Shanghai Model United Nations XVIII 2016 | Research Reports

Forum:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Issue:

Addressing protracted displacement of Syrian refugees

Student Officer: Angela Sha

Position:

President

Introduction
The purpose of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is to lead and
coordinate international action in order to protect and resolve refugee issues. Currently, protracted
displacement is a large issue. Almost 70% of the refugees worldwide are in protracted refugee situations.
The main issue with this is the impact of this on refugees lives and the societies where they reside.
Many of these protracted persons spend a majority of their time in camps or urban settings where they
are unprotected. In these settings, higher levels of sexual and physical violence are displayed, due to the
lack of security measures that can be taken. This puts populations such as women, children, and the
disabled at higher risks. The UNHCR believes that having so many of these human beings in a static
state where they are unable to do much results in consequences such as wasted lives, squandered
resources, and increased threats to security. Protracted displacement is also a large issue because for
many, the issue does not have a foreseeable solution.
The Syrian refugee crisis has had huge implications on neighboring countries; in fact, as of 2014,
there were 2.3 million refugees that fled Syria in search of camps, transit centers, and seeking asylum.
As the Syrian war has been ongoing for five years, having started in 2011 and still ongoing as of today.
Therefore, many of those who have not gained refugee status who have fled Syria have protracted
displacement status as they have been outside the country for longer than three years. The end of the
war is unable to be estimated, and even if the war were to end, many refugees may still be unable to
return to their home countries for a variety of other reasons. This shows that a long term plan by the
government will be more important in ensuring the success of these protracted persons.

Definition of Key Terms

Protracted displacement
Displacement for a period longer than three years; 70% of refugees have been displaced for over
three years, 50% of refugees have been displaced for over 10 years.

Research Report Topic| Page 1 of 8

Shanghai Model United Nations XVIII 2016 | Research Reports

Displacement
The compulsory departure of a person from their home or place of residence; typically due to war,
natural disaster, or persecution. May be internal or external.
Refugee status
A person who has been forced to flee their country to escape war, natural disaster, or persecution,
and has been granted asylum.
Asylum
The protection granted by a nation to someone who has left their country as a refugee; not all
displaced persons have been granted asylum or carry refugee status.
UNHCR
A United Nations program mandated to protect and support refugees, to work with voluntary
repatriation, local integration, or resettlement into a new country.

Background Information
Syrian refugee crisis
As of February 2016, 13.5 million Syrians, which constitutes of about half the population, are
estimated to been displaced out of the country. However, only 3.9 million of this population has been
granted asylum status, which means the proportion of the displaced persons that have issues regarding
protracted displacement is larger than what is currently mandated by the UNHCR. Most of the refugees
have been seeking safety in neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq. Currently,
the UN and other organizations have been primarily dealing with this crisis with financial aid, granting
asylum status and providing humanitarian aid. However, this does not address all displaced persons and
many Syrians have been searching for a place to stay for a long time without yield.
Protection challenges for the UNHCR
Shared commitments
The High Commissioner of Refugees brings together a large group of stakeholders who all share
the commitment to improve living conditions for refugees. Firstly, the UNHCR is an entirely nonpolitical organization, which means that although it is a non-governmental entity, it still works in a
very political setting where there are multiple competing interests and conflicting ideas from
different entities. The UNHCR has primarily acted as a peacekeeping institution between
governmental organizations when conflicts of interest arise. In addition, the UNHCR also holds a
Page 2 of 8 | Research Report Topic

Shanghai Model United Nations XVIII 2016 | Research Reports

commitment to human rights, which is those human rights that are universal and should be
applied to refugees. This must be considered at every point in the displacement cycle. In addition,
because some refugees flee the country due to the violation of their human rights, this makes this
issue more pressing. Finally, the UNHCR holds a commitment to complementary solutions, which
means, because the refugees are all individuals that differ in situations, the solution should
encompass most, if not all, of their needs. However, the approach may still differ for different
populations of refugees, because one size fits all does not stand true for a solution.
Voluntary repatriation and sustainable reintegration
Voluntary repatriation is when refugees voluntarily return to their own countries; it is one of the
most viable solutions, but not extremely viable in this case as the Syrian war is still ongoing and
is a long, complex crisis. Currently, voluntary repatriation should not be the UNCHRs primary
area of focus. Refugee returns also take place on a very large scale, where multiple refugees
move back at once. This is not a realistic or immediate prospect. However, it is still possible for
the UNHCR to work on the pre-repatriation process. This includes promoting peacemaking
initiatives within Syria and should help establish legal frameworks within the country that will help
Syrian residents. The primary issue with reversing displacement is that by simply putting these
refugees back into the country they came from does not mean they will be able to reintegrate into
the community properly, but if the conflict is resolved in the host country this will help protracted
refugees find a place to stay to some degree.
Strategies and solutions in countries of asylum
Currently, the primary response to large-scale refugee influxes are care and maintenance
programs, which is where refugees were just housed by host countries. Then, basic needs such
as shelter, food, water, and some form of education and health care, were provided on a basis
where it was available from financial aid. In the sense that this did help many refugees help find a
place to stay, this was useful as a short term solution. Refugees had a chance to reestablish their
livelihoods and become more self-reliant. However, this model was extremely flawed as refugees
mostly were left to live in these refugee camps indefinitely with nowhere else to go. They also had
limited rights and less means to support themselves without access to agricultural development,
the trade industry, and unable to find employment. Therefore, quality of life continued to decrease
in these camps because financial aid was limited. Because voluntary repatriation is almost
impossible for these refugees, this has influence the development of new strategies and solutions
to deal with countries of asylum. This is mainly based on the promotion of livelihoods and selfreliance and local integration, which should be addressed in the solution to this large-scale
problem of protracted displacement.
Strategic use of resettlement

