UN calls for solidarity to expand pathways for Syrian refugees

High-level UN officials Wednesday called for countries to act with solidarity by pledging new and additional pathways for the admission of Syrian refugees.

Speaking at the opening of a high-level meeting on global responsibility sharing for Syrian refugees, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that an exponential increase in global solidarity is needed for the biggest refugee and displacement crisis of our time.

The UN estimates that at least 10 percent of Syrian refugees, or 480,000 people, need resettlement or another form of admission into a third country.

According to Ban, the pathways can include resettlement or humanitarian admission, family reunions, as well as labor or study opportunities.

"States have pledged more than 178,000 places so far. I call on you to expand on these commitments and I urge other countries to join," Ban said.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that the nearly five million Syrian refugees in the region are facing increasing obstacles to find safety after the five-year conflict.

"We are here today to appeal for additional and more diverse legal avenues for admission of Syrian refugees into different countries and communities in the coming three years," said the High Commissioner.

Grandi added that offering legal alternative avenues for the admission of Syrian refugees must go together with investing in helping the countries in the region.

He also noted that in terms of the forms of pathways, not only resettlement, but also more flexible mechanisms for family reunification could be considered.

He said the UN refugee agency stands ready to help process larger numbers of refugees for resettlement and find other pathways from the region, quickly and efficiently. Endi