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Civilians in Syria Struggle to Find Safety Across Borders 13 November 2014

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Civilians in Syria Struggle to Find Safety Across Borders 13 November 2014 13 November 2014 NO ESCAPE Civilians in Syria Struggle to Find Safety Across Borders 13 November 2014 No Escape Civilians in Syria Struggle to Find Safety Across Borders. Published by the Norwegian Refugee Council and International Rescue Committee, November 2014. Cover Photo: People fleeing from Syria to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in August 2013. The border has been intermittently closed for the past 18 months, with the notable exception of a period in the summer of 2013 and from January to April 2014. Photo: Chris tian Jepsen, NRC 13 November 2014 CONTENTS Executive Summary Legal Status of 04 13 Refugees 05 Introduction 15 Resettlement Refugee Flows Conclusion 08 and Restrictions 16 12 Returns 13 November 2014 Executive Summary Life for Syrians trying to escape vio- Recognizing the generous funds pro- lence has reached a new level of hope- vided to date, as part of a greater pack- lessness. Active conflict prevents aid age of sustained support, the interna- from reaching those stuck inside Syr- tional community should: ia, while border controls are tighten- ing, reducing civilians’ ability to flee. • Urgently increase its humanitarian and In neighboring countries, health care, development (including bilateral) sup- education and other basic services are port for Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and now beyond the reach of many Syrian Iraq. Development investments should refugees. And so the despair continues, prioritize improving public infrastruc- unabated. ture, alternative shelter solutions that increase the overall housing stock, The hospitality of countries bordering health and education services as well Syria is at a breaking point. The strain is as income-earning opportunities that most felt in communities hosting refu- can best benefit both host communi- gees, where growing poverty and un- ties and refugee populations. rest is leading to increased insecurity, a phenomenon affecting the entire re- • Step up and save lives through re- gion. In the absence of sufficient sup- settlement and alternative humanitar- port to help host governments cope ian admissions programs or other im- with the social and economic impact migration options. Wealthy countries, of the Syria crisis, Syria's neighbors are particularly those that have signed the taking measures to stem the tide of 1951 Refugee Convention, should move refugees. In October 2014, only 18,453 swiftly to ensure at least 5 percent of refugees were registered by the United refugees are able to access protection Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), an outside the region. Existing quotas for 88 percent drop from the 2013 monthly resettlement and alternative programs average. For refugees from Syria, the should be expanded to accommodate space to live freely and in dignity is also many more refugees, prioritizing those now smaller than ever before. who are most vulnerable. Resettlement outside the region, an op- • Support refugee-hosting governments tion which can be life-saving, has been to develop clear, appropriate and af- offered on an extremely limited basis by fordable administrative procedures countries not neighboring Syria. As of that allow refugees from Syria to obtain the start of November 2014, less than 2 and retain legal documents (including percent of the registered refugee popu- residency), regardless of where they lation has secured a resettlement place. entered or where they are displaced. To ensure countries bordering Syria are Understanding the very real social, eco- supported and that the right to seek nomic and security threat facing coun- asylum is respected for those fleeing tries neighboring Syria, we urge Leba- the civil war in Syria, the Norwegian non, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq to: Refugee Council (NRC) and the Interna- • Create a joint appeal, outlining the tional Rescue Committee (IRC) recom- support needed from the international mend the following: community to ensure that borders are consistently open to civilians fleeing 4 13 November 2014 Syria, without discrimination. commitments and guidelines related to the registration and documentation of • Work with aid agencies, particular- refugees, including individual registra- ly UNHCR, to increase humanitarian tion for women so that they can receive monitoring and ensure immediate as- documents required to access basic sistance is provided to asylum seekers services. in and around borders. This will allow more support to be provided to those • Strengthen information and services in need and will also help authorities outreach to refugee, such as the provi- identify vulnerable groups, who should sion of mobile services outside of camps be prioritized and fast-tracked