Law to protect refugees, stateless persons proposed
Published Jun 24, 2018 11:28 am
By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Leila de Lima has sought passage of a measure that would protect the rights of refugees and stateless persons in the Philippines and prescribe a fair procedure for their status determination and eligibility.
Sen. Leila de Lima (PRIB Photo by Alex Nuevaespaña/ /Manila Bulletin File Photo)
In filing Senate Bill No. 1854, De Lima noted that despite the country’s history of hosting several waves of refugees, the country still lacks a law that sets a standard of determining the status of refugees and stateless persons.
“Refugees are a global phenomenon. In different parts of the world, large groups of people are forced to leave their home countries because of war, armed conflicts, and persecution. They are in search of safer places,” de Lima said.
The senator explained that though the Philippines has implemented policies that seek to address some of the challenges posed by the global refugee phenomenon and that of the stateless persons, it does not have a clear-cut procedure to determine their status.
“There is a need to enact a law to establish that central authority and institutionalize the status determination procedure for refugees and stateless persons,” she pointed out.
De Lima said the measure she filed is considered to be the first of its kind in the history of Philippine Congress, as there is no law yet created for refugees and stateless persons in the country.
This, despite the fact, the Philippines is a party to the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1967 Protocol, and the 1954 UN Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.
The senator noted that the Philippines, in the past, served as host to several waves of refugees. This includes the “White Russians” who fled Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution, the Jews during World War II, the Chinese in the aftermath of the Communist revolution, and the Vietnamese “boat people” after South Vietnam was taken over by North Vietnam.
“Throughout the history of refugees, one such place that was always considered as a safe haven is the Philippines,” de Lima stressed.
“In all instances, we have always provided them safe haven, ever true to our nature as a warm and hospital people,” she added.
During her stint as Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary, De Lima said she put forth the idea of sending ships to rescue 3,000 Rohingya refugees from the sea and provide them shelters as a humanitarian measure to avert a humanitarian crisis in the region.
Also last December, she expressed support to a draft resolution submitted to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) expressing serious concerns over the humanitarian crisis affecting Rohingya people in Myanmar, one of the world’s most prosecuted minorities.
The bill, to be known as the “Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Act of 2018,” proposes the creation of the Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Board (Protection Board) as the central authority to determine the status of refugees and stateless persons and their eligibility for protection.
The Protection Board is mandated to prescribe rules and regulations on how to deal with the application status of refugee or stateless persons while promoting programs for their protection.
The measure also seeks to strengthen the Philippines’ cooperation and coordination with the United Nations Human High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and other relevant institutions and agencies.
The Protection Board, she said, may seek the CHR and the UNHCR for their expertise, technical guidance and assistance.
It shall also inform the CHR and the UNHCR about relevant policies and programs pursued by the Philippine Government toward ensuring the implementation and compliance with the UN Conventions and the provisions of the proposed law.
The UNHCR said that as of June 2017, around 65.6 million people around the world are forcibly displaced worldwide and among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees.
The UN refugee agency also revealed that there are 10 million stateless people that have been denied a citizenship and access to basic rights including education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.
Sen. Leila de Lima (PRIB Photo by Alex Nuevaespaña/ /Manila Bulletin File Photo)
In filing Senate Bill No. 1854, De Lima noted that despite the country’s history of hosting several waves of refugees, the country still lacks a law that sets a standard of determining the status of refugees and stateless persons.
“Refugees are a global phenomenon. In different parts of the world, large groups of people are forced to leave their home countries because of war, armed conflicts, and persecution. They are in search of safer places,” de Lima said.
The senator explained that though the Philippines has implemented policies that seek to address some of the challenges posed by the global refugee phenomenon and that of the stateless persons, it does not have a clear-cut procedure to determine their status.
“There is a need to enact a law to establish that central authority and institutionalize the status determination procedure for refugees and stateless persons,” she pointed out.
De Lima said the measure she filed is considered to be the first of its kind in the history of Philippine Congress, as there is no law yet created for refugees and stateless persons in the country.
This, despite the fact, the Philippines is a party to the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1967 Protocol, and the 1954 UN Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.
The senator noted that the Philippines, in the past, served as host to several waves of refugees. This includes the “White Russians” who fled Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution, the Jews during World War II, the Chinese in the aftermath of the Communist revolution, and the Vietnamese “boat people” after South Vietnam was taken over by North Vietnam.
“Throughout the history of refugees, one such place that was always considered as a safe haven is the Philippines,” de Lima stressed.
“In all instances, we have always provided them safe haven, ever true to our nature as a warm and hospital people,” she added.
During her stint as Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary, De Lima said she put forth the idea of sending ships to rescue 3,000 Rohingya refugees from the sea and provide them shelters as a humanitarian measure to avert a humanitarian crisis in the region.
Also last December, she expressed support to a draft resolution submitted to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) expressing serious concerns over the humanitarian crisis affecting Rohingya people in Myanmar, one of the world’s most prosecuted minorities.
The bill, to be known as the “Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Act of 2018,” proposes the creation of the Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Board (Protection Board) as the central authority to determine the status of refugees and stateless persons and their eligibility for protection.
The Protection Board is mandated to prescribe rules and regulations on how to deal with the application status of refugee or stateless persons while promoting programs for their protection.
The measure also seeks to strengthen the Philippines’ cooperation and coordination with the United Nations Human High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and other relevant institutions and agencies.
The Protection Board, she said, may seek the CHR and the UNHCR for their expertise, technical guidance and assistance.
It shall also inform the CHR and the UNHCR about relevant policies and programs pursued by the Philippine Government toward ensuring the implementation and compliance with the UN Conventions and the provisions of the proposed law.
The UNHCR said that as of June 2017, around 65.6 million people around the world are forcibly displaced worldwide and among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees.
The UN refugee agency also revealed that there are 10 million stateless people that have been denied a citizenship and access to basic rights including education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.