(Interview by Abdullah Al Ghadawi; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)
The Coalition’s ambassador to France Monzer Makhous talked to Zaman al-Wasl about the Syrian refugees crisis in Europe, saying that two basic criteria rule the distribution of refugees to European countries, the first is the economic situation of the country, and the second is the demographic structure of the population in the country. Therefore, the higher the number of residents of a country, and the stronger the economy, the higher the number the country should accept of refugees.
Makhous thinks that European countries started to give attention to the Syrians’ crisis because they felt it had started to threaten their national security.
"Zaman Al Wasl talked to Makhous after an exhausting trip moving from Paris to Austria to Hungary to be close to refugees and their crisis and to have a better look at different political, legal and humanitarian aspects of their crisis.
Makhous revealed the European activities to accommodate the recent refugees’ flood, moves towards the reception of refugees, besides countries prepare for another wave of refugees. He stressed Europe cannot prevent Syrians today from entering its lands.
Q- What is the role of the National coalition in the Syrian migrant crisis?
The National Coalition has formed a committee to follow up the Syrian migrants’ crisis, and it was during the last meeting of the General Body, I was one of within the committee. I asked them about financial resources to finance the work of the Committee, but I was told that there was no pence. Therefore, I covered the cost of travelling myself and other issues in regard to migrants’ crisis.
Q- you have visited Hungary and directly seen the situation of refugees there, can you tell us about attitude from the refugees’ crisis?
* Hungary is governed by the of right-wing, racist leadership, and they claim that accommodating such a large number of Syrian refugees could affect their religious culture as most of the immigrants Muslims. In fact this attitude is immoral and racist, so they decided to throw the ball in the court of Germany and Austria through the transfer of migrants across buses and this is not reasonable, especially with more than 15 thousand refugees, and they are planning to put them in camps at Austrian borders, which would create a state of confusion for both Austria and Germany in order to organize work to process that large number of refugees within a very short period of time.
This prompted the Austrian government to take urgent action for refugees and provided about 600 beds for the children and women, which is remarkable moral and noble attitude of the Austrian government .
Q- is there any agreements between EU Countries on good treatment of of refugees?
* Certainly there are agreements to accept refugees, but these agreements are not obligatory because accommodating refugees is part of the national sovereignty, but there are attempts by countries such as Germany, Britain and France to accommodate the asylum seekers on the basis of "quota".
Q- What are the criteria for "quota" for each country to accept certain number of refugees?
* There are two criteria essential for the distribution of refugees to European countries, the first economic power of the country, and the second is the demographic structure of the country's population, according to these two factors refugees are distribution, so the higher the number of residents of the country, and the stronger the economy, the higher number of refugees it should accept.
Q- Have you acted at the European level in regard to refugees situation?
* Of course, there was last Friday a meeting with the ambassadors of eight European countries in Paris (Germany-Holland, Luxemburg- Finland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden). Almost all the time of the meeting was talks about the dimensions of the Syrian crisis was the subject of refugees in the most time. I told the ambassadors that the solution for the refugees problem need fundamental solution to the Syrian crisis and the Syria regime, and they had been promising for 4 years to support the Free Syrian Army with weapons and did not do anything. I told them also that they need to put pressure on countries like (Hungary, Macedonia and Bulgaria) in order to understand the situation of Syrian refugees and to open their borders and not to exercise racist and inhuman practices against refugees. Today, and under the current circumstances, actions and agreements must be taken within the European Union to accommodate the large waves of refugees, which is multiply due to hopelessness because of continuous genocide and destruction.
Q- What is your opinion in European countries in regard to terms of accepting people for asylum?
German, Austrian and the French attitude toward refugees have been very supportive and humanitarian, as well as Sweden as it had the bulk of the refugees, Netherlands has a good attitude as well from good positions, and Belgian is on the same direction. Today Finland intends to increase the number of accepted refugees to 30 thousand. Britain several days ago talked about 4000 refugees to be accepted. Today there are talks to accommodate tens of thousands, in fact there is a positive European interaction, and no one will be able to return Syrians back.
In summary, what are the countries which accept Syrian refugees?
*Germany, France, Britain, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Austria and Norway.
Q- Can you please explain what does the fingerprint in European countries mean?
