Welcome Letter
Esteemed Delegates,
Welcome to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees! We are Semira
Duman and Robert Zhu, and we will be your chairs for the UNHCR. Robert will be your
go-to for the topic regarding migration in South East Asia, and Semira will be yours on the
European refugee crisis.
Semira is completing a double major in Political Science and Peace, Conflict and
Justice, and Robert is majoring in Political Science and film studies. We both have
sufficient experience in Model UN, and have worked tirelessly to ensure that you will have
an amazing time during NAMUN 2017. While we do realize that many of you may find
these topics very sensitive, we also hope that you will find the discussions enriching and
inspiring.
These background guides are meant to provide you with some background
knowledge pertaining to the two topics, but by no means are the topics limited to what is
written on here. Should you wish to go with different definitions and information than what
is provided here, feel free to do so.
We wish you the best of luck with your preparations and look forward to meeting
all of you.
Best,
Robert Zhu and Semira Duman
Chairs
Introduction
The European refugee crisis, which is also known as the world’s largest wave of
mass-migration since the end of WWII, began when unprecedented numbers of migrants
and asylum seekers traveled by sea to European shores in 2015. Whether those asylum
seekers were escaping war in Syria, other conflicts in the Middle East, or merely searching
for better living standards than they were experiencing in various parts of Africa; this
crisis has evolved in to one of this century’s largest humanitarian problems.
The conflict in Syria between the government of Bashar al-Assad and various other
forces, which started in the spring of 2011, continues to cause displacement within the
country and across the region. By the end of 2014, an estimated 7.6 million people were
internally displaced and 3.7 million Syrians had fled the country since the conflict began1.
The refugee situation caused by the Syrian conflict is dire, and it has placed enormous
strain on neighboring countries. Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Turkey host massive
numbers of Syrian refugees, and Syrians have been seeking protection beyond these
countries in increasing numbers since 2011.
The EU has its own specific legal obligations to individuals living in its territory.
However, it is unlikely and unsustainable to assume that they can continue to attempt to
host all 11 million Syrian refugees who are seeking asylum. The purpose of this committee
is to bring countries together to find viable solutions to ensure these refugees are not only
settled in countries, but also that they receive the humanitarian aid and protection they
need.
1
"Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons." Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection. N.p., 21 June 2016.
Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what-we-do/humanitarian-aid/refugees-andinternally-displaced-persons_en>.
Definition of Key Terms
Refugee:
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of
persecution, war, or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for
reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social
group.
Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA):
The Middle East is located primarily in western Asia, but also in parts of northern
Africa and southern Europe. UN’s definition of the Middle East and North Africa region
includes the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Oman, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen2.
Civil War:
A war between or among citizens of the same country.
Human Rights:
Human rights are rights awarded to all human beings, regardless of their
nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or
any other status. These rights are defined broadly by the United Nations, and are
recognized to various different degrees by each national government.
International Law:
International Law defines the legal responsibilities of States in their conduct with
each other, and their treatment of individuals within State boundaries. Its domain
encompasses a wide range of issues of international concern such as human rights,
disarmament, international crime, refugees, migration, problems of nationality, the
treatment of prisoners, the use of force, and the conduct of war, among others.
"Middle East and Northern Africa Region." UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. N.p., n.d.
Web. 29 Oct. 2016. <http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/MENARegion/Pages/MenaRegionIndex.aspx>.
2
Internally Displaced Person (IDP):
An internally displaced person (IDP) is a person who has been forced to flee his or
her home for the same reason as a refugee, but remains in his or her own country and has
not crossed an international border.
Asylum:
The right to be recognized as a refugee and receive legal protection and material
assistance from a state.
Malnutrition:
Deficiency of nutrition. Typically defined as ‘underweight’, factors such as poor
diet and severe and repeated infections can all contribute to malnutrition.
Historical Background
The origin of the European refugee crisis dates back to the start of 2011, the year
of the Arab spring. The revolution which began in Tunisia as a result of the self-immolation
of a 26-year-old soon spread to Libya, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen. Although
protests were held in Algeria, Kuwait, Lebanon and Morocco, none of those countries were
as affected and disrupted as the aforementioned countries.
