Commission: Security Council
Topic: The question of refugees in the Mediterranean: threats to
stability and security
Written by: (Main Chair) Hala Allafi
Background Information:
A growing number of refugees and migrants take their chances abroad using risky and
life threatening conditions in a desperate bid to reach Europe. Most of those who
leave their countries in an attempt to seek asylum in this dangerous crossing are in
desperate need of protection, security since they were deprived from that due to war,
violence and persecution in their country of origin. Every year these attempts to flee
their country of origin takes a devastating toll on human life.
Currently, Europe is living through a maritime refugee crisis that unfortunately, is one
of Europe’s most defining challenges of the early 21st century. In the first 6 months of
2015, 137,000 refugees crossed the Mediterranean sea, travelling in terrible and
unsafe condition that lead to many deaths and the largest shipwreck on record of 800
people in mid-april stressing a staggering increase in dead and missing refugees at
sea.
More and more numbers of refugees and asylum seekers are taking dangerous
journeys across the Mediterranean to reach host countries. Migrants and asylum
seekers have been crossing the Mediterranean for decades. The Mediterranean route is
the world’s deadliest, which is why there are many deaths. The numbers of people
using the route have fluctuated over the years due to a many factors, which include
but not limit to conditions in countries of origin and transit, geopolitical
developments, and European policies. In 2013, 60,000 people took the route, and
219,000 in 2014. According to the (UNHCR), 89,500 crossed in the first five months
of 2015 and it is predicted that the number will double or even triple by mid-end of
2015.
The IOM estimates that in attempts to reach Europe through the Mediterranean route
22,400 migrants and asylum seekers have died since the beginning of the 21st century
many of them at sea. Over 3,500 died at sea in 2014, making it the deadliest year on
record. With more than 2000 in the first five months of 2015, a new high record is
estimated to be set this year.
The EU has recently taken important measures to step up search and rescue efforts in
the Mediterranean. However, The EU’s response in recent years to boat migration
across the Mediterranean has focused largely on trying to prevent or discourage
people attempting to make the dangerous crossing. This is done by focusing on antismuggling measures, including pre-emptive seizure and destruction of boats used by
smugglers.
In reality, attempts to prevent boat crossings are inhumane because it overlooks the
reasons why people are willing to risk their lives to attempt such deadly sea-passage.
According to the UNHCR over 60% of the asylum seekers who took the journey in
the first 5 months of 2015 came from countries that had terrible conditions, like
Somalia and Afghanistan, a civil war, like Syria, and a repressive violent government
like Eritrea. Conditions in their home countries which include but not limit to: forced
displacement, human right abuses, are the reason why they take the risk and flee their
countries.
Major countries/ organizations involved:
Major countries involved:
Countries fleed:
Syrian Arab republic
Eritrea
Afghanistan
Somalia
Sudan
Iraq
Libya
Host countries:
Greece
Italy
Turkey
Spain
Lebanon
Jordan
Iran
Major organizations involved:
UNHCR
Catholic Relief Services
Concern Worldwide
International Federation of the Red Cross Europe
The Red Crescent
International Medical Corps
International Rescue Committee
Medical Teams International (MTI)
Mercy Corps
Migrant Offshore Aid Station
Samaritan's Purse
Save the Children
Oxfam
UNICEF
CARE
Salvation ArmyDoctors without Borders
Key terms:
Refugee: someone who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for
reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or
political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing
to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country."
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR): Established by the United Nations,
the UNHCR is an international organization responsible for the protection of refugees
worldwide.
Maritime: relating to or involving ships or shipping or navigation or seamen;
Migrant: A person who moves to a foreign country for various reasons (employment,
education, or to reunite with family) usually for a year or more. Unlike refugees,
migrants do not face a direct threat of persecution or death in their home country
Host Country: The country to which a refugee relocates.
Asylum: Shelter or protection from danger granted by a country to someone forced to
leave their home country.
Asylum Seeker: A person who has moved across international borders in search of
protection and filed a claim for asylum with the host country’s government. While the
government reviews the claim, the person remains an asylum seeker. If the claim is
accepted, the person becomes a “refugee” in the eyes of the government. For
example, someone from Syria who is living in Germany and waiting to hear the
outcome of his or her asylum application would be considered an asylum seeker.
History and past attempts:
The practice of granting asylum to people fleeing persecution in foreign lands is one
of the earliest hallmarks of civilization. References to it have been found in texts
written 3,500 years ago, during the blossoming of the great early empires in the
Middle East such as the Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians and ancient Egyptians.
Over three millennia later, protecting refugees was made the core mandate of the UN
refugee agency, which was set up to look after refugees, specifically those waiting to
return home at the end of World War II. since then, UNHCR has offered protection
and assistance to tens of millions of refugees, finding durable solutions for many of
them.
Since the numbers of refugees in the Mediterranean increased dramatically in the past
year and a half, many countries attempted to open up their borders but the situations
of refugees within their countries are not taken care of. Past attempts like the creation
of "Operation Mare Nostrum" by Italy, a military and humanitarian operation in order
to rescue the migrants and arrest the traffickers of immigrants have been made after
the 2013 Lampedusa migrant shipwreck. The operation ended on 31 October
2014 and was superseded by Frontex’s Operation Triton,which operates a smaller
search and rescue capability. Unlike Mare Nostrum, Operation Triton focused mainly
on border protection rather than search and rescue, and operates closer to the Italian
coast. The termination of Mare Nostrum has been criticized as a cause of the increased
death rate among migrants to Europe in the Mediterranean, which increased tenfold
between 2014 and 2015.
Current status:
Since today’s date is towards the end of 2015, the numbers of refugees are estimated to be
higher than ever and if we do not act upon this issue, the security and stability in the
European union will be compromised and higher death rates will be among refugees.
Conclusion:
While the international community as a whole has a role to play in addressing global
migration challenges, the European union as the destination region has a primary
responsibility for ensuring that its migration and asylum policies, including its
response to dangerous boat migration in the Mediterranean, are fully in line both with
international law and with the EU’s own regional law and that protection and human
rights of asylum seekers are not violated and are respected. Strong search and rescue
operations need to with coexist sustained efforts to ensure the right to seek asylum
enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and guaranteed in the EU’s
Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Possible solutions:

Increase the number of humanitarian visas given to asylum seekers

Ease existing restrictions of family reunification to enable refugees who are
already legal residents in the EU to bring family members to the EU through
safe channels.

Decrease deaths at seas by ensuring search and rescue efforts in the
Mediterranean like Italy’s Mare Nostrum operation, and ensure
disembarkation in safe EU ports where individuals can access full and fair
asylum procedures.
Citation:
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