* There are two types of fingerprint, one is for criminal registration, and the other for applying and assess the political asylum. In general, political asylum seekers have privileges, however in housing and daily living the two types asylum (political or humanitarian) are the same. Political asylum is for ten years and protection for a year, but the protection or recourse are renewed automatically.
Q- Some say that asylum in France is the worst for refugees, What do you say?
* In principle regulation to granting an asylum all European countries are close to each other with some differences. The situation in France that they do not provide applicants with accommodation until the asylum decision is taken, which might take from two to three months. There have been rumors about some Syrian political refugees sleeping in streets and parks,but after looking in depth to the matter, there was nothing like this, but we found about 26 people have no house. I contacted the French Ministry of the Interior and some humanitarian organizations, and we solve the housing problem within two weeks pending asylum decision, thereafter, refugees are granted health insurance and social support with card for free transportation within the city they reside, and almost half the rent of the house.
Q- What about work?
* Every refugees can work and looking for work himself according to their qualifications, but the country they live in is not obliged to find work for them. Opportunities for jobs vary from country to another.
Q- As you have been in the middle of the refugees crisis, What do you suggest in order to alleviate the tragedies of refugees stranded in transit countries?
* If any members of the Coalition’s Emergency Committee for Refugees wants to visit a country with high numbers of refugees, it is better to communicate with embassies in Ankara and consulates in Istanbul and talk to them about problems and solutions.
Also they must take advantage of the Syrian communities in European countries and seek their help for Syrian refugees. I met the Syrian community in Austria and Hungary, there was Syrian activists provided services to the Syrian refugees.
This is a very big crisis outweigh the potential of the coalition and there is a need to countries’ support. Today the Syrian disaster has been "internationalized" and we are weakest link among regional and international players. Therefore, these countries should think in the root of the crisis and find a solution according to the aspirations of the Syrian people and the revolution.
Q- Why the European countries started to get interested toward the Syrian crisis these days?
* Because the crisis has arrived to Europe, and they feel that this crisis could threaten their national security.
According to what Zaman al-Wasl obtained of unpublished data, there is an arrest warrant against Munzer Makhous in 2008 issued by the Division of the Political Security, and in 2014, there was a reminder to arrest Makhous by the General Intelligence Department.
The Coalition’s ambassador to France Monzer Makhous talked to Zaman al-Wasl about the Syrian refugees crisis in Europe, saying that two basic criteria rule the distribution of refugees to European countries, the first is the economic situation of the country, and the second is the demographic structure of the population in the country. Therefore, the higher the number of residents of a country, and the stronger the economy, the higher the number the country should accept of refugees.
Makhous thinks that European countries started to give attention to the Syrians’ crisis because they felt it had started to threaten their national security.
"Zaman Al Wasl talked to Makhous after an exhausting trip moving from Paris to Austria to Hungary to be close to refugees and their crisis and to have a better look at different political, legal and humanitarian aspects of their crisis.
Makhous revealed the European activities to accommodate the recent refugees’ flood, moves towards the reception of refugees, besides countries prepare for another wave of refugees. He stressed Europe cannot prevent Syrians today from entering its lands.
Q- What is the role of the National coalition in the Syrian migrant crisis?
The National Coalition has formed a committee to follow up the Syrian migrants’ crisis, and it was during the last meeting of the General Body, I was one of within the committee. I asked them about financial resources to finance the work of the Committee, but I was told that there was no pence. Therefore, I covered the cost of travelling myself and other issues in regard to migrants’ crisis.
Q- you have visited Hungary and directly seen the situation of refugees there, can you tell us about attitude from the refugees’ crisis?
* Hungary is governed by the of right-wing, racist leadership, and they claim that accommodating such a large number of Syrian refugees could affect their religious culture as most of the immigrants Muslims. In fact this attitude is immoral and racist, so they decided to throw the ball in the court of Germany and Austria through the transfer of migrants across buses and this is not reasonable, especially with more than 15 thousand refugees, and they are planning to put them in camps at Austrian borders, which would create a state of confusion for both Austria and Germany in order to organize work to process that large number of refugees within a very short period of time.
This prompted the Austrian government to take urgent action for refugees and provided about 600 beds for the children and women, which is remarkable moral and noble attitude of the Austrian government .
Q- is there any agreements between EU Countries on good treatment of of refugees?
