UNHCR CoE Representative Beer to EuroFora: Libyans prefer to fight for Freedom than become Refugees!

Contrary to what some think, in fact, most Libyans don't flee, but fight for freedom, said UNHCR's Permanent Representative to the CoE, Olivier Guillaume Beer, to "EuroFora", while the growing issue of massive waves of Asylum seekers  and/or illegal immigrants from 3rd Mediterranean Countries, currently provokes concerns in Southern EU Governments, who have just asked EU Commission to act, before JHA Commissioner Cecilia Maelmstrom from Sweden speaks with MEPs in a debate scheduled at EU Parliament on Monday afternoon in Strasbourg.

- "Most Libyans are right now busy fighting for Freedom : They don't want to become Refugees/IDPs !", the experienced UNHCR Representative underlined.

This estimation seems at least partly confirmed also by the fact that the greatest Number of Displaced Persons are currently fleeing Libya, is much more concentrated towards the Tunisian, rather than the Egyptian border : I.e. more at the Western side of Libya, which still remains largely under control of the Colonel Gadhafi's regime, than at its Eastern part, held by the Rebels, (and protected, in principle, by the EU/USA/Arab Ligue/UNO International operation).

- But it's true that there are, currently, many Thousands of People seeking to flee the Libyan a.o. Conflicts in that area of the South Mediterranean, who are Displaced persons, but not Asylum seekers, because they are free to return back to their own Mother Country, (f.ex. Bangladesh, Nigeria, etc), and we (UNHCR) help them to go there, f.ex. by dispatching in Airplanes, etc., he observed.

- Nevertheless, a Refugee, according to the Geneva International Conventions, is not only someone who has legitimate reasons to fear persecution, etc. for Political reasons, if he returns to his own country, but also those threatened to face Racial, Ethnic, Religious, Sexual or other Discrimination, with heavy consequences, in a given country, he added.

In fact, it's important to seriously examine each situation, because a real Refugee faces at least 3 times more Risks than an Economic Immigrant who, on the contrary, simply searches a Better Life : 1) A Refugee is really obliged to flee. 2) He/she might be exploited by a "Trafficker" in order to find f.ex. a "safe" Transport in Urgent circumstances, (something which can be very Expensive). 3) He/she risks to be rejected by the Officials of the Host Country,  f.ex. because they don't really check his/her story, or they don't believe him/her, noted Beer, (who has had himself a Personal Experience, as former Refugee when he was a kid)...

- However, in fact, now, there are much more Refugees/Displaced persons in Tunisia, (a comparatively Poor Country), than in all Mediterranean EU Member Countries taken together !", estimated the UNHCR representative to the CoE.

And, despite obvious problems, Tunis, at least doesn't seem to react in the same Negative manner as f.ex. some Turkish Authorities, which, reportedly push, or even oblige several illegal immigrants to cross the Borders towards EU Member Greece and/or other Countries, (according to recent denonciations made by a CPT Report published this week in Strasbourg : See relevant "EuroFora" News).

- But it's true that we (UNHCR) always support, as a matter of principle, that the Countries (f.ex. of the EU) which are much more exposed than others to massive Asylum seekers' waves, have the right to ask for a "Fair Share" system, to be established also together with other neighbouring Countries, less immediatedly exposed, Beer concluded, agreeing with EU Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg's notorious stance, expresssed earlier at the CoE in Strasbourg, that France, Italy, Malta, Greece and Cyprus, etc., have the Moral and Legal Right to ask EU Commission to act in this sens.

For the time being, nevertheless, Cyprus and Spain seem comparatively much more "quiet" than Italy, Malta and Greece or France, etc., UNHCR's represenative to the CoE estimated, as things stand now.     

In a kind of .. premonitory (or precautionary) move, UNO's High Commissioner on Refugees himself, former Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Guttierez, escorted by Beer, had been invited from nearby Geneva to the CoE and to ECHR in Strasbourg, by its President, professor Jean-Paul Costa, at the end of January 2011.

On this occasion, Guttierez, after suddenly cancelling at the last minute an initially scheduled Press Conference at Geneva's UNO outlet, at the "Palais des Nations", and exceptionally avoiding statements to  any Media also in Strasbourg, urgently met with CoE's Committee of Ministers, at the "Palais de l'Europe", before giving a keynote Speech at the opening of ECHR's Judicial Year in a gathering of EU/CoE and National Supreme Courts' President judges, at the nearby "Palais des Droits de l'Homme", (Comp. earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReports from UNO at Geneva and from the ECHR in Strasbourg, at that period, in addition to Guttierez' earlier replies to "EuroFora"'s co-founder's Questions, previously at the CoE, in differend circumstances)...   

           

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(NDLR : DraftNews, as already sent earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate and/or complete, final version is due asap.)

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