Interview: UNHCR official calls on EU members to strengthen asylum system

UNHCR representative to Macedonia Mohammad Arif told Xinhua in a recent interview that he does not think the asylum system in European Union (EU) countries is functioning very well, calling on governments to have a working and efficient asylum system.

"If you don't have strong, efficient, working asylum system it is very dangerous, because you may be giving protection to people who are not qualified for protection and they are taking the place of those who are genuine asylum seekers," said Arif.

Arif noted that in Greece there are now more than 55,000 refugees, or migrants and refugees.

"How many of them have really been processed? UNHCR has been saying all this time, since the crisis started, that the EU member states' asylum system needs to be reviewed, should be strengthened. Because it is not strong now," he said.

According to Arif, if countries have efficient and fast asylum system and they return a person who is not qualified, that person goes back to his village and he will say "We did not make it because their systems are working". So you will not have more displacement from their place of origin.

But if you have people coming and their application for asylum is delayed for months, people call their relatives back in their countries and they say "I have reached this country and it is OK. You can come". And other displacement will take place.

"We are reemphasizing again and again to all these governments, whether it is the EU member states or it is the Western Balkan countries, that they should have an asylum system where the applications of those coming and asking for asylum are processed according to the international refugee law or the European standards on refugees," he said.

He pointed out that a border closure does not mean that people can stop the flow completely. The flow will continue. Maybe not with the same number, but a small number somewhere where people haven't put a fence. And refugees will go to the smugglers and the smugglers will take them where they want.

"UNHCR is not in support of curbing any flow. UNHCR does not work under the basis of a nationality. UNHCR works on the basis of making sure that the governments respect the rights of the refugees, the rights of migrants," he said.

The UN Refugee Agency helped the establishment of the two transition centers for migrants in Macedonia, in Gevgelija on the border with Greece and in Tabanovce on the border with Serbia, where over 1,000 migrants remain stuck even after the closing of the so-called Balkan route.

In 2015, over a million refugees and migrants passed through Gevgelija, which was one of the focal points of the crisis, as the main border crossing with Greece passes right next to Gevgelija.

He upheld that it is very difficult to stop the flow of refugees, or asylum seekers, or migrants, because the problems, the root causes for the problems are still not resolved. So the flow will be outpouring, the flow will go out of these countries.

"You can close this border, but then still the flow will continue. They may not come this way. They may go to Albania, they may go towards some route that we have not heard so far. So the dynamics of the flow may change but it will continue," he said.

"We, as UNHCR, try to make sure that asylum seeker and refugees have their basic entitlements and rights. That is what, as UNHCR, we work for and advocate for. But at the same time, we remind from time to time that the root causes, on the political side, should be considered seriously and should be taken to solution," he said.

This route leading from Turkey and Greece, through the Western Balkans towards Western Europe has been officially closed since February, but many still remain in the transitional border camps demanding to be allowed to continue their journey. Endit