* Certainly there are agreements to accept refugees, but these agreements are not obligatory because accommodating refugees is part of the national sovereignty, but there are attempts by countries such as Germany, Britain and France to accommodate the asylum seekers on the basis of "quota".
Q- What are the criteria for "quota" for each country to accept certain number of refugees?
* There are two criteria essential for the distribution of refugees to European countries, the first economic power of the country, and the second is the demographic structure of the country's population, according to these two factors refugees are distribution, so the higher the number of residents of the country, and the stronger the economy, the higher number of refugees it should accept.
Q- Have you acted at the European level in regard to refugees situation?
* Of course, there was last Friday a meeting with the ambassadors of eight European countries in Paris (Germany-Holland, Luxemburg- Finland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden). Almost all the time of the meeting was talks about the dimensions of the Syrian crisis was the subject of refugees in the most time. I told the ambassadors that the solution for the refugees problem need fundamental solution to the Syrian crisis and the Syria regime, and they had been promising for 4 years to support the Free Syrian Army with weapons and did not do anything. I told them also that they need to put pressure on countries like (Hungary, Macedonia and Bulgaria) in order to understand the situation of Syrian refugees and to open their borders and not to exercise racist and inhuman practices against refugees. Today, and under the current circumstances, actions and agreements must be taken within the European Union to accommodate the large waves of refugees, which is multiply due to hopelessness because of continuous genocide and destruction.
Q- What is your opinion in European countries in regard to terms of accepting people for asylum?
German, Austrian and the French attitude toward refugees have been very supportive and humanitarian, as well as Sweden as it had the bulk of the refugees, Netherlands has a good attitude as well from good positions, and Belgian is on the same direction. Today Finland intends to increase the number of accepted refugees to 30 thousand. Britain several days ago talked about 4000 refugees to be accepted. Today there are talks to accommodate tens of thousands, in fact there is a positive European interaction, and no one will be able to return Syrians back.
In summary, what are the countries which accept Syrian refugees?
*Germany, France, Britain, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Austria and Norway.
Q- Can you please explain what does the fingerprint in European countries mean?
* There are two types of fingerprint, one is for criminal registration, and the other for applying and assess the political asylum. In general, political asylum seekers have privileges, however in housing and daily living the two types asylum (political or humanitarian) are the same. Political asylum is for ten years and protection for a year, but the protection or recourse are renewed automatically.
Q- Some say that asylum in France is the worst for refugees, What do you say?
* In principle regulation to granting an asylum all European countries are close to each other with some differences. The situation in France that they do not provide applicants with accommodation until the asylum decision is taken, which might take from two to three months. There have been rumors about some Syrian political refugees sleeping in streets and parks,but after looking in depth to the matter, there was nothing like this, but we found about 26 people have no house. I contacted the French Ministry of the Interior and some humanitarian organizations, and we solve the housing problem within two weeks pending asylum decision, thereafter, refugees are granted health insurance and social support with card for free transportation within the city they reside, and almost half the rent of the house.
Q- What about work?
* Every refugees can work and looking for work himself according to their qualifications, but the country they live in is not obliged to find work for them. Opportunities for jobs vary from country to another.
Q- As you have been in the middle of the refugees crisis, What do you suggest in order to alleviate the tragedies of refugees stranded in transit countries?
* If any members of the Coalition’s Emergency Committee for Refugees wants to visit a country with high numbers of refugees, it is better to communicate with embassies in Ankara and consulates in Istanbul and talk to them about problems and solutions.
Also they must take advantage of the Syrian communities in European countries and seek their help for Syrian refugees. I met the Syrian community in Austria and Hungary, there was Syrian activists provided services to the Syrian refugees.
This is a very big crisis outweigh the potential of the coalition and there is a need to countries’ support. Today the Syrian disaster has been "internationalized" and we are weakest link among regional and international players. Therefore, these countries should think in the root of the crisis and find a solution according to the aspirations of the Syrian people and the revolution.
Q- Why the European countries started to get interested toward the Syrian crisis these days?
* Because the crisis has arrived to Europe, and they feel that this crisis could threaten their national security.
According to what Zaman al-Wasl obtained of unpublished data, there is an arrest warrant against Munzer Makhous in 2008 issued by the Division of the Political Security, and in 2014, there was a reminder to arrest Makhous by the General Intelligence Department.
Zaman Al Wasl
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