morning, the Antonov aircraft
    manufacturing facility located in Sviatoshyn, about 10 km from the city center,
    was the target of heavy artillery barrage, the BBC reports. Live footage on
    social media showed heavy smoke rising from the factory. Emergency services are
    at the scene of the explosion.


    Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Economy Minister,
    Denys Kudin, has announced the Russian invasion has caused damages worth 120
    billion USD in Ukraine, an announced a full report detailing GDP losses will be
    presented in April.


    Commissioner Filippo Grandi with the
    UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates over 2.5 million Ukrainians have fled the
    country since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24. The UN official
    spoke about this figure, describing the situation as the fasted growing
    refugee crisis in Europe since WWII. According to the Russian state news
    agency RIA Novosti, a land corridor has been established linking Crimea to
    Donbas. According to the aforementioned source, the corridor would provide a
    strategic route conneting Crimea to Mariupol, a city currently surrounded by
    Russian forces. The information has not yet been verified by independent
    sources.



  • Flüchtlingskrise: Rumänien kein Traumziel für Migranten

    Flüchtlingskrise: Rumänien kein Traumziel für Migranten

    Rumänien ist für Flüchtlinge aus dem Nahen Osten oder Nordafrika bei weitem kein beliebtes Ziel. Nicht einmal als Transitland. Und dennoch gehen für den EU-Mitgliedsstaat Rumänien mit der aktuellen Krise auch gewisse Pflichten einher. Das Land soll demnächst knapp 300 Flüchtlinge aufnehmen, die sich bereits in Europa befinden. Davon seien 160 zurzeit in Italien und 135 in Griechenland, berichtet der Leiter des rumänischen Generalinspektorats für Migration, Viorel Vasile.



    Letztes Jahr wurde auf Ebene der Europäischen Union der Beschluss gefasst, dass Rumänien sich an der Umverteilung mehrerer Flüchtlinge aus Italien und Griechenland beteiligt. Wir haben Absichtserklärungen versendet, es wurden die entsprechenden Überprüfungen durchgeführt, zurzeit warten wir also, dass die Flüchtlinge in Rumänien ankommen. Alles hängt von den Kollegen aus den beiden Ländern ab.“



    Die Unterkunftsplätze in den sechs Asylheimen seien aufgestockt worden, erklärt Vasile noch. Derzeit beziffere sich die Auslastungsquote der Heime bei nur 11%, was viel über das niedrige Interesse der Flüchtlinge an Rumänien aussage. Die Gründe liegen wohl auf der Hand, Rumänien befindet sich nicht nur aus wirtschaftlicher Sicht auf einer niedrigeren Entwicklungsstufe im Vergleich zu den westlichen oder nördlichen EU-Staaten.



    Außerdem dürfte es niemanden überraschen, dass letztes Jahr über 40% der Asylanträge in Rumänien von syrischen Flüchtlingen gestellt wurden. Viele von ihnen sind Familienangehörige, Verwandte oder Nahestehende von bereits in Rumänien lebenden Syrern. Allerdings ist die Anzahl der syrischen Asylbewerber, insgesamt 500, unbedeutend im Verhältnis zu den insgesamt 105.000 Ausländern in Rumänien.



    Derzeit beschäftigt die Flüchtlingsfrage europäische Kanzleien und gemeinschaftliche Institutionen zugleich. Deshalb stand das Thema auch auf der Tagesordnung des Europäischen Rates am Donnerstag. Der gemeinsame Aktionsplan mit der Türkei, der im vergangenen November vereinbart worden war, bleibe eine Priorität, sagte der Ratsvorsitzende, Donald Tusk. Jedoch dürfe man nicht außerhalb der europäischen Gesetze handeln. Die EU plant in der Flüchtlingskrise ein erneutes Sondertreffen mit der Türkei Anfang März.



    Indes kritisierte der Chef des UN-Flüchtlingshilfswerks Filippo Grandi die EU für ihre zaghafte Haltung in der Flüchtlingsfrage. In einem Interview mit der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung sagte er, Europa habe bei der Registrierung und Umverteilung der Flüchtlinge, sowie in Sachen Zusammenarbeit und Solidarität völlig versagt.