Geneva, Switzerland
As countries
drastically reduce entry into their territories owing to the COVID-19 global
health crisis, and restrictions around international air travel are introduced,
travel arrangements for resettling refugees are currently subject to severe
disruptions.
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| A group of Sudanese refugees arrive at an emergency transit centre in Timisoara, Romania, in December 2018. Recently evacuated from Libya, they were awaiting emergency resettlement. |
Some States have also placed a hold on resettlement arrivals given their
public health situation, which impacts on their capacity to receive newly
resettled refugees.
Refugee families are
being directly impacted by these quickly evolving regulations in the course of
their travel, with some experiencing extensive delays while others have been
stranded or separated from family members.
In a
joint communiqué,
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration
(IOM), showed their concern that international travel could increase the
exposure of refugees to the virus.
As a result, IOM and
UNHCR are taking steps to suspend resettlement departures for refugees.
This is a temporary measure
that will be in place only for as long as it remains essential.
As resettlement remains
a life-saving tool for many refugees, UNHCR and IOM are appealing to States, and
working in close coordination with them, to ensure that movements can continue
for the most critical emergency cases wherever possible.
The suspension will
begin to take effect within the next few days as the two agencies attempt to
bring those refugees who have already cleared all formalities to their intended
destinations.
Resettlement provides a
vital lifeline for particularly vulnerable refugees, and IOM and UNHCR will
continue their work in refugee-hosting countries, in collaboration with all
relevant partners, to ensure that the processing of cases for resettlement
continues.
The agencies will also
remain in close contact with refugees themselves and all of the agencies that
work to support the use of resettlement as a critical protection measure.
Both agencies look
forward to resuming full resettlement travel as soon as prudence and logistics
permit. - Africa
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