Dutch urge swift action to help refugees

Date: 20/05/1999

By Gareth Harding

PRESSURE is mounting on EU countries to do more to help refugees fleeing the war-torn province of Kosovo as the crisis enters its third month.

At a meeting of justice and home affairs ministers next week, the Netherlands will urge member states to take "swift action" to harmonise national policies for the reception of displaced persons from the disputed region.

The Dutch government's proposal lays down a number of conditions for the reception of Kosovar refugees in EU countries. These include guarantees that member states will not force evacuees to return to their homes and that basic rights will be offered to all refugees across the Union.

However, Council of Ministers sources say The Hague's proposals are likely to be too far-reaching for most member states, many of which remain firmly opposed to the principle of 'burden sharing' even though Germany has repeatedly chided its EU partners for failing to honour promises to do more.

Acting Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner Emma Bonino is also suspicious of the concept. "Burden sharing is not an answer in every case," she told European Voice. "Each crisis has to be judged and approached on its own merit. In this particular case, we are faced with a refugee population which is particularly reluctant to move away from the borders of Kosovo."

At their last meeting in April, justice ministers rejected a proposal to set national quotas for admitting refugees in favour of providing protection within the region. However, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said that with the flood of refugees continuing unabated, "the question no longer arises of whether people should stay in Macedonia and Albania".

At next Thursday's (27 May) meeting, Bonn will again urge member states to accept their fair share of the burden and will press those countries which have already made numerical pledges to "stop dragging their feet". European countries have so far only taken in 30,000 of the 85,000 evacuees they promised to airlift last month.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has also weighed into the debate, urging European countries to speed up moves to take in refugees from Kosovo and send more money to support the agency's work in the crowded camps in the Balkans. "This is a European tragedy," said UNHCR chief Sadako Ogata. "It is essential that they bear a larger part of the burden."

The UN agency has accused European countries of only stumping up half the €140 million promised to help its work in the region and has warned that it is running out of money to help displaced people in the camps.

Keyword: Kosovo.