DATE=11/19/98
TYPE=ENGLISH PROGRAMS FEATURE
NUMBER=7-30913
TITLE=KEEPING REFUGEES OUT, PART 2: KURDS
BYLINE=JUDITH LATHAM
TELEPHONE=619-3464
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=GARY EDQUIST
CONTENT = (TAPE CUTS IN AUDIO SERVICES)
INTRO: REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE U.S. COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES
RECENTLY GAVE A BRIEFING [10/9/98] ON THE WAYS IN WHICH
THE EUROPEAN UNION IS WORKING TO EXCLUDE DISPLACED
KOSOVARS, KURDS, AND ALGERIANS. VOA'S JUDITH LATHAM
TALKED WITH AMERICAN ANALYSTS ABOUT E-U EFFORTS TO LIMIT
THE INFLUX OF ASYLUM SEEKERS INTO WESTERN EUROPE.
HERE'S _______ WITH THE SECOND OF A SERIES OF THREE
REPORTS, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE KURDS.
TEXT: BILL FRELICK ['FREE-LIK], A SENIOR POLICY ANALYST WITH
THE U.S. COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES AND EDITOR OF ITS
"REFUGEE REPORT," HAS RETURNED FROM FIELD WORK IN
TURKEY, KOSOVO, AND ALBANIA. MR. FRELICK EXAMINED MAJOR
GROUPS OF ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO HAVE BEEN SEEKING
PROTECTION IN WESTERN EUROPE AS WELL AS THE BARRIERS TO
THEIR ENTRY. IN JANUARY (1998), HE SAYS, THE EUROPEAN
UNION ADOPTED A 46-POINT ACTION PLAN ON THE INFLUX OF
REFUGEES FROM IRAQ AND THE NEIGHBORING REGION.
TAPE: CUT ONE -- FRELICK (0:30)
"THE EMPHASIS WAS ON RESTRICTIVE MEASURES, AND I'LL JUST
HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THEM -- CARRIER SANCTIONS ON PLANES
ARRIVING WITH KURDS AND OTHERS FROM THAT AREA,
FINGERPRINTING, CRACKDOWN ON SMUGGLING, TRAINING AND
DETECTING FALSE DOCUMENTS, RETURN OF PERSONS BACK TO THE
REGION, INCLUDING INCREASED COOPERATION WITH TURKEY,
WHICH IS ANOTHER ELEMENT OF THESE VARIOUS PLANS TO
CREATE A TIER OF BUFFER-ZONE COUNTRIES BETWEEN THE AREAS
PRODUCING REFUGEES AND THE E-U ITSELF."
TEXT: IN 1990, FOLLOWING IRAQ'S DEFEAT IN THE GULF WAR, IRAQI
LEADER SADDAM HUSSEIN LAUNCHED AN ATTACK ON THE KURDISH
POPULATION IN THE NORTH. MR. FRELICK SAYS THIS
CRACKDOWN LED TO A HUGE MOVEMENT OF IRAQI KURDS TO THE
TURKISH BORDER, BUT IN 1991 TURKEY REPELLED THESE
WOULD-BE KURDISH REFUGEES AT THE BORDER.
TAPE: CUT TWO -- FRELICK (1:14)
"THE WORLD COMMUNITY CAME UP WITH A NEW SOLUTION, WHICH
IS THAT YOU COULD DENY ASYLUM BECAUSE YOU WOULD CREATE A
'SAFE AREA' IN THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. THAT WAS THE
IMPACT OF SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 688, WHICH
INVOLVED AMERICAN, BRITISH, AND OTHER TROOPS AS A
COALITION ALLIANCE COMING INTO NORTHERN IRAQ AND
PROVIDING A SAFETY UMBRELLA FOR THE KURDS THERE SO THEY
WOULDN'T COME UNDER ATTACK. WE JUMP AHEAD TO SEPTEMBER
'96, AND YOU HAD THE LIMITS OF THE MODEL SAFE HAVEN
FINALLY REVEALED. BAGHDAD FORCES MOVED INTO ERBIL, THEY
KILLED AT LEAST 100 PEOPLE. THERE WAS A MOVEMENT AGAIN
TO TRY TO GET INTO TURKEY, AND TURKEY AGAIN CLOSED ITS
BORDER COMPLETELY. SO, WE WERE LEFT WITH THIS VERY
TROUBLING PHENOMENON WHERE THERE'S NO LONGER A COUNTRY
OF FIRST ASYLUM, AND WE CREATED A PRECEDENT WHERE WE NO
LONGER HOLD COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM RESPONSIBLE FOR
PROVIDING AT LEAST TEMPORARY PROTECTION, AND THERE'S NO
SAFE HAVEN EITHER. WHAT DO YOU DO? THE UNITED STATES
WAS ABLE TO EVACUATE 6,500 PEOPLE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST
TO THE UNITED STATES, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST? AND WHAT
HAPPENS THE NEXT TIME THAT SADDAM'S TROOPS MOVE IN?