In April of 2011, up to 5000 Syrian refugees fled to Lebanon in the hopes of
escaping what was then a ‘harsh fighting’. In June, many Syrians crossed the border to
Turkey as shelling and fighting had intensified in the military siege of Jisr al-Shughour, a
northwestern city in Syria. By November, Turkey had spent $15 million on setting up six
camps for the refugees and military defectors.
In April of 2012, many Syrians of Kurdish origin began seeking refuge in the Iraqi
Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. On April 6th, the fighting worsened and over 2,500
Syrians made their way to the Turkish border in one day, the highest ever recorded. It was
claimed that refugees and rebels were planting mines near the Turkish border so as to
minimize the refugee flow. On April 12th, Kofi Annan, who was then the UN-Arab League
envoy proposed a six-point peace plan, which essentially demanded Assad’s government
to withdraw all troops and heavy weapons and establish a ceasefire, respect freedom of
association and the right to demonstrate peacefully, and ensure freedom of movement
throughout the country for journalists and a non-discriminatory visa policy for them. While
the Syrian government had accepted this plan, Syria had not fully complied with the terms
and both the government and the oppositions began to accuse each other of violating the
ceasefire. On July 18th, a bomb exploded in Damascus which ended up killing Assad’s
brother-in-law and other high ranking security officials. The intensity of the bomb caused
18,000-40,000 refugees to cross the Masnaa border into Lebanon over a few days.
On January 4th, 2013, a divided Lebanese Cabinet voted officially to register
Syrian refugees. On March 6th, the number of Syrians registered as refugees or being
assisted as such reached the one million mark. Beginning in July, bombings started in the
Lebanese capital, Beirut, which signaled that Syria’s internecine conflict had spread to
Lebanon as well. Only two months later, the number of Syrian refugees reached two
million, in which half of them were children.
Unfortunately, in 2015 around 4,000 Syrians had to move back to Syria due to
the difficult living conditions in neighboring countries3.
3
"Timeline." Syrian Refugees. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://syrianrefugees.eu/timeline/>.
Issues
As with all crises, there are issues that arise with the uncontrollable flow of
incoming refugees. Are they all refugees, or are there migrants as well? What are
countries’ policies on illegal incoming immigrants? What precautions should countries take
to overcome the international security threat? Are refugee camps really all that safe and
the best-fit for refugees? What about the international security threat? Or the long and
aggravating process in which the refugees gain a refugee status?
There are over 65 million people who are forcibly displaced as a result of conflicts
and natural disasters, and these people include refugees, internally displaced persons and
asylum-seekers. With such a high number, refugee-hosting countries do not have a single
way to determine whether the incoming refugees are coming from war-torn countries like
Syria, conflict zones like Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo or Myanmar/Burma;
or whether they are simply migrating to achieve better life standards.
However, one of the biggest issues that these refugees (namely Syrians) face is
their transportation from Turkey to Greece, or for non-Syrians, from north Africa to Italy,
which is their main route for entering Europe4. Not only is this a dangerous route for them,
but also overcrowding on boats is one of the disastrous issues they face. In 2015, 1 million
refugees tried to reach Europe by sea, in which approximately 4,000 drowned. Of the 1
million, about half of them were Syrians, and the others were from the top 10 refugee
producing countries. April of 2015 was one of the deadliest months as 800 migrants died
when an overcrowded boat capsized in the sea off Libya.5
On top of that, the gap between needs and resources continues to increase.
Refugees need education, food and healthcare, and lack of these basic needs result in an
illiterate youth, malnutrition and diseases. Governments of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey
have taken certain actions to ensure the enrollment of Syrian refugee children in schools,
"Refugee Crisis in Europe." Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection. N.p., 20 June 2016. Web. 18 Sept.
2016. <http://ec.europa.eu/echo/refugee-crisis_en>.
4
"The Sea Route to Europe: The Mediterranean Passage in the Age of Refugees." UNHCR News. N.p., 1 July
2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://www.unhcr.org/protection/operations/5592bd059/sea-routeeurope-mediterranean-passage-age-refugees.html>.
