Thursday, 15 September 2016
Address of the President Veljanoski at the European Conference of Presidents and Speakers of Parliament” Migration and refugee crisis in Europe – role and responsibilities of parliaments”
Distinguished Chairman,
Distinguished colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Excellences,
Migration, from historic and civilization aspect is not a new occurrence, for the world nor for Europe, though the current migrant – refugee crisis is a phenomenon unwitnessed by the newer world history. These occurrences are global issue. Allow me to remind of the recent G – 20 Summit that defined the migration crisis as a problem that requires adequate approach and solution. The fundamental task of the international community and of the states is how to assist these unfortunate people, in the same time providing peace in the states and regions where these refugees come from. The international law, above all, the fundamental UN Documents, the UN Convention from 1951, as well as numerous documents and Resolutions of the Council of Europe clearly define the obligations of the international community and every state in the protection of these people. But, in the same time, we have to be open and say that that this migration crisis, for the transit states, especially the states that are the final destination for the refugees raise many questions, dilemmas and problems in the economy, culture, demography, security.
Ladies and gentlemen,
My state, the Republic of Macedonia, indeed, is not the final destination of these migration flows, but is part of the so called Western Balkan route for the refugees, starting from Turkey, through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary to the EU. According to the data of our official institutions, a total of 900 thousand refugees passed through Macedonia in the past 16 months. This is a huge challenge from many aspects for the Republic of Macedonia and its population of 2 million and limited material and human resources. First and foremost, how to provide minimum normal conditions for these unfortunate people to pass through Macedonia, that is from the South border with Greece to the North border with Serbia. Since at the beginning of this crisis, our legislation disabled free passing through the state, which was the reason for these people to fall victims to criminal groups, as a parliament, we have amended the Law on Asylum in an urgent procedure, providing each refugee, through a registration to gain appropriate statute, thus legally, using the means of public transport to pass the state. Furthermore, assisted by the state institutions, above all the Ministry of Health Care, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Red Cross as well as the generous engagement of the NGOs and solidarity of our citizens, products for personal hygiene, water, clothes, and medicine were collected so that these people would have their guaranteed dignity back.
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a fact that the refugee crisis above all strikes Europe, thus handling thereof has to be on the level of Europe. Certainly a maximum level of cooperation among the states, i.e. among the institutions is needed. As an example, at the beginning of the migrant – refugee crisis there was a prominent non – cooperation by our Southern neighbor, but that has been surpassed since it is clear that all is our mutual interest. In direction of the cooperation in cross border management and the requested support connected with the security aspects of the migrant crisis, several partner states responded through deployment of policemen, border protection equipment, as well as finances, I will mention just a few: Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Poland. I would like to underline that joint police patrols are present today at our Sothern and Northern borders. The results of the strengthened presence and active engagement of the Macedonian security forces, as well as the joint police patrols are visible. In the period January – September over 30 000 attempts for illegal crossings of the Southern border were intercepted. In August 2016, a total number of 588 border patrols were carried out jointly with foreign police officers coming from Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Hungary. Certainly, the cooperation in the area of border management continues.
Distinguished,
Through our delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Republic of Macedonia actively participates in the creation of documents and resolutions that are adopted here and which refer to the migrant – refugees crisis, but also we actively work on the implementation thereof. Also, in the framework of the bilateral cooperation, as well as in all forms of multilateral cooperation, above all on the level of regions, we underline the cooperation in regard with the solution of all problems imposed by the migration crisis. Hence, I am convinced that this meeting of ours will provide a positive contribution aiming to have better response to all challenges brought by this crisis, and certainly create conditions in the states where refugees come from to achieve peace and conditions for normal life of these misfortunate people.
Thank you.