By Ilgin Karlidag
BRUSSELS
While Turkey continues to allow refugees from Syria to enter the country, the European Union is not doing enough to resettle them, according to Carsten Hansen, Director for Middle East at the Norwegian Refugee Council.
His comments came on Monday as members of the Committee on Development met at the EU Parliament in Brussels to discuss the plight of Syrian refugees and EU humanitarian relief.
''While countries neighboring [Syria] are restricting influx of Syrians, Turkey received more [refugees] in three days in September than entire Europe accepted in last three years,’’ Hansen said at the meeting.
Although Germany, Austria and Sweden announced in 2013 that all Syrians seeking asylum would be granted permanent residency, France and the UK have only resettled 500, he said.
On September 18, the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, conducted a large-scale offensive in the mainly Kurdish-populated town of Kobane in Syria.
The offensive resulted in more than 130,000 Syrian refugees crossing the border into southern Turkey between 19 to 22 September, raising the Syrian refugee population to around two million, according to officials.
'Concern' over aid
Claus Sörensen, Director General of the European Commission's Humanitarian aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO), said he wanted to pay tribute to Turkey for its handling of the influx of refugees and that the EU wanted to show "solidarity".
The European Commission – the EU’s executive body – announced on September 23 that it would increase its aid to Syria and neighboring countries by €215 million ($270 million).
The EU humanitarian assistance is channeled through partners such as the UN, NGOs and the Red Cross.
"The EU with its member states is contributing to the international response, almost €3 billion has been mobilised so far," Linda McAvan, Chair of the EU’s Committee on Development said.
"But nonetheless we are concerned that humanitarian aid for Syria is still lower than it should be and there are problems in getting the money out to those most in need," she added.
While the Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is asking the EU to take in 130,000 refugees, the 28-nation bloc has only pledged to take in 33,000, according to Sorensen.
Since the conflict began in 2011, 23,600 Syrians have sought asylum in Europe, not including Turkey, according to the UNCHR.
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