Research Report Topic| Page 3 of 8

Shanghai Model United Nations XVIII 2016 | Research Reports

Resettlement mainly refers to the resettlement of refugees away from their first country of asylum
to a third country that has granted them residence rights. This can be a solution in addressing
protracted displacement because those refugees that have become displaced for a long time with
the inability to return to their home countries are able to find work and establish their living
conditions elsewhere. However, resettlement has been believed to be not as affective recently
because many countries prefer the method of voluntary repatriation as it is more cost-efficient. In
terms of the Syrian crisis, this may be more plausible because the Syrian war is still ongoing.
Resettlement reduces the burden of refugee-hosting asylum countries, and also presents a
responsibility sharing aspect of international communication. Therefore, a more strategic use of
resettlement has been proposed where it is defined as the planned use of resettlement in a
manner that maximizes the benefits, directly or indirectly, other than those received by the
refugees being resettled. Those benefits may accrue to other refugees, the hosting state, other
states or the international protection regime in general.
Resettlement should be used to maintain and expand the asylum space in refugee hosting
countries, and enhance the quality of humanitarian aid provided to those residing in these
countries. Resettlement submissions after this redefined, strategic use of resettlement have
increased sharply, rising to almost 100,000 resettlement submissions. This is an increase of 80%
compared to resettlement submissions in 2006. In order to maximize the potential of
resettlement, there must be other factors that are addressed. Resettlement requires selection
criteria to be met, and this coupled with lengthy processing times and large financial resources
that must be met, seems unrealistic. Therefore, firstly, the selection criteria should be broadened,
but still based on international protection needs, which would relieve pressure on some of the
developing countries that have taken Syrian refugees with large refugee populations.
Migration options
One final solution that has recently been looked upon is on the possibility of migration and
settlement as legal migrants of another country, which may be either in their country of asylum, a
nearby state, or an entirely different part of the world. This is because the world is becoming
increasingly globalized and mobile. Refugees may have skills that they are unable to use in their
country of asylum, but for which there may be a demand in other states. They may also become
migrant workers for states that are unable to meet their labor needs. A secure and legal migrant
status could be beneficial for both parties involved, but still have difficulties including the legal
issue with these refugees being treated as migrant workers and the lack of working with the rights
that their refugee status grants them.

Major Countries and Organizations Involved

Page 4 of 8 | Research Report Topic

Shanghai Model United Nations XVIII 2016 | Research Reports

US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)

The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has been primarily working in the Syrian
refugee crisis to help those who have already gained refugee status in the United States. They have an
approach where they help these refugees resettle and gain independence, rather than providing them
their resources without opportunities.
Womens Refugee Commission
The Womens Refugee Commission has been leading the international community to empower
and protect women refugees. They are primarily working towards increasing their access to
sexual/reproductive healthcare, safety, and more. Adolescent girls, refugees with disabilities, and
children and youth are their primary area of concern, because they believe that often, these are the
people most overlooked in refugee situations.
United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF has been primarily working towards helping children involved in the Syrian refugee
crisis, and their current plan is to help 15.4 million children get vaccinations against polio, more than 800
thousand to gain access to education, and more than 500 thousand to gain access to child protection.
Their goal fund is $850,000,000 dollars, and they are working in a variety of countries to help children
with protracted displacement status, such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. 73% of their
appeal for funds has been received.

Timeline of Events
Date

Description of event
The 1951 Refugee Convention, which is also known as the Convention Relating
to the Status of Refugees, was signed in July 28, 1951. This convention was the

July 28, 1951

backbone of a lot of issues related to refugee crises, as it defined what a refugee

was, the rights of individuals granted asylum, and the responsibilities of the
nations that granted asylum.
The estimated start of the Syrian civil war; it grew out of the unrest of the Arab
Spring in resulted in armed conflict against the government when there were

March 15, 2011

protests that called for the removal of the President. Current factions include the
Syrian government, Syrian rebel groups, Syrian Democratic Forces, jihadist
groups, and ISIL.

