MPs and the protection of refugees

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR) are launching a Guidebook for Parliamentarians on international refugee law, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention.

Guide to International Refugee Law

"The handbook for parliamentarians on refugees is particularly important because most members of parliament do not know the rights of refugees and the difficulties they face, not to mention the discrimination that prevails in some countries", said the IPU Council President, Dr. Najma Heptulla.

For the IPU Secretary General, Mr Anders B. Johnsson, "As lawmakers, parliamentarians can encourage accession to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, and to other related international and regional agreements that have not yet been ratified. They can also design and adopt national refugee legislation that conforms to international law and standards, and oversee its implementation".

"I really hope parliamentarians take the time to read this guide. There's a lot of confusion surrounding refugees and other sorts of migrants. You see this reflected in the heated and increasingly distorted political debates in some countries -- and that is dangerous for refugees and also bad for governments. We need clarity. The asylum system -- if it is reflected in national laws and implemented efficiently -- is designed to remove that confusion. Then we can protect refugees properly, and find other ways to cope with other forms of migrants", said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Ruud Lubbers.

MP's point of view

Mrs Beth Mugo, Member of the Kenyan Parliament, President of the IPU Committee on Parliamentary, Juridical and Human Rights Questions
"The role of MPs in the refugee problem"

It is very important because today there are so many refugees all over the world and often members of parliaments seem to think that this is the role of governments and that they do not have a role in it. As parliamentarians, we are the people who make the laws, and we can also advocate those laws and also supervise the Executive to see that the laws are truly implemented. It is very important that parliamentarians know their role in the problems of refugees.

Mr Jim McKiernan, Member of the Australian Senate, Vice-President of the IPU Committee on Parliamentary, Juridical and Human Rights Questions
"No more refugees"

It is very important that parliamentarians from around the world have an understanding of how international humanitarian law applies to refugees and to asylum seekers. It is also important to understand those who seek to abuse the refugee system around the world. There are 23 million people around the world who are deemed by the United Nations to be refugees. Parliamentarians in the parliaments of the world can work to alleviate this situation by trying to ensure that there are no more refugees. Where this situation cannot be avoided, parliamentarians can ask their parliaments and their governments to give sanctuary to those people who are deemed to be in need of a settlement.

Mr Ricardo Vázquez, Member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, Vice-President of the IPU Committee on Parliamentary, Juridical and Human Rights Questions
"Defining the moral and political parameters"

I believe that this Guide sets out the commitment of the parliamentarians of the entire world and defines the moral and political parameters that apply to a problem that afflicts the entire human race. The fact that more than 21 million people are refugees indicates the sheer size of the displaced populations - people who have lost their dwellings and been forced to abandon their homes. The international community must tackle this problem. This Guide is a very practical and useful contribution which highlights the commitment in a palpable way. Parliamentarians now have an instrument for long-term work using practical tools and common denominators.

Mr Ibrahim Spahic, Member of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina
"Balanced laws"

Everywhere in the world there are millions of refugees. In South East Europe, one million three hundred thousand persons have been displaced within the same region, within the same country. It is necessary for the national assemblies of all countries to set out rules and laws which are universally accepted. All citizens on the planet should be guaranteed the same rights. In our region there needs to be a balance between the laws that are voted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Yugoslavia, in Croatia, in Macedonia, in Albania, and so on. Because if there are no basic rules among the national assemblies there will never be security. Today, we have a serious problem with refugees because the world dislikes poverty, and refugees are assimilated with poverty. The question is not what can we do with the law and with our government, but rather: is there not a modicum of humanity in the world ?

Mrs Sheila Finestone, Member of the Canadian Senate
"It is better to try and solve the problem on the spot"

If it were possible to resolve all the hateful and repulsive situations throughout the world, perhaps we might be able to better the situation of people who are chased out of their regions and their homelands, and whose lot is genuinely unenviable. Being a refugee is sad, being a refugee is hard; it's hard to leave your friends and to try and start a new life in a place where you know neither the culture nor the climate. As a Canadian I know that it is difficult to start from scratch. It is the duty of parliamentarians to understand the political situation in the region concerned. Is the request for asylum justified or is it more of an economic question ? There is a definite difference between a refugee and somebody who wishes to enter the country to make a new start, economically speaking. Some refugees come from parts of the world where life is simply impossible, but we cannot take everybody. It is better to try and solve the problem on the spot, where the difficulty has arisen, so that these people do not have to leave their homes.

Mr Hossein Hashemi, Member of the Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran
"A matter of humanity"

I believe that the question of refugees is now one of the most important matters facing governments all over the world. In my country, we have more than 3 million refugees from Afghanistan and Iraq and we are deeply involved in the issue. My parliament has given very high priority to looking after the refugees, but we cannot keep three or four million people for ever. We are now looking for some sort of solution in order to come to a conclusion. Those that can return to their countries should do so, and those who cannot should have the right to stay. But what we see all over the world is refugees from different countries going to the West, to countries like Australia, Canada, or America, where they have been coming up against some very real difficulties: a difficult life, and a difficult attitude from the governments. This is not fair. We should, as parliamentarians, come to some conclusion to find a way to keep these people there. They have left their country, they are looking for a safe place to live for economic, political or social reasons, we shouldn't pay too much attention to that. Whatever the case, they are human, we should look at them as human, and we should try our best to help them.