UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi: Return of Syrian refugees to their homeland must be voluntary


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There are still significant obstacles in the way of Syrian refugees returning to their homeland and any returns must be voluntary, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has warned.

In an exclusive interview with The National on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Mr Grandi said "it is not a matter of you or me or another government to decide if people should go back, they have to make that decision, of course with immense respect for the countries hosting them, but they have to make that decision".

There are increased concerns that Syrian refugees will be pushed out of Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan as a political solution is being negotiated. Mr Grandi was assured that "so far countries have respected the voluntariness of return". He added that the number of Syrians returning has been relatively small "because there are three big sets of obstacles".

The problem with Rukban camp is access. At this point the main access is from Syria, but unfortunately is in an area not yet secure enough to deliver aid.

The first of these obstacles is "the remaining conflict". He said the world needed to remember "it is not over". The second is "there is a lot of destruction, people are hesitant to go back to a destroyed country", as reconstruction is not yet starting in most parts of Syria. As for the third obstacle, it is the need for "legal protection, amnesties that need to be put in place, laws that need to be reformed and so forth". He added that UNCHR is "working on all these things in the way we can, including humanitarian support for those who go back and in terms of the legal work".

The case of Rukban camp, where thousands of Syrians are stranded in the desert on the border with Jordan is one of the worst examples of Syrian suffering. Mr Grandi said the situation there was bad "but the problem there is access, at this point the main access is from Syria, but unfortunately is in an area not yet secure enough to deliver aid".

Mr Grandi predicted that the return of Syrian refugees, 6 million of whom are in neighbouring countries, will happen gradually. He added "the numbers are small but we do need to think in those terms and we do need to think about returns".

The return of Syrian refugees is a topic that has been linked to the wider political process in Damascus, however Mr Grandi urged all the actors concerned "do not politicise the refugee issue. You cannot use the refugee issue either to score political points one way or the other". While he would not name which countries were using the refugee issue, he did say "I am speaking to everybody, it is being used". He made reference to the Palestinian refugee plight "as seventy years on, there are still refugees because there is no political solution.. we don’t want the Syrians to end up in the same situation".

Filippo Grandi said so far countries have respected the voluntariness of refugees returning home. Photo courtesy WEF
Filippo Grandi said so far countries have respected the voluntariness of refugees returning home. Photo courtesy WEF

While returns are expected gradually and slowly among Syrian refugees, it remains the largest refugee situation in the world and will take time, which means the need for developmental work to support Syrian and other refugees continues. Mr Grandi was speaking from Davos as he was attending the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum to urge private sector support to refugees and host countries.

This momentum comes with a renewed energy at the UNHCR after the passing of the Global Compact on Refugees last September.

"The Global refugee compact is the first ever attempt that we have made to re-define the responses to the refugee crisis by enlisting or including the support of many other actors," he said.

"The refugee responses until now have been seen as humanitarian action, which of course it is but it is not only that, because refugees on the move create development needs. The most typical example is education but it includes employment and livelihoods and other needs".

A new senior adviser for private sector partnerships at the UN agency, Jaime de Bourbon de Parme has been appointed to look into private sector partnerships, beyond raising funds.

The average time spent at a refugee camp has reached 26 years, according to Mr Grandi, "because we have become so bad at making peace, conflicts last for a long time and even after conflict it is difficult to create conditions for people to go back". He stressed "return is still the best solution but it may take some years".

"The compact says let us look at these issues from the beginning of the crisis. Who can respond to those needs? Not just international organisations, but financial institutions have an important role to play, not necessarily in a philanthropic way but in bringing investment or know how or technology. They can bring employment. They can help create an environment where investments become possible," he said.

"We are working on all this in Davos, we want to create the momentum around this issue. There are leaders here that are already into it and they are helping us mobilise the others."

The Rukban refugee camp on the Jordan-Syria border. Mr Grandi said the area isn't secure enough to deliver aid. Raad Adayleh / AP
The Rukban refugee camp on the Jordan-Syria border. Mr Grandi said the area isn't secure enough to deliver aid. Raad Adayleh / AP

There is however the concern that mobilising other actors like the private sector can lead to an abdication of responsibility from government. Mr Grandi is aware of the concern and says "yes we have to be very careful, expanding the responses to broader coalitions does not mean you lose the key responders. The first responders will inevitably continue to be governments. As governments respond and must respond and take responsibility, in reality the actual first response is always by communities".

An example of this is when the Rohingya fled violence in Myanmar and were helped by communities receiving them by their own cars and with whatever water they had. He added that "humanitarian resources are unable to cover this longer term need for the refugees and the host communities". The UN body responsible for refugees estimates that eighty-five per cent of refugees are in poor or middle-income countries, so they need help.

The American decision to vote against the resolution to bring in the global refugee compact led to questions about the commitment of other countries to it. Mr Grandi said that the Americans "explained their vote and said they were not against the compact itself but against the resolution and its wording".

He added: "It is clear that the US has a problem with some of the multilateral approach and some UN approaches. It is a pity as multilateral approaches – especially when you talk about phenomena like refugees, climate, poverty – are needed but so be it, it is a political trend which I hope at some stage will stop or reverse but that is the way it is".

In terms of how the US supports refugees around the world, the response has been very good and continues to be very good, he said.

"How the US treats refugees going to the US, they are restrictive", even though the US only takes a fraction of the world’s refugees.

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

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While you're here
Company%20profile
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
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Key facilities
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  • 400m Olympic running track
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  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
If you go

The Flights

Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.

The trip

Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.

Company name: Play:Date

Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day

Founder: Shamim Kassibawi

Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US

Sector: Tech 

Size: 20 employees

Stage of funding: Seed

Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Hot%20Seat
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

RESULTS
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EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdinburgh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%204%20%3Cem%3E(unchanged)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBahrain%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%2015%20%3Cem%3E(from%20September%2015)%3C%2Fem%3E%3B%20second%20daily%20service%20from%20January%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EKuwait%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%2015%20%3Cem%3E(from%20September%2016)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMumbai%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20October%2027)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAhmedabad%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20October%2027)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColombo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202%20%3Cem%3E(from%20January%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMuscat%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cem%3E%20%3C%2Fem%3EMarch%201%3Cem%3E%20(from%20December%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELyon%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20March%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20December%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBologna%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20March%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20December%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20Emirates%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

'The Batman'

Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5

if you go

The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.

The trip 

Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.

Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5

Company Profile

Company name: Yeepeey

Started: Soft launch in November, 2020

Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani

Based: Dubai

Industry: E-grocery

Initial investment: $150,000

Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year