Recommendations from the National Red Cross Societies in the European Union and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (1)
We, the National Red Cross Societies in the European Union (EU) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, call on the EU and its Member States to improve their policies and practices regarding the resettlement of refugees in the EU, and therefore respect their obligations under International Human Rights and Refugee Law. As we have repeatedly advocated, most recently in the wake of ongoing migrant deaths in the Mediterranean sea(2), there is an urgent need to set up safe and effective legal avenues for those in need of international protection, including through resettlement. The aim of this position paper is to provide recommendations to ensure that policies are put in place to guarantee more effective and significant resettlement practices in all EU Member States.
To this end, we make the following eight recommendations to the EU and its Member States:
Commit to resettling more refugees on a regular basis.
Consider resettlement as a complementary tool for protection.
Establish additional dedicated resettlement places to respond to humanitarian emergencies.
Prioritise the most vulnerable in resettlement programmes.
Adjust the Union Resettlement Programme to enhance resettlement efforts throughout the EU.
Implement more comprehensive pre-departure assistance.
Ensure high quality reception conditions and integration measures, in particular through local and civil society engagement.
Support mutual learning and exchange of good practices on resettlement.
The measures put forward in this document aim to support resettlement in the EU as a complementary form of protection, which does not in any way constrain the right of asylum-seekers to request international protection, irrespective of how they arrived in the EU.