5
but certain issues prevent them from getting the education they need.6 Overcrowding,
violence/bullying, language barriers, costs, transportation and differences in curriculum
are amongst the biggest issues they face. Almost 40% of Syrian children in Lebanon are in
need of an education, but the lack of teachers and resources to accommodate the Syrian
children pose a threat to their right to education7. In Lebanon, most subjects are taught in
English and French, which the Syrian children cannot understand8. It is easier for younger
children to pick up a new language, but the older ones struggle more. Likewise, in Turkey
the curriculum is in Turkish which means most teachers only speak Turkish, but Syrians do
not9.
These refugees are also facing the problems of malnutrition and diseases such as
poliomyelitis (polio) which is a highly infectious disease amongst children that can only be
cured by immunization10. It causes muscle weakness and can lead to paralysis. In 2013, a
polio outbreak was reported in Syria in which 35 children were paralyzed, which called
for region-wide immunization campaigns in Syria and neighboring countries11. However,
not all children were able to benefit from this due to deteriorating security situations within
the country, making them more prone to paralysis. Rising birth rates are also a
Baldwin, S. "The Challenge in Education." The Future of Syria. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://unhcr.org/FutureOfSyria/the-challenge-of-education.html>.
6
"Growing Up Without an Education" Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, 19 July 2016. Web. 18
Sept. 2016. <https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/07/19/growing-without-education/barriers-educationsyrian-refugee-children-lebanon>.
7
"EU's Reckless Refugee Returns to Turkey Illegal." Amnesty International. N.p., 3 June 2016. Web. 18 Sept.
2016. <https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/06/eus-reckless-refugee-returns-to-turkeyillegal/>.
8
Nielsen, Selin Yildiz, and Mark Grey A. "Schooling in a Crisis: The Case of Syrian Refugees in
Turkey." Humanitarian Practice Network. ODI HPN, Nov. 2013. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://odihpn.org/magazine/schooling-in-a-crisis-the-case-of-syrian-refugees-in-turkey>.
9
Boustani, Soha Bsat. "Malnutrition a Silent Threat Emerging among Syrian Refugee Children in
Lebanon." UNICEF. N.p., 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/lebanon_72711.html>.
10
"Keeping Syrian Children Free from Polio at Home and across the Border." World Health Organization.
World Health Organization, Apr. 2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://www.who.int/features/2015/polioimmunization-syria/en/>.
11
contributing factor to the lack of immunization opportunities. Since the start of the conflict,
37,000 children were born. If birth rates continue to rise, scarcity of resources will also
continue to grow.
Last but not least: ISIS. In June 2014, ISIS announced a self-declared caliphate in
the territory it controls between Aleppo and eastern Iraq, and then gradually began
spreading throughout Syria. In mid-2014, ISIS became the most successful rebel group in
Syria. The group consolidated power by taking a large military base near Raqaa and
controlling the main Syrian oil and gas fields, and later seizing the ancient city of Palmyra
in central Syria, which is home to the pre-Islamic World Heritage site. As a result, more
Syrians began seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
UN Activity
March 16, 2012: Kofi Annan Plan
Kofi Annan was the UN–Arab League Joint Special Envoy for Syria who submitted a
six-point peace plan to the Security Council in the hopes of providing a blueprint for ending the
violence and resolving the crisis sparked by a year-long uprising against Bashar al-Assad,
the Syrian president.
July 28th, 2012: Zaatari Camp, Jordan
The Jordanian government and UNHCR collectively opened and administered the
Zaatari camp in Jordan. The camp is made up of 30,000 shelters and administration
buildings, 3 hospitals, 3 schools and a market. Approximately 55% of inhabitants are
under the age of 18, making the provision of basic education to school-aged children
extremely difficult. Although there are several schools on the campsite, the regular
attendance of classes is strikingly low.12
"The Zaatari Refugee Camp." Lived Projects. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.livedprojects.org/zaatari-refugee-camp/>.
12
January 2013: Launch of Children of Syria
UNICEF launched this campaign to raise awareness about the plight of Syrian
children on social media. The website provides the latest news, stories and resources
directly from UNICEF’s offices in the region.
