Syria’s exodus isn’t a European problem. It’s the whole world’s

Natalie Nougayrède

As we watch the pictures of thousands of refugee families thrown on to Europe’s roads and trains, one thing must not be forgotten: the reason behind their exodus lies in Syria. The war in Syria is the worst humanitarian disaster of our time.

Syrians are now the largest refugee group in the world. More than half of Syria’s population of 22 million has been displaced – 4 million have fled abroad, mostly to neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. It’s important to keep these figures in mind: Europe has so far only taken in a small fraction of the Syrians forced into exile.

That’s why looking at the refugee crisis as a European problem is insufficient. Labelling it as a European issue is only a half-truth. Syria’s refugee phenomenon has taken on such a scale that it should be approached as global issue. Addressing it requires a far wider, international approach – of which Europe must be a part, but not only Europe.

What is needed is a major international rescue operation to help hundreds of thousands of Syrians resettle in developed countries. The UN general assembly in New York later this month is the right time and place to get such an effort under way. The UN must step up to the plate, not just the EU.

This is a message that has started to be sent out by a group of diplomats, former foreign ministers and UN envoys, and it should now be relayed by governments and civil society grassroots movements alike. The call, launched by the International Peace Institute, is for a “global rescue initiative” in which “all nationals fleeing violence from Syria” should be given “temporary protection status”. It would require creating reception centres in key regional hubs, setting out quotas of refugees that UN member states would be asked to accept, and mobilising commercial airlines and rich donors to help with transportation. A “solidarity fund” would support the effort, with contributions from states, corporations and private individuals.

The magnitude of the Syrian refugee crisis goes far beyond the EU’s plan for 160,000 refugees. It’s not only that this proposal fails to meet current needs: it fails to anticipate further tides of Syrian refugees as the war grinds on. Their number has grown exponentially over the past two years, and will likely continue to do so. There were 100,000 Syrian refugees in 2012. By 2013, there were 1.6 million. Now there are 4 million, of which only (yes, only) about 350,000 are in Europe. But the UNHCR assesses that at least 10% of Syrian refugees currently in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan will soon be “in severe need” as living conditions deteriorate: this amounts to approximately 400,000 people. Will Europe welcome them all?

The obvious answer is that the Syrian refugee problem must be internationalised. A global pledging conference should be organised by the UN general secretary, Ban Ki-moon. The refugee problem must become a UN focal point, not just a regional one.

There is a historical precedent for how this could be done. In 1979 an international conference was held in Geneva to address the Vietnamese refugee crisis in the South China Sea. At the time, pictures of overcrowded, flimsy boats attempting deadly crossings moved public opinion in such a way that governments were forced to react: not unlike what is happening now over Syrian refugees, with pictures of children drowned in the Mediterranean.

More than 60 countries represented at the 1979 Geneva meeting pledged to take in quotas of refugees or to contribute financially. This led to the largest UN-directed resettlement programme ever organised. Safe routes were laid out. Processing centres were created in neighbouring countries, and plane transfers were organised to the west, where refugees were able to build new lives for themselves. In that period the US – which obviously felt special responsibility because of the Vietnam war – took in half of those “boat people”. Canada, France, Germany, the UK and Australia shared most of the rest.

This time, large numbers of Syrian refugees are flocking to Europe because of its geographic proximity. But surely many of them would equally consider moving to other affluent parts of the world if doors were open to them and logistics provided for resettlement. Rich Arab countries in the Gulf area, who have taken in almost no Syrian refugees – and yet are playing a role in the conflict – should be taken to task to finance some of the effort. There is a growing list of prominent voices calling for more international mobilisation, including the pope and Hillary Clinton.

Of course, there are many refugees in the world, but Syria is a special case: the fallout from this crisis is incomparable to any other crisis. If this is not dealt with in a much more ambitious way, the risks of further radicalisation will increase. Just remember how the Taliban grew out of Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan back in the 1980s and 90s. Equally, Lebanon and Jordan will be destabilised. Add to that the fallout in Europe, where political fragmentation and xenophobic populism is bound to grow if the refugee question is seen as being laid solely on the EU’s doorstep.

There is no question that Europe must take its share of the burden, but Europeans should not be made to feel they are alone, in the west, in doing so./Guardian