Syrian Civil War and the Refugee Crisis Tom Stephenson, Jonny Webb, Isaac Lual

Overview Case Study: The Danish Refugee Controversy Syrian War Syrian Refugees European Foreign Policy & UN Policy Media Coverage of Denmark’s Policy National Interest versuses Human Rights

Syrian Civil War - Background Pro-democracy protests erupted in March 2011 in the southern city of Deraa. The unrest triggered nationwide protests for President Assad’s resignation. As a result of this, the country descended into civil war, as rebel brigades were formed to battle government forces for control of land. By June 2013, the UN said 90,000 people had been killed in the conflict. A UN commission enquiry has evidence of war crimes such as murder, torture, rape and enforced disappearances. The UN has also accused the Assad regime of civilian suffering - such as blocking access to food, and water - as a method of war. The conflict is now more than just a battle between those for or against President Assad. Numerous countries have got involved, pitching the country's Sunni majority against the president's Alawites. The Islamic State has added a further dimension to the conflict.

Foreign Policy - Proxy War Russia - support the Syrian government. One of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most important international backers. Blocked resolutions critical of President Assad at the UN Security Council. Iran - support the Syrian government. President Assad is Iran's closest Arab ally. Believed to be spending billions of dollars a year to help President Assad and his Alawite-dominated government, providing military advisers and subsidised weapons. France and Britain - both support Syrian opposition. Since August 2011, Britain and France both insist, that the Syrian president has no place in Syrian settlement. USA - support Syrian opposition. Accused President Assad of responsibility for widespread atrocities and says he must go. Need for a negotiated settlement to end the war. The US supports Syria's main opposition alliance, the National Coalition, and provides limited military assistance to "moderate" rebels.

Refugee Crisis - Background Syrian population caught between different axis of powers - Assad regime, rebel groups and religious extremists Third of population displaced within Syria Over 4 million have fled in to neighboring countries (95% of the refugees) Leaders have accused the Gulf States of not taking in refugees. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE are not parties to the UN protocol which produces the statistics. UNHCR camps are overcrowded and under resourced leading many to seek asylum in Europe

European Foreign Policy - Refugees The ‘Dublin regulation’ – the first EU country a refugee arrives in is responsible for the the asylum claim Problematic for Greece (800k) and Italy (200k) Germany abandoned the ‘Dublin regulation’ and planned for 800,000 Syrian arrivals regardless of where they arrived Failed proposals from Brussels to implement asylum quotas for EU states. Opposed by Poland, Hungary & Czech Republic Rise of right-wing parties, views and governments oppose asylum of Syrian refugees

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) Article 3 Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Article 5 No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 14 Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

Rights of Refugees and The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) The 1951 Refugee Convention states that a refugee is someone who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.” The UNHCR has the responsibility to ensure that refugees are protected in their country of asylum and assist refugees by coordinating the provision of shelter, food, water, sanitation and medical care. Refugee camps set up in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraqi Kurdistan and Macedonia

Case Study: Danish Refugee Controversy On the 26th January 2016, the Danish government voted in favor of plans to seize assets from asylum seekers . http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35300262 Under this new law, border controls and police are allowed to search asylum seekers on arrival in to the country and confiscate any items worth more than 10,000 kroner (£1,000), that have no sentimental value. Lanes Lokke Rasmussen (Danish PM) has called for an end to the UN 1951 refugee convention. In 2005 the former Culture Minister Brian Mikkelsen said ‘ a medieval Muslim culture will in our homeland never be as valid as Danish culture, which has evolved on ancient Danish soil’ https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/CWE/CWE- TP-Duelund_en.pdf The move has been heavily criticised by government opposition and the UN High Commission for Refugees. Violates UN Article 17 1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. 2.No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Media Coverage of Denmark Considering 15 Anglo news outlets, none of them can be considered to endorse the actions of the new Danish law. Many draw on criticisms about the new law. Most make reference to The Holocaust and/or the Nazis. Coverage is more in-depth in the left wing press. Rasmussen says the law is the “most misunderstood bill in Danish history” (RT). Accusations of the media exaggerating the case. Political contest model (Gadi Wolfsfeld). Reflecting the dominant view of the public in the UK. Marginalised voices not heard (Only Aljazeera).

Danish National Interest vs. Human Rights The national interests in fact is whatever the state and its citizens are interested in (Donnelly, J., 2013): Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice, Cornell University Press Universalism versus cultural relativism. Culture relativists promote extension of cultural human rights than a new form of moral reasoning. Donnelly, contend, the transformation of national interests represented by the rise of liberals human rights policies is thus both a cause and consequence of both the domestic preferences of states and global human rights regime , mutually interacting to push policy in articular direction (Donnely, 2013).

Conclusions Refugee movements create domestic instability, generate interstate tension and threaten international security Dunne and Wheeler, 1999), Human Rights in Global Politics. Cambridge University Press. As the Syrian refugees crisis evolves more regulations and closures may be on the way. However it’s a European issue and not the responsibility of one EU country. The Danish Case has appeared in the news prominently but without hard opinion. However, the British press are keen to share views on asylum seekers to the UK. The political contest model would suggest that the media plays a significant role in shaping foreign policy. Human rights should play a part in foreign policy.

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