2013: No Lost Generation
UNICEF launches another campaign to prevent the ‘loss’ of a generation of Syrian
children to violence and displacement by putting education and child protection at the
center of the response inside Syria and across the 5 refugee hosting countries (Turkey,
Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt).
Resolutions
2014: Resolution 2139 / Security Council
Description: Demanded that all parties allow delivery of humanitarian assistance,
cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival, and enable
the rapid, safe and unhindered evacuation of all civilians who wished to leave.
Votes: Unanimous
2015: Resolution 2254
Description: Requested the Secretary-General, through his good offices and the
efforts of his Special Envoy for Syria, to convene representatives of the Syrian
government and the opposition to engage in formal negotiations on a political transition
process on an urgent basis, and emphasized the need for a ceasefire.
Votes: Unanimous
2015: Resolution 2240
Description: Member States were authorized for a period of one year to inspect
vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that they had reasonable grounds to
suspect were being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking from that country.
Votes: 14 in favor, abstention by Venezuela
Abbreviations and Acronyms
EU
European Union
IDP
Internally Displaced Person
ISIS
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
NGO
UNHCR
Non-governmental organization
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Useful Sources
http://syriancivilwarmap.com/
This website provides exactly what it states: A map of the Syrian Civil War. It you
can actively click on Syrian cities to see what has recently happened. It also gives
background information about the different parties involved.
http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php
This website provides data and documents pertaining to the Syrian refugees: their
demographic breakdown, number of registered Syrian refugees, number of refugees in
camps and more.
http://syrianrefugees.eu/timeline/
This website provides a month by month timeline from 2011 until today. Here you
can find what countries and NGOs have done to help, or what conflicts have arisen in
between.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/
You can find everything that this NGO has done for the rights of refugees, and
also find useful data and reports.
http://www.unhcr.org
You can find everything that UNHCR has done for the refugees since the start of
the conflict.
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/refugee-crisis_en
Provides useful visual images, charts and data pertaining to the refugees and their
conditions.
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/regions/middle-east-north-africa
Provides useful reports related to the Middle East and North Africa.
Bibliography
"EU's Reckless Refugee Returns to Turkey Illegal." Amnesty International. N.p., 3 June 2016.
Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/06/eusreckless-refugee-returns-to-turkey-illegal/>.
"Growing Up Without an Education" Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, 19 July
2016. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/07/19/growingwithout-education/barriers-education-syrian-refugee-children-lebanon>.
"Keeping Syrian Children Free from Polio at Home and across the Border." World Health
Organization. World Health Organization, Apr. 2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.who.int/features/2015/polio-immunization-syria/en/>.
"Middle East and Northern Africa Region." UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.
N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/MENARegion/Pages/MenaRegionIndex.aspx>.
"Refugee Crisis in Europe." Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection. N.p., 20 June 2016. Web.
18 Sept. 2016. <http://ec.europa.eu/echo/refugee-crisis_en>.
"Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons." Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection. N.p., 21
June 2016. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what-wedo/humanitarian-aid/refugees-and-internally-displaced-persons_en>.
"The Sea Route to Europe: The Mediterranean Passage in the Age of Refugees." UNHCR
News. N.p., 1 July 2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.unhcr.org/protection/operations/5592bd059/sea-route-europemediterranean-passage-age-refugees.html>.
"The Zaatari Refugee Camp." Lived Projects. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.livedprojects.org/zaatari-refugee-camp/>.
"Timeline." Syrian Refugees. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://syrianrefugees.eu/timeline/>.
Baldwin, S. "The Challenge in Education." The Future of Syria. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://unhcr.org/FutureOfSyria/the-challenge-of-education.html>.
Boustani, Soha Bsat. "Malnutrition a Silent Threat Emerging among Syrian Refugee Children in
Lebanon." UNICEF. N.p., 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/lebanon_72711.html>.
Nielsen, Selin Yildiz, and Mark Grey A. "Schooling in a Crisis: The Case of Syrian Refugees in
Turkey." Humanitarian Practice Network. ODI HPN, Nov. 2013. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://odihpn.org/magazine/schooling-in-a-crisis-the-case-of-syrian-refugees-inturkey