The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has called on the Middle East “not to give up” on ending violent wars, saying “lost opportunities” due to conflict affect everyone.
In an interview with The National, Barham Salih said “lessons must be learnt”, adding that “unfortunately, forced displacement has become a feature of our contemporary history, and it is because of conflict and repression”. He added that “the region needs to look deeply at this. So many lives wasted, so many opportunities given up, but also so much wealth and talent wasted.”
He called on leaders of the region and the world to reflect, adding: “We really need to do better. And when I look again at the map, that region really needs to look far more seriously about getting out of the dynamics of unrelenting conflict, episodes after episodes … we cannot give up.”
The National spoke to Mr Salih at the New York offices of the UNHCR where he was working to get support from various countries and entities for the work the commission does. Mr Salih is seeking to get renewed support for the 1951 Refugee Convention. He said the world must provide protection for those who need to flee their homes: “We cannot look away.”
“This year we're commemorating the 75th anniversary of this convention, which came about as nations of the world came together in the aftermath of the Second World War around a very simple but profound idea that people forced to flee because of persecution, violence and conflict should not be left without protection,” he said.
“That convention has delivered for humanity, gave hope to millions, provided protection to so many people over the past 75 years. And at this moment of history, when conflicts are multiplying, lasting longer, more displacement is taking place – this is not the moment to turn away”.
With over 41 million people around the world legally recognised as refugees – separate from those who are internally displaced in their own countries – he argued that “this is the moment to affirm that the that very principle of protection remains as relevant as ever”.
Mr Salih, who was himself a politician, serving in various positions in Iraq including as president, understands the political dynamics that impel some officials to speak of closing borders and to push for policies that limit migration – but he does not agree with them. “Of course, I understand the political constraints and dynamics that are engulfing the global scene as a whole. We have to say we cannot turn away. It's our shared humanity. It's our legal responsibility”.
While illegal migration is a problem that faces some countries, especially those with porous borders, Mr Salih said the world must acknowledge “that the integrity of the asylum system really needs to be at the centre of what we do”.
That system of asylum, according to the UNHCR, needs to be maintained for people who have a well-founded fear of persecution, people who are fleeing conflict and violence and need protection. Mr Salih concurred that “irregular migration has become part of our times”, adding: “Nations have the sovereign right to control their borders, have their immigration controls, which need to be humane, legal, consistent with human rights.”
Mr Salih insisted the issue of border controls “is not the asylum system”, adding that there has been “some confusion on this matter, and that's why the asylum system has been brought into question as part of dealing with this issue of migration”.
His message to politicians campaigning against migration or allowing in refugees is that it is “beyond the issue of morality and human responsibility. I would say it also is a fundamental national interest”.
He went on to say that “the impact of these conflicts, whether through displacement and other dynamics, is really global … you cannot just walk away”.
He gave Syria as an example where the fleeing of millions of Syrians during the uprising and following civil war affected policies across Europe.
“Had the world acted early on in the Syria conflict, 2011, 2012, probably the whole exodus of the Syrian population could have been mitigated. That onward movement, that displacement, really impacted fundamentally the Syrian people who have lost their homes and their lives and have suffered enormously. But it also impacted the politics of countries around the world”. He said that politicians may “decide to take the easy option out and basically play to whatever audience [they] want to, but the world won't go away, and the reality of these dynamics won't go away”.
He reiterated a line humanitarians often use – which is that current international humanitarian laws and conventions serve humanity and are necessary. The refugee convention “is a framework, a legal tool, to basically designate those who deserve international protection, namely people who have a well-founded fear of persecution, fleeing violence and conflict – we simply cannot look away”, and thus must be protected, according to Mr Salih.
Mr Salih, who began his term in January, has a very specific goal that he is seeking to make happen: to cut the number of people who have been displaced for years on end. Of the 41 million people recognised legally as “refugees”, two thirds are in “protracted displacement”, which means they have been displaced for “five years and beyond, and dependent on humanitarian assistance”.
'Most refugees want to go back home'
He said the continuing situation “cannot be right”. Since assuming his office, Mr Salih has visited numerous countries, including Afghanistan, Syria, Chad, Kenya, Ethiopia and Ukraine. Recently he came back from Burkina Faso and Mali.
“Each refugee situation is different, is unique. But I can tell you something: most refugees want to go back home.”
He added: “Even though each refugee situation is unique, it's also women and girls who really suffered the brunt of the pain and the brutality of forced displacement, and this is something that we always need to bear in mind and keep very much at the centre of our attention.
“Being a refugee is meant to be a temporary condition. It's not meant to be a permanent fate. You cannot claim success maintaining a refugee camp forever.”
To deal with forced displacement, root causes must be addressed, including ending wars and persecution. Mr Salih comes at the UNHCR mandate with a conviction that innovative solutions are vital, especially as the humanitarian sector deals with a major funding gap. UNHCR is operating with only 30 per cent of its budget needs being met. He has launched a goal to reduce the number of long-term displaced by 50 per cent over the next 10 years, which he admits is “an ambitious goal and beyond the reach of our organisation”. It requires “the international system coming together, donors, development actors, financial institutions, private sector, host nations coming together to provide institutions”, but he insists “it's doable”.
He added: “When you look at the dynamics of displacement around the world, much of the displacement is occurring in the Arab and Islamic world. I'm really keen on engaging the Islamic world far more actively to be forward leaning and fully forthcoming in terms of assisting people. This is something. When you look at the map and you see the numbers, it is a call for action. We need to be there for these people who are desperately fleeing their homes.”
He spoke at length about Syria and the return of 1.9 million Syrians to their homeland. “We should be there to enable Syria to recover, provide the infrastructure for development and help the return and integration of these refugees as they go back voluntarily and in dignity.” He added that a similar situation can be seen in Venezuela, with many returning after the political change in the country.
Mr Salih has been able to connect with many of those he serves, as he was a refugee himself, fleeing the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. “I myself was a refugee. I was given protection. I was a refugee in the United Kingdom, but I was also given an education. I was given an opportunity, as so many others, by the way. And refugees could be contributors to the host nations, to the economies of many of these societies.”
He referenced the improvements to Poland’s economy, which is now among the best performing in Europe, in part because “Ukrainian refugees who have come have become contributors to the labour market and creating a major impetus to this economic growth”.
There are a number of crises concerning Mr Salih, particularly in the Middle East. He warned that the latest escalation in Yemen “is most dangerous, disconcerting, and we are already witnessing [it]”.
While the majority of displacement is internal in Yemen, thousands have made their way to Djibouti and Somalia. “We are assessing that now nearly 20 million Yemenis need humanitarian assistance. This is undoubtedly a humanitarian tragedy, catastrophe. This war must end, and the Yemenis deserve a lot better than this mess.”
He also warned of the continued war in Sudan and the painful scenes he has seen first hand of Sudanese refugees in Chad. “It is a terrible story, this must end.
“In Adre, I met people who had just arrived and some who arrived there 20 years ago … I met Sudanese university lecturers, judges, doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, really, really talented people.”
He spoke to farmers and how they call for being given land to farm and feed their families. He added that “the government in Chad has been most helpful, and we're doing a few things with the UN agencies on this matter”.
Mr Salih said in Sudan, like in so many of these conflicts, “there is no humanitarian solution to a humanitarian problem. There is a political solution. This has to end. This conflict, this senseless violence, that has terrorised an entire population and has caused one of the largest displacements on record, must stop.”
He added that “those who have committed war crimes have to be brought to justice”.
