Plenary sitting
15.5.2017
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
to wind up the debate on the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
pursuant to Rule 123(2) of the Rules of Procedure
on the Dadaab refugee camp
( 2017/2687(RSP) )
Charles Tannock, Ryszard Antoni Legutko, Ryszard Czarnecki, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Notis Marias, Raffaele Fitto, Arne Gericke, Karol Karski, Angel Dzhambazki, Jana Žitňanská, Ruža Tomašić, Anna Elżbieta Fotyga, Monica Macovei
on behalf of the ECR Group
European Parliament resolution on the Dadaab refugee camp
( 2017/2687(RSP) )
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its resolution of 15 January 2013 on an EU Strategy for the Horn of Africa[1],
– having regard to the 2013 Tripartite Agreement between Kenya, Somalia and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) governing the voluntary repatriation of Somali refugees living in Kenya,
– having regard to the statement by the spokespersons of Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica and EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Christos Stylianides on the Kenyan Government’s decision to close the Dadaab refugee camps of 20 May 2016,
– having regard to the outcome of the 2017 London Conference on Somalia,
– having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas Kenya is hosting around 500 000 refugees, with numbers continuing to rise due to the increasing insecurity in the region, notably in South Sudan; whereas, according to April 2017 UN statistics, an estimated 245 000 refugees inhabit the five zones belonging to the Dadaab refugee complex, most of which originate from Somalia;
B. whereas the Dadaab refugee complex was set up in 1991 as a temporary solution to those seeking shelter and fleeing persecution, violence and instability in East Africa, and in particular the civil war in Somalia;
C. whereas in May 2016 the Kenyan Government announced that the Dadaab refugee camp would close in November 2016 over security concerns, after calling it ‘a nursery for al-Shabaab’; whereas in November 2016 the Kenyan Government delayed the camp’s closure by a further six months for ‘humanitarian reasons’;
D. whereas on 9 February 2017 the High Court in Kenya blocked the government’s bid to close the refugee camp, judging that the government’s decision was excessive, arbitrary and disproportionate;
E. whereas in 2013 the Tripartite Agreement between Kenya, Somalia and the UNHCR governing the voluntary repatriation of Somali refugees living in Kenya was signed with a view to the safe and dignified voluntary return of Somali refugees into stable areas in Somalia; whereas a decision on return conditions must be based on information that is objective, accurate, and neutral and on a free choice; whereas, according to human rights organisations, neither of these conditions is currently being met in Dadaab;
F. whereas the Horn of Africa is one of the most food-insecure regions in the world and whereas the worsening drought risks leaving millions of people in Somalia facing what would be the third famine in 25 years; whereas the situation is very fast moving, with more than 6.2 million people in need of food and water, and whereas this may cause additional internal displacement;
G. whereas more than 25 000 people in Somalia have been struck by cholera or acute diarrhoea, and whereas the epidemic could double by this summer, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO); whereas the fatality rate for the disease is already 2.1 % in Somalia, double the emergency threshold;
H. whereas the region is affected by challenges related to irregular migration, forced displacement, human trafficking, terrorism and armed conflict;
I. whereas the security situation in Somalia remains dangerous and unpredictable and attacks by al-Shabaab and other armed and terrorist groups continue; whereas on 6 April 2017 President Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Farmajo’ Mohamed declared Somalia a war zone and offered amnesty to members of Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, including training, employment and education, if they laid down their arms within 60 days;
K. whereas the EU is committed to supporting the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) through the provision of funding to provide security and reduce the threat posed by al-Shabaab and others; whereas on 23 March 2017 the African Union Commission convened a high-level consultation, in the presence of the EU and the UN, on the future of AMISOM and support for security sector institutions and reform in Somalia;
L. whereas on 11 May 2017 the EU announced new support for Somalia worth EUR 200 million at the London Conference on Somalia;
M. whereas the European Commission has allocated EUR 286 million in support for Somalia under the 11th European Development Fund (for the period 2014-2020), which focuses on strengthening state functions, improving food security and resilience and promoting education for young people; whereas the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) was signed at the Valletta summit on migration of 12 November 2015 with a view to addressing the root causes of instability, forced displacement and irregular migration and to contributing to good migration management;
N. whereas the EU is a long-standing partner of Somalia in development aid, peacekeeping operations and humanitarian aid; whereas for the period 2015-2020 the EU and its Member States’ cooperation, including development aid, humanitarian aid and peacekeeping operations, amounts to EUR 3.4 billion;
1. Commends Kenya and the region of Dadaab for the huge role it has played in hosting a large number of refugees over recent decades;
2. Stresses that the dialogue on the challenges stemming from recent decisions regarding the possible closure of the Dadaab refugee camp should be acted upon within the framework of the Tripartite Agreement between Kenya, Somalia and the UNHCR;
3. Notes that the persisting instability in the region as well as the worsening drought and the related risk of famine do not contribute to the creation of conditions permitting large-scale safe and dignified returns of refugees;
4. Underlines therefore that the European Union should remain committed to working with the Governments of Kenya and Somalia, as well as regional organisations and the wider international community, to help find solutions for the protracted refugee situation and to ensure that refugees remaining in Dadaab receive adequate aid and opportunities for other durable solutions;
5. Insists that any organised returns of refugees from Dadaab fully comply with standards for voluntary repatriation; calls on the Government of Kenya to ensure that refugees are provided with accurate and up-to-date information about conditions in Somalia;
6. Calls for the EU and the international community to ensure that relocation programmes in the region pay particular attention to vulnerable groups of people being relocated into safe regions, and that the rights of the refugees are upheld;
7. Emphasises the importance of EU support to AMISOM as an integral part of the EU’s comprehensive, long-term approach to support security and development efforts in Somalia; underlines the need to better manage the borders between Somalia and its neighbouring countries, which are considered a playing field for networks of traffickers and people smugglers, as well as smugglers of arms, drugs and other illicit goods, hence providing financing to criminal and terrorist activities; expects the EU Training Mission to Somalia to work closely with AMISOM and the Somali authorities to share best practice on improved border management with the aim of apprehending traffickers and smugglers;
8. Emphasises its support for the aims of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa in addressing the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in the East Africa region; underlines the importance of a people- and community-centred approach on effectuating EUTF resources in assisting with Dadaab returns and establishing sustainable development and resilience measures in the region;
9. Calls for the EU and international partners to fulfil their commitments to Somalia, in particular by undertaking efforts to establish food security with a view to avoiding the impending famine, foster security, reconcile communal grievances, improve management of public finances and assist with the completion of constitutional review, in order to achieve long-term stability; welcomes the EUR 200 million of new EU support announced at the London Conference on Somalia; stresses that the pledge requires strong leadership and determination from inside Somalia;
10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the European External Action Service, the Member States, the Governments and Parliaments of Kenya and Somalia, and the African Union Chairperson and Assembly.