THAT'S AN OPEN QUESTION STILL."
TEXT: BILL FRELICK SAYS THAT, IN APRIL 1998, THE UNITED
NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES, OR U-N-H-C-R,
PRESENTED TWO QUITE DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS TO THE EUROPEAN
UNION CONCERNING THE TREATMENT OF THE KURDISH REFUGEES.
TAPE: CUT THREE -- FRELICK (0:47)
"BOTH DOCUMENTS WERE PRESENTED ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY,
WHICH IS INTERESTING, SINCE THEY CONTRADICT EACH OTHER.
THE FIRST IS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT, AND THE OTHER IS A
PRIVATE, SECRET DOCUMENT. THE PUBLIC DOCUMENT WAS
BEFORE THE U-N-H-C-R STANDING COMMITTEE, AND U-N- H-C-R
MADE FIVE POINTS. NUMBER 1, THE MOVEMENT OF IRAQIS WAS
NOT A MASS INFLUX. NUMBER 2, IT INCLUDED -- QUOTE -- AN
'IMPORTANT PROPORTION OF PEOPLE LEAVING IRAQ FOR VALID
REFUGEE-RELATED REASONS WHO ARE IN NEED OF INTERNATIONAL
PROTECTION.' NUMBER 3, INTERNAL FLIGHT IS NOT A
REALISTIC ALTERNATIVE TO CROSSING INTERNATIONAL BORDERS.
NUMBER 4, ASYLUM OPTIONS WITHIN THE REGION ARE CURRENTLY
NOT FEASIBLE. AND, NUMBER 5, IRAQI ASYLUM SEEKERS NEED
TO BE AFFORDED PROTECTION OUTSIDE THE IMMEDIATE REGION."
TEXT: BUT, MR. FRELICK SAYS, U-N-H-C-R'S SECRET COMMUNICATION
-- IN CONTRAST -- INDICATED THAT AN "INTERNAL FLIGHT
ALTERATIVE" COULD BE APPLIED IN CERTAIN CASES. AND,
THESE CASES RELATED TO THE TWO WARRING POLITICAL
FACTIONS WITHIN THE KURDISH COMMUNITY -- THE PATRIOTIC
UNION OF KURDISTAN (P-U-K) AND THE KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC
PARTY (K-D-P).
TAPE: CUT FOUR -- FRELICK (0:47)
"THE CERTAIN CASES INCLUDED BOTH P-U-K AND K-D-P MEMBERS
AND SYMPATHIZERS WHO COULD FIND PROTECTION IN THE AREA
CONTROLLED BY THEIR OWN PARTY, EVEN IF THEY WOULD STILL
BE AT RISK IN AREAS CONTROLLED BY THE OTHER PARTY. SO
YOU HAVE NOW AN INTERNAL FLIGHT WITHIN AN INTERNAL
FLIGHT. AND ALTHOUGH TURKEY IS NOT A SAFE THIRD COUNTRY,
THE U-N-H-C-R, QUOTE, 'WELCOMES THE IDEA OF ESTABLISHING
RECEPTION CENTERS TO BETTER MANAGE THE FLOW OF MIGRANTS
AND REFUGEES TO AND THROUGH TURKEY,' END QUOTE. THERE'S
A QUESTION OF THE REASONABLENESS OF TRYING TO STAY
WITHIN THE COUNTRY WHERE YOU HAVE A WELL-FOUNDED FEAR OF
PERSECUTION. THE SITUATION IS VOLATILE. THERE'S NO RULE
OF LAW IN NORTHERN IRAQ, NO INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY,
EXTENSIVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. QUITE A NUMBER OF
IRAQI ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE DENIED ON THE GROUNDS OF
SUPPOSEDLY BEING 'ECONOMIC MIGRANTS.' AND, FINALLY,
TURKEY CONTINUES TO BOMB THE AREA."
TEXT: KAREN ABUZAYD ['AH-BOO-'ZAYD], REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
IN WASHINGTON, D-C, OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH
COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, SAYS THERE WAS A
MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE SO-CALLED 'SECRET' DOCUMENT.
TAPE: CUT FIVE -- ABUZAYD (0:51)
"IT WAS LABELED 'SECRET' BY THE E-U, NOT BY U-N-H-C-R.