March 2012

The Kofi Annan Syrian peace plan, which had six points, was launched in March
2012, by the Arab League and the United Nations. This called for ceasefire, but
Research Report Topic| Page 5 of 8

Shanghai Model United Nations XVIII 2016 | Research Reports

was ineffective because it still resulted in many casualties. On August 2, 2012,

Kofi Annan resigned this plan.
UN-mediated Geneva Syria peace talks have been announced by the UN,
however, fighting remains unabated. This is also known as Geneva III, and was
February 1, 2016

intended to act as peace negotiations between the Syrian government and the
opposition in Geneva under the UN. This ended two days later, on February 3,
2016.

Relevant UN Treaties and Events

The 1951 Refugee Convention, effective April 22, 1954
Syrian civil war and cease fire (S/RES/2254)
Framework for Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons (S/RES/2118)
Establishes of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (S/RES/2043)
Conclusion on Protracted Refugee Situations (A/AC.96/1080)
Assistance to refugees, returnees, and displaced persons (A/RES/67/150)
Protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons (A/RES/66/165)

Previous Attempts to solve the Issue

The Brookings Bern Project on Internal Displacement, conducted by the Brookings Institution, is
primarily working towards guiding principles to help countries with their policies and laws regarding
internal displacement. They have also been promoting awareness of the relationship between internally
displaced persons and the war going on in the country, and are continually working to improve this.

Possible Solutions
The main issue with protracted displacement is to move away from a short-term solution and
focus more on a long-term solution. There are three main categories where the solution may be
assessed: political, humanitarian, and personal. Traditionally, solutions are focused on humanitarian
relief, which, while it may help refugees gain access to better living conditions, does not account for
protracted displacement. In addressing protracted displacement, joint humanitarian-development and
Page 6 of 8 | Research Report Topic

Shanghai Model United Nations XVIII 2016 | Research Reports

long term solutions must be considered. This includes multi-year development financing instruments to
gain funds for refugees and implementing other plans through government laws and policies. The
welfare of refugees should be met through the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and
collective outcomes must be met. Refugee hosting countries should also be more supported and
ensuring internal financial transfers are met to help these countries support displaced persons. Refugees
and internally displaced persons should be a part of development planning and localized systems that
benefit both host countries and refugees should be created.

Bibliography
Protracted Displacement. Forced Migration Review, University of Oxford Refugee Studies Center, Sep.
2009, www.fmreview.org/sites/fmr/files/FMRdownloads/en/FMRpdfs/FMR33/FMR33.pdf
Addressing Protracted Displacement: A Framework for Development-Humanitarian Cooperation.
Center of International Cooperation, New York University, Dec. 2015, cic.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/
addressing_protracted_displacement_a_think_piece_dec_2015.pdf.
Protracted Displacement. Forced Migration Online, The University of Oxford, Sep. 2009,
forcedmigration.org/research-resources/thematic/protracted-displacement-situations
Protracted Refugee Situations. High Commissioners Dialogue on Protection Challenges, The UN
Refugee Agency, Dec. 2008, www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=search&docid=492ad3782&
query=protracted%20refugee%20situations
Syria: The Story of the Conflict. BBC News, BBC, 11 Mar. 2016, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east26116868
The Syrian Refugee Crisis. U.S. Department of State, The Office of Website Management, 7 Jan. 2014,
www.state.gov/j/prm/releases/remarks/2014/219388.htm
The Syrian Refugee Crisis and Its Repercussions for the EU. Syrian Refugees: A Snapshot of the
Crisis, European University Institute, 2016, syrianrefugees.eu
The 1951 Refugee Convention. UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, 2016, www.unhcr.org/
1951-refugee-convention.html
Security Council Resolution 2254. United Nations Security Council Official Document. United Nations,
18 Dec. 2015, www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/2254(2015)
Quick Facts: What You Need to Know about the Syria Crisis. MercyCorps, Mercy Corps Europe, 16
June 2016, www.mercycorps.org/articles/iraq-jordan-lebanon-syria-turkey/quick-facts-what-you-needknow-about-syria-crisis
Research Report Topic| Page 7 of 8

Shanghai Model United Nations XVIII 2016 | Research Reports

Syrian Refugees and Other Affected Populations in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.
UNICEF: 70 Years for Every Child, UNICEF, 2016, http://www.unicef.org/appeals/syrianrefugees.html
Children and Youth. Womens Refugee Commission, The Womens Refugee Commission, 2016,
https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/youth

Page 8 of 8 | Research Report Topic