for reg- and to places where refugees face seri- istration and assistance. ous restrictions upon their movement. Aid programs should be designed to Humanitarian agencies should: support the needs of both refugees and • Work with host governments to sup- host communities. port the implementation of existing Introduction The civil war in Syria continues unabated This hospitality has not come without sub- and has led to the worst humanitarian cri- stantial costs for host communities and the sis of the twenty-first century. The conflict Syrian refugees they are supporting. Syria’s has claimed the lives of more than 191,000 neighbors are now facing severe overcrowd- people,(1) and violations of international law ing in schools and medical facilities, rapidly are widespread, with Syrian civilians bearing increasing housing prices, and significant the brunt of atrocities. Close to 11 million competition for paid work, creating tensions people are estimated to be in need of hu- between refugees and local communities. manitarian assistance and protection, and Their governments are responding to ris- 9.65 million people have fled their homes in ing refugee numbers in several ways: they search of safety.(2) Sufficient quantities of aid continue to provide substantial support to are not entering Syria, while ongoing fight- vulnerable refugees and local people, and ing and border restrictions prevent desper- facilitate the work of aid agencies, while si- ate civilians from fleeing. Increasingly, Syria multaneously limiting access to services, re- is a place of no escape. stricting the movements of existing Syrian refugee populations, and limiting the entry Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq (including of new refugees into their countries. the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)) are to be commended for the substantial and gener- In the context of increasing humanitarian ous hospitality they have shown to more needs within Syria and in neighboring coun- than three million refugees from Syria,(3) the tries, legitimate national security concerns majority of whom live outside of camps. Leb- and insufficient international support, the anon is now the highest per capita refugee- formal and informal border crossings out hosting country in the world,(4) and is facing of Syria are now often effectively closed to an immense strain on its economy and social men, women and children seeking safety. services. Jordan and Turkey are also severely Hundreds of thousands of people are esti- affected. Iraq is experiencing a double crisis; mated to be living in camps and with host in addition to hosting refugees from Syria, families near or even on the borders of nearly 1.9 million Iraqis have been displaced neighboring countries, with many of them as a result of recent fighting in the country.(5) unable to leave Syria.(12) 5 13 November 2014 At the same time, countries not sharing Woefully small numbers of refugees have borders with Syria have shown a remark- been accepted for resettlement outside able lack of solidarity both with Syria’s of the region. A telling but all too rep- civilian population seeking to escape resentative example: in September and violence and with the neighboring coun- October 2014 alone, Turkey received tries that host the overwhelming major- 190,000 refugees, far more than the en- ity of refugees. tire international community has com- mitted to resettle since the start of the The Economic Impact of the Syria Crisis on Syrian conflict.(13) Neighboring Countries(6) The World Bank has estimates that the Syrian crisis has cost the Lebanese economy around $7.5 billion. Tax revenue has dropped by $1.5 billion at a time when government expenditure is estimated to be rising by $1.1 billion; signifi- "While countries neighbouring the cant losses have been felt in consumer spend- conflict are being asked to keep ing, trade, profits and investment. Overcrowded their borders open, I find it discon- schools and health facilities, and the deteriora- certing how many Syrians struggle to find protection in Europe, with tion in water, sanitation and other infrastruc- reports of people being pushed tures will require an additional $2.5 billion just to back from a number of borders. be restored to their pre-Syria crisis levels.(7) And all this is happening although the overall numbers are small in In Jordan, a Ministry of Finance and USAID comparison – Turkey alone has received 10 times the number of commissioned report estimated that the cost Syrian refugees as all EU member of hosting refugees in 2014 will reach $871 states together." (12) million, or 2.4 percent of GDP. (8) In its National Resilience Plan (2014-16), the Government of Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Jordan estimated that it needed $1.2 billion in Refugees, January 2014 2014 to maintain existing levels of basic servic- es, including $731 million for water and sanita- tion, education, health,
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