This week, the Center for Strategic and International Studies held an event titled Open or Closed Borders? Understanding Europe’s Challenge with guests Thomas Zwiefelhofer, Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, Catherine Wiesner, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, and Shelly Pitterman, Regional Representative for the USA and the Caribbean, UNHCR. The Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic Heather A. Conley moderated.
Liechtenstein, although not a member of the European Union, is concerned with the refugee migration issue as a member of the Schengen Agreement enabling border-free travel. As minister of Home Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Zwiefelhofer is in charge of border issues for Liechtenstein. He argued that the debate over the influx is tearing apart the EU. Solidarity is essential and the responsibility should not fall solely on countries directly affected. Over the past few months, European home affairs ministers have met to discuss and plan resettlement agendas. Ultimately, the quota of refugees for each country to host will be determined by factors like population, GDP, and unemployment to avoid future disputes on unequal hosting.
With a population of just 37,000, Liechtenstein must take special precautions. The country, with humanitarian traditions, has shown readiness to participate in resettlement. But as a small country it must be careful. Zwiefelhofer asserted that Liechtenstein reserves the right to play the sovereignty card by capping refugee totals. He also argued for higher contributions to aid, especially for the UN World Food Programme.
although the number of refugees seems overwhelming, Shelly Pitterman emphasized that it is only 1% of Europe’s population, whereas refugees in Lebanon make up 25%. Assisting Syria’s immediate neighbors needs to be a priority. The challenges in Europe are manageable. Had there have been more leadership from the beginning, the problem would have been better addressed. Engagement by all states is key. Closing borders will not stop refugees, but rather make their journey “more dramatic.”
Catherine Wiesner shared the US prospective and basic position. Saving lives and maintaining human rights is the first priority. In order to do this, it is necessary to close the gap in funding. The problem demands shared responsibility. All those capable and with the power to do so should engage. Member states of the EU have different capabilities, but overall the burden of humanitarian assistance should be manageable.
The panel considered the question of normalization of mega conflict and the highest number of displaced persons to date. Pitterman argued political solutions and long term planning must coincide with humanitarian assistance. Wiesner commented that we have adapted to the new normal by reaching out to private donors. People are more inclined to donate to natural disasters than conflict, but private donors and programs like Google Match have been assets. As for the United States, increasing the number of resettled refugees and speeding up the process is in the works.
The common theme was a cry for unity and fairly-shared responsibility. A handful of nations cannot carry the burden. What Europe is experiencing is only a symptom of much bigger and deeper issues. Cooperation is crucial to resolving both those and the humanitarian crisis.
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