Interview with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from English to French – Published September 12, 2018
The President of the Republic met Tuesday morning by telephone with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Filippo Grandi.
He recalled France's full commitment to unconditional respect for the right of asylum in Europe and throughout the world, and for concerted and controlled management of migration flows.
By mutual agreement, they decided to call on the international community to mobilize more for the resettlement of refugees, to enable those in need of international protection not to take all the risks to benefit from it. In this regard, they emphasized the quality of the cooperation established on the ground between UNHCR and France in the Middle East and in Africa. These protection missions, decided on August 28, 2017 in Paris in cooperation with Niger and Chad, have already protected several hundred people, including evacuations of people who have fallen into the hands of traffickers in Libya.
The President of the Republic emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation between the European Union and countries of transit and origin of migration to prevent lethal departures at sea and provide an answer to the repeated tragedies in the Mediterranean. While the issue of landings in Europe during the summer has been the subject of many political instrumentalizations, the President of the Republic stressed the need to define without delay durable solutions, fully respectful of international law, the principle of non-refoulement and fundamental humanitarian principles, in the framework of solidarity and strengthened European responsibility, in full cooperation with UNHCR and IOM. The President of the Republic and the High Commissioner have agreed on close joint work on this issue in the coming weeks.
On the situation in Syria, the President of the Republic expressed his deep concern about the massive displacement of people caused by the military offensive of the regime and its allies in the region of Idlib. He stressed the urgent and absolute need for a credible political process, the only way to ensure stability, avoid new humanitarian disasters and new refugee flows. He also provided France with full support for UNHCR's actions in Syria's neighboring countries and the need to respect the conditions for a safe, dignified and voluntary return of refugees, who have not yet been united.
The President of the Republic also regretted the US decision to stop funding UNRWA whose services to the more than 5 million Palestinian refugees are essential to local and regional stability. He underscored France's commitment to contributing to the collective response needed to help UNRWRA emerge from this crisis and further improve the effectiveness of its action.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is a translation. Please accept our apologies should the grammar and / or sentence structure not be perfect.