RefugeesRefugees and terrorism -- “No evidence of risk”: UN
“Overly-restrictive migration policies introduced because of terrorism concerns are not justified and may in fact be damaging to state security,” warned the United Nations Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, Ben Emmerson, at the UN General Assembly in New York. The perception that there is a link between to flow of refugees and an increased risk of terrorism “is analytically and statistically unfounded, and must change,” he said.
“Overly-restrictive migration policies introduced because of terrorism concerns are not justified and may in fact be damaging to state security,” warned the United Nations Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, Ben Emmerson, at the UN General Assembly in New York.
UNHCHR says that Emmerson, presenting a new report on the impact of counter-terrorism measures on the human rights of migrants and refugees, showed that “while there is no evidence that migration leads to increased terrorist activity, migration policies that are restrictive or that violate human rights may in fact create conditions conducive to terrorism.”
“In the prevailing politicking around migration, we have seen a trend of anti-terror measures being linked to the management of cross-border flows,” he said. “This trend is based on the perception that terrorists take advantage of refugee flows to carry out acts of terrorism, or that refugees are somehow more prone to radicalization than others.”
“This perception is analytically and statistically unfounded, and must change,” the human rights expert stressed recalling that, in 2015, the total number of displaced people worldwide reached 65.3 million. “Even with ongoing attempts to reach resolution in the Syrian conflicts, we are likely to see a continued flow of refugees beyond the current record levels.”
The report finds that migration policies that build fences, engage in push-back operations, criminalize irregular migration, and abandon international legal commitments to refugees, lead to restricted access to safe territory and increased covert movements of people, particularly by traffickers. “These conditions may ultimately assist terrorists and lead to increased terrorist activity.”
“What is clear is that policies that respect human rights, justice, and accountability, and that manifest the values on which democracy is founded, are an essential element of effective counterterrorism policies,” Emmerson noted. “The further we move away from this, the more we concede to terrorist groups.”
Several European countries have tightened border controls over the past year in response to security concerns related to the refugee crisis.
ISIS used the crossing over the Aegean Sea to transport members of the cell which carried out the Paris and Brussels attacks back to Europe, using fake Syrian passports.
Ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud boasted in an ISIS propaganda magazine of his travels between Belgium and Syria “despite being chased after by so many intelligence agencies.” The article did not specify the method.
Two of the Paris suicide bombers arrived on the Greek island of Leros on the same day last October, with fake passports, while accomplice Mohamed Abrini travelled from Syria under the name Naim al-Hamed and evaded authorities while preparing to launch the Brussels attacks.
Emmerson acknowledged the link, but said there was “little evidence” that terrorists systematically exploit refugee flows to carry out atrocities, while research shows that very few asylum seekers are responsible for attacks.
The expert’s study recommends that states recognize that the vast majority of people fleeing Syria and other affected regions are victims of terrorism, and should not be stigmatized as potential terrorists themselves. It also calls on states to respect the fundamental rights of migrants, and warns that push back operations and detention of migrants likely violate human rights and breach State obligations under international refugee law.
“We are here today to correct the misperception that international refugee law is an obstacle when it comes to addressing security concerns,” Emmerson said. “In fact, it is in all of our interests to protect refugees and give them the opportunity to create a better future for themselves and their families. It is also the right thing to do.”
The UN says that a record 65.3 million people are currently refugees or displaced in their own countries – the highest figure since records began before the Second World War.
More than 320,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year, a much lower number than last year’s total of more than one million, with at least 3,600 dying in treacherous boat crossings.
