Statement by Oleksii Goncharenko (Ukraine, EC/DA), the Chairperson of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, on World Refugee Day (20 June 2024):

“On the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe, and as we mark World Refugee Day, I call for a transformation of the refugee protection system from ‘a refugee in the system’ to ‘a system for the refugee’. We cannot simply observe and declare changes. Decisive action is required.

Forced displacement is never an easy decision, if ever a choice. Relinquishing one’s homeland is a jump into the unknown without any guarantees. Refugees meet numerous hazards on perilous routes across borders, in pursuit of security. And the challenges and consequences they face do not end once they arrive at their destination.

I call on the international community to work together to create a system focused on the needs of refugees, which promotes their dignified integration into society:

• We need to improve asylum procedures and ensure just decisions so that each case is considered fairly and efficiently.
• We must ensure that all refugees have access to basic rights and services such as housing, medical care, education, and employment. This includes developing support programmes for their integration and adaptation in host countries.
• We must protect migrants and refugees from the populist discourses which target them as the primary victims of hate speech, particularly during election campaigns. Antagonistic approaches will never provide a satisfactory answer to the policy and societal challenges, and the security concerns, experienced by member states.
• We must strengthen co-operation between countries, international organisations and NGOs by co-ordinating efforts and sharing resources to ensure effective responses to crisis situations.

World Refugee Day 2024 should be a reminder that any of us could one day be forced to leave our homes. We should pride ourselves that the Council of Europe, and its Parliamentary Assembly, provide the standards and tools which member states can rely on in upholding their international obligations in a fair, responsible and humane manner.”