THAT ISN'T ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO. THE REASON THE E-U
LABELED IT 'PRIVATE' IS BECAUSE IT WAS VERY LONG, A
29-PAGE DOCUMENT, AND IT COVERED A LOT OF HISTORY OF THE
PROBLEM. AND IT ALSO MADE REFERENCES TO NEIGHBORING
COUNTRIES SUCH AS JORDAN AND SYRIA, AND IT WAS NOT
SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THOSE COUNTRIES,
AND SO IN DEFERENCE TO OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE
COUNTRIES, THE E-U AND OURSELVES AGREED THAT IT SHOULD
BE A DOCUMENT BETWEEN US AND THEM. (OPT) WE KNOW THAT
ANY SUCH DOCUMENT WILL BE LEAKED, SO IT WASN'T REALLY
SOMETHING THAT WE WERE SAYING THAT WAS SECRET BECAUSE IT
DIFFERED FROM THE OTHER STATEMENTS WE WERE MAKING. THIS
WAS A DOCUMENT AS IT WAS DEVELOPED WITH THE N-G-O'S OF
EUROPE, WHO WERE QUITE HAPPY WITH IT, WHO FELT THAT IT
WAS AN IMPROVEMENT ON PREVIOUS POSITIONS, AND IT WAS AN
ADVANCEMENT OF SORTS FOR THE KURDS AND KOSOVARS IN
EUROPE AND FOR ASYLUM IN EUROPE. (END OPT)
TEXT: BILL FRELICK SAYS A BASIC FACTOR CONSIDERED IN GRANTING
ASYLUM IS WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL CAN BE INTEGRATED MORE
SMOOTHLY, QUOTE, 'UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES' IN HIS OWN
COUNTRY THAN ABROAD.
TAPE: CUT SIX -- FRELICK (0:34)
"OF COURSE, ANYONE CAN MORE SMOOTHLY INTEGRATE UNDER
NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, WHICH IS WHAT THEY SAY HERE, IN
THEIR OWN COUNTRY THAN ABROAD. THE VERY REFUGEE REASONS
FOR FLIGHT ARE NOT RECOGNIZED HERE. THESE ARE THE
FACTORS I WOULD SUGGEST: IF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SEEKS
TO PERSECUTE YOU, AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
RECOGNIZES ITS [GOVERNMENT] SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE ENTIRE
TERRITORY AND IT SEEKS TO RETAKE THAT TERRITORY, THERE'S
NO INTERNAL FLIGHT ALTERNATIVE. IF THE SITUATION IS
VOLATILE, UNSTABLE, AND UNPREDICTABLE, THERE'S NO
REASONABLE FLIGHT ALTERNATIVE. IF THERE'S A LACK OF
STATE ACCOUNTABILITY AND RULE OF LAW, THERE'S NO
INTERNAL FLIGHT ALTERNATIVE."
TEXT: THE EUROPEAN UNION, MR. FRELICK SAYS, EFFECTIVELY
CREATES A TIER OF BARRIERS TO PREVENT THE KURDS FROM
GAINING ASYLUM IN WESTERN EUROPE.
TAPE: CUT SEVEN -- FRELICK (0:15)
"FIRST, YOU TRY THE 'SAFE AREA.' OR, IF THAT DOESN'T
WORK, YOU TRY THE 'INTERNAL FLIGHT' ALTERNATIVE. AND,
IF SOME PEOPLE MANGE TO GET THROUGH THAT, THEN YOU
CREATE THE 'RECEPTION CENTER' IN A COUNTRY THAT'S
RECOGNIZED AS NOT BEING SAFE, LIKE TURKEY, SORT OF A
HOLDING PEN FOR THEM, BUT A PLACE TO MANAGE MIGRATION
FLOWS."
TEXT: THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION SAY THEY ARE
UNABLE TO ABSORB LARGE NUMBERS OF ASYLUM SEEKERS, BILL
FRELICK SAYS. SO, THE E-U IS EXERTING INTENSE PRESSURE
ON THE U-N-H-C-R WHICH, HE SAYS, MUST OFTEN BALANCE
PRINCIPLE AND PRAGMATISM AS IT TRIES TO HELP THOSE
FLEEING VIOLENCE AND OPPRESSION.
TAPE: CUT EIGHT -- FRELICK (0:31)
"I'M VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THE REAL SOUL-SEARCHING THAT IS
GOING ON IN U-N-H-C-R, AND I'VE TALKED TO THE FRONTLINE
PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THOSE DECISIONS. THEY SPECIFICALLY
TALKED ABOUT PRAGMATISM, AND BASICALLY SAID, 'IF WE TOOK
YOUR POSITION AND WERE MORE LENIENT IN OUR APPROVAL
RATES, WE'D HAVE TO ACCEPT ALL THESE IRANIANS AND
IRAQIS. AS IT IS NOW, WE ACCEPT A FRACTION OF THEM, AND
THAT'S ACCEPTABLE TO THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT.' THEY'RE
SEEING THEIR OWN REGIONAL CONTEXT AND MAKING THE
COMPROMISES THEY FEEL THEY NEED TO MAKE TO FUNCTION AT
ALL."
TEXT: MR. FRELICK SAYS, BECAUSE THE EUROPEAN UNION IS
COMPRISED OF POWERFUL DONOR COUNTRIES, THE REFUGEE
AGENCY MUST OFTEN SETTLE FOR WHAT HE CALLS "THE BEST IT
CAN DO IN BAD CIRCUMSTANCES." (OPT) OUR THIRD, AND
FINAL, REPORT WILL FOCUS ON ALGERIAN REFUGEES AND ASYLUM
SEEKERS. (END OPT)
19-Nov-98 11:29 AM EST (1629 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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