P I M U N 2 0 1 6

Polaris International

Model United

Nations 2016

Polaris Solutions Enterprise

proudly present the first session of:

Background Guide

SPECPOL

21st 22nd and 23rd of April 2016

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Index

1. Letter from the Executive Board 3

2. Committee Know-How 4

3. Agenda Analysis and Scope 6

4. Critical Analysis and Possible Solutions 7

5. Reading Requirements 11

6. Final Outline 12

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Letter from the Executive Board:

Dear Delegates,

It gives us great pleasure to welcome you to this simulation of Polaris International Model United Nations Conference 2016. We look forward to being pleasantly surprised with some good quality debate, which, quite unfortunately, seems like a rare commodity today. At the very outset, we would like to make it clear that this study guide is fairly generic, and meant to point you in the direction of actual research and not to be used as the sole source of your preparation. Moreover, be warned that any reference to this particular document over the three days of the simulation will be met with a shrug. Thus, do come prepared with legitimate documents and research of your own, the links to some of which have been provided in this document itself. For those of you who are new to MUNing, fret not, you've just embarked on a wonderful journey of self-realization. So you must not be scared of speaking up, if you desire to make a point in the committee. We will try to accommodate any requests that you may have, in so far as our role as the Dais is concerned. We wish you the very best, and reiterate our hope for fruitful debate.

Best Wishes,

Suhaas Putta Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

Chairperson, SPECPOL Vice- Chairperson, SPECPOL

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Committee Know How

An asylum seeker is a person who has fled their own country and applied for protection as a

refugee.

The United Nations Convention on Refugees, defines who is a refugee and sets out the basic rights

that countries should guarantee to refugees. According to the Convention, a refugee is a person

who is outside their own country and is unable or unwilling to return due to a well-founded fear of

being persecuted because of their:

Ÿ RaceŸ ReligionŸ NationalityŸ Membership of a particular social group orŸ Political opinion.

Asylum seekers or refugees and migrants have very different experiences and reasons for moving

to another country. Migrants choose to leave their home country, and can choose where to go and

when they might return to their home country. Asylum seekers and refugees, on the other hand,

flee their country for their own safety and cannot return unless the situation that forced them to

leave improves.

Although many nations may support the idea of universal and inclusive citizenship, each of them

also fixes criteria for the grant of citizenship. However, in spite of restrictions, even the building of

walls and fences, considerable migration of refugees and asylum seekers still takes place. People

may be displaced by wars, or persecution, famine, or other reasons. Often they cannot legally

work, or educate their children, or acquire property. Many of the refugees and asylum seekers

remain as stateless people for many years or generations. Only a relatively few are eventually

granted citizenship.

Decisions regarding how many people can be absorbed and assimilated in a country poses difficult

humanitarian and political problem. Nations may not want to accept unmanageable number of

people or expose the country to security risks.

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Since 2011, a civil war in Syria has sent well over one million refugees across the nation's border,

with Lebanon and Jordan each receiving hundreds of thousands. The refugees themselves have

received much international attention and aid, but the governments that host them have also had

to endure the burden of so many exiles. In Lebanon, the assimilation of the Islamic refugee

population threatens the delicate balance between Christians and Muslims in that country (Eakin).

In Jordan, Syrian militants have been sneaking into the border camps to receive aid and supplies

before returning to Syria to perpetuate the violence. In response, Jordanian troops have been

posted outside the camps to prevent any refugees from leaving. These are just two examples of the

hardships that host governments may endure when they are suddenly besieged by asylum-seekers

from a nearby conflict.

Solutions to the challenges facing host nations are difficult to pin down because each country

enters a refugee situation with its own weaknesses and conditions, and no two refugee populations

present the same difficulties. The problem is largely in determining where the laws of the host

government and the needs of the native population should take precedence, and when

international law and the needs of the exiled masses come first. It should be kept in mind that

developed and developing nations alike host refugee within their borders. Developed nations,

though they may have the resources available to care for their refugee populations, can still see

economic, social, and political issues arise in response to an influx of displaced persons. Hence

the committee needs to explore the possibility of addressing the specific requirements of each host

nation, as doing so may improve conditions for refugees and hosts alike.

The problem of refugees and asylum seekers is an important one confronting the world today.

Borders of states are still being redefined by war or political disputes and for the people caught up

in such disputes, the consequences may be severe. They will lose their homes, political identities

and security, and be forced to seek refuge or asylum in other nations.

Deliberating on this agenda is a necessity, considering there are millions of refugees across the

globe who still have long to wait before any hope of a stable home. So even as the delegates MUN-

ch on their cookies and sip cups of coffee during the breaks, they must negotiate through informal

consultation. If you are bestowed with the responsibility of representing your nation, you surely

mustn't be a disappoint-MUN-t to those you believe in you.

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Agenda Analysis and Scope:

Rights of refugees and Asylum Seekers and mechanisms in place for their integration

and assimilation in host countries.

On the first glance of the agenda, the analysis made, can be three fold. The first segment concerns

the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, the second segment concerns with mechanisms and

processes in place for integration and assimilation, and while the conclusive third segment talks

about host countries.

st1 Segment: When we talk about rights of refugees and asylum seekers, we need to clarify on

several key points. Who exactly is a Refugee? And is there an internationally accepted definition?

What exactly is this refugee's reason to seek refuge? And so on. The same applies to Asylum

Seekers, though it's a generally accepted idea that Asylum Seekers have significantly different

reasons for seeking asylum. Then comes the part of Rights. International Human Rights

automatically take over, but will they be subject to the same national or local rights while residing in

a foreign country? Or will there be a significant roadblock in addressing the same?

nd2 Segment: Mechanisms and Processes in place for integration and assimilation might be

extremely different in various countries. While some are extremely tough, some are lax and

ineffective. The recent migrant crises in Europe has created a huge furor in the world spheres for

many reasons. Some of the reasons being centered around the ridiculously ineffective methods

being followed. While many reporters around the world raised their voices about this issue, most

of them agreed on the sad situation of a man being given the immigration interview date in early

2020, while he was allowed to stay in the country until then, since he isn't a citizen or a resident of

the country, how is he expected to survive up until 2020 from 2015, with no jobs or job

opportunities. Situations like these need to be tackled in the committee. There exists another

angle to this segment, where the burden of showing the basic requirements is put on the refugee/

immigrant, and they are most generally not in the state to meet these requirements after having

already risked their lives to get to the host country. If this wasn't quite an issue in itself, there also

exists the paradox of legalities, as no country actually has framework stating that refugees can be

turned down.

rd3 Segment: Though the world might choose to believe in the utopian concept of refugees, that

once they are integrated into the host countries, they will prosper, I beg to differ. Host countries

are just about any country around the world. While most European countries of late, have become

the most favorite destination for the refugees to flock to, there exists a grim possible angle to this

story. It is a widespread theory in academic circles that this is Europe's elaborate excuse to gain

access to cheap labor, and give its own manufacturing sector a huge push. While this does mean

that there will be employment opportunities for these refugees, but then again, who is it, who's

going to put a check to this process, should it turn dark? While there is no actual proof to back any

of all these assertions, there is widespread paranoia. It is upon the committee to either fuel the fire,

or douse it.

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Critical Analysis and Possible Solutions:

The committee is expected to take a hardline stance on definitions once accepted. Which in

essence means that initial motions should concentrate on defining the agenda specifically and

giving it a general direction of thought. To help this cause further, here are a few definitions as

listed out by Red Cross Australia. Please do keep in mind that these definitions aren't binding, and

yet they can be built upon.

1-Who is an asylum seeker, a refugee and a migrant?

Q) Who is an Asylum seeker?

Fact: An asylum seeker is someone seeking protection because they have a well-founded fear of

being persecuted for reasons of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of

a particular social group. An asylum seeker could also be someone who is fleeing other serious

human rights violations, including torture or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or

punishment. Not every asylum seeker will ultimately be recognized as a refugee, but every refugee

is initially an asylum seeker.

Q) Who is a Refugee?

Fact: A refugee is a person who has fled persecution, has sought protection and has been granted

refugee status. A refugee may be residing in a refugee camp waiting for an opportunity to return to

their home country, waiting for resettlement in another country, or may have been resettled in

another country such as Australia.

Q) Who is a Migrant?Fact: A migrant is a person who chooses to leave their country, generally to seek work, undertake

study or be reunited with family. They can return home at any time if things don't work out.1 1

Kaldor Centre, UNSW, Debunking Myths on Refugees and Asylum Seekers

2- What should be done to handle the mounting risk of crossing over rivers and other dangerous

routes to get into countries?

Increasing numbers of refugees and migrants using the less well known "Western Balkans route" to

reach Europe are facing growing risks, including abuse, violence, and accidents while walking

along remote train tracks. Some are registering for asylum in the Balkans while others headed

onwards, but both groups face mounting danger. Between 2012 and 2014 the number of people

registering their intention to seek asylum in the Western Balkans increased from 5,000 to 20,000.

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This year the numbers have risen still further, with over 22,000 asylum claims lodged in Serbia

alone in the first five months of the year, six times higher than in the same period of 2014. In May

alone, 10,000 new asylum-seekers were registered by the authorities. UNHCR says authorities

and civil society in southern Serbia are battling to provide basic humanitarian aid, registration and

accommodation for around 200 asylum-seekers that approach them every day for help, having

crossed the border from FYROM. The majority of people using this route are mainly from Syria,

Afghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea and Somalia. They mostly come via Greece, and with the recent surge in

sea arrivals there, the number of people undertaking this journey is expected to grow. UNHCR

has been advocating for improvements to the asylum systems in this region since the early 1990s as

existing capacities are inadequate for the scale of arrivals. It says the current situation is critical and

will require further support, including through joint efforts with the European Union, national

governments, and NGOs. The number of refugees and crossing the Mediterranean this migrants

year has now exceeded 300,000, including almost 200,000 people landing in Greece and 110,000

in Italy. This represents a large increase from 2014, when around 219,000 people crossed the

Mediterranean during the whole of 2014.

At the same time, some 2,500 refugees and are estimated to have died or gone missing migrants

this year, trