A simple act. That is how Argentine Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernández described receiving refugees. In a speech to the world press last week, Fernández emphasised how last year Argentina eased its policies on humanitarian assistance, making it easier for refugees, especially Syrian, to resettle in Argentina. However, statistics show that the number of Syrians arriving in the country on humanitarian or refugee visas are still low.
Argentina is not the only Latin American country to speak out recently in favour of accepting refugees.
Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro said on Monday last week that the country was also prepared to receive Syrian refugees. ’’I want 20,000 Syrians to come to our Venezuelan homeland to share this land of peace, this land of Christ, and of Bolívar, to work with us and to contribute to the development of this magic land,” said Maduro. Since this speech, no legislation or action has been proposed.
Last Tuesday it was Chile’s turn. Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz promised that Chile would receive 100 Syrian families. ”The decision has already been made by the president and it will happen as soon as possible,” Muñoz said. He was backed by president Michelle Bachelet. ”Throughout our history, we have always had our doors open to those, sometimes coming from far away places, bringing their history and culture to the construction of our nation,” she said. Once again, these statements have not yet been followed up by any political actions.
But are the Latin American leaders all talk, or do some of them actually put legislation in motion?
Over 7.6 million Syrians have been displaced, and more than 4 million have fled the country since the beginning of the civil war (photo: Wikipedia)
Brazil Leads the Way
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff also expressed willingness to receive refugees. ”I must reiterate the government’s willingness to welcome those who have been driven from their homeland and who want to come live, work. and contribute to the prosperity and peace of Brazil. In these difficult times, these times of crisis, we have to welcome refugees with open arms,” Rousseff said last week. And she seems to have acted on her promises regarding Syrian refugees.
In September 2013, Brazil introduced special humanitarian visas for Syrians and other nationals affected by the Syrian conflict who wish to seek refuge in Brazil. The country’s diplomatic representations in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan have since the programme came into effect been able to issue the visas. And on 7,819 occasions, they have. Brazil is the only country in Latin America to issue humanitarian visas at its diplomatic representations without requiring documentation proving the applicant has pre-existing ties to the country.
That programme is due to expire next week, but the unit in charge, the National Committee for Refugees (CONARE) will vote on renewing it on 21st September.
Franco Bastida, who has been covering the development of the programme for US news site PanAm News, is optimistic about the likelihood of this renewal being passed. “I would say the government is leaning towards renewing CONARE’s permit,” he said to The Argentina Independent.
Beto Vasconcelos, National Justice Secretary, said that because the conflict is still affecting people, the programme remains relevant. ”Because the conflict persists, the government will consider renewing this policy and ensuring the fulfillment of international commitments,” he explained.
Brazil has so far been the largest receiver of Syrian refugees in Latin America. In 2014, the country gave asylum to 1,405 Syrians, bringing the total number of Syrian refugees in Brazil since the conflict broke out in 2011 to 2,077.
Many Words, Few Actions
In the case of Argentina, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) confirmed to The Argentina Independent that the country is not enrolled in any resettlement programme at the moment. “At this time, Argentina does not have a formal resettlement programme for Syrian refugees, which is the framework in which UNHCR is normally involved with the move of refugees to a safe country,” says María Pico, from the communications department at UNCHR in Buenos Aires.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the UN on International Migration and Development, Peter Sutherland, does however welcome the message from Argentina. ”I have specifically said that ‘proximity does not create, in principle, differentiated responsibility’. Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey have between them taken over four million refugees. In my view, the rest of the world and not just Europe should participate in this and Argentina’s experience and society would —I’m sure— be well suited to participate,” Sutherland told The Argentina Independent.
Programa Siria
Syrian refugees in Argentina since the beginning of the conflict (graphic by CONARE)
According to Fernández, Syrian refugees can come to Argentina legally. No smuggling, no wandering highways, no fences to climb.
Fernández referred in his speech last week to a specific programme called Programa Siria, designed to give humanitarian visas to Syrians and Palestinians living in Syria who are affected by the conflict.
The programme is aimed at people who have relatives or friends already living in Argentina, which makes a prior connection with the country a requirement to access the humanitarian assistance. Practically speaking, Programa Siria is not for all Syrians affected by the conflict, but only for those who have a connection to Argentina.
The programme also requires the visa application process to be initiated from Argentina. Only after the relative or friend residing in Argentina begins the process can the Syrian national obtain the visa in the consulate of a neighbouring country.
According to Immigration Director Martín Arias Duval, over 100 people have benefited from Programa Siria since it was first implemented in October 2014.
As well as Programa Siria, regular procedures for seeking asylum are in place for Syrians and nationals of other countries. However, in order to get to Argentina to apply for asylum —as refugee visas cannot be obtained outside of the country— Syrians must first obtain a visa (a tourist visa, for example) as they are otherwise unable to board a plane heading to Argentina.
This additional obstacle is contradictory with Argentina’s proclaimed ‘open arms’ policy towards Syrian refugees. The Indy was unable to contact the Argentine consulate in Damascus in order to obtain updated information regarding the number of visas issued to Syrian nationals since the beginning of the conflict.
Statistics by the National Commission for Refugees (CONARE), however, show that while the number of Syrian refugees recognised by Argentina since 2012 is low compared to that of other countries, including Brazil, Syrians make up a significant percentage of all the refugees accepted by the country.
In 2014, 63 out the 92 people recognised as refugees by CONARE were Syrians. A similar trend can be observed in the previous years. In 2013, 45% of the recognised refugees were Syrian, and in 2012, Syrians made up 27% of the 146 persons recognised.
Refugees in Argentina by country of origin (graphic by CONARE)
The recognition rate for Syrian applicants is also higher than the average — 89% of Syrian applicants were granted refugee status.
While Syrians make up the majority of people granted refugee status in Argentina since 2012, the overall number of Syrian refugees in the country is low. Only 233 Syrians have obtained asylum in Argentina.
Despite the authorities’ claim that welcoming refugees is a simple act, the numbers seem to suggest otherwise.
The post Syrian Refugees in Latin America: When Words Are Not Enough appeared first on The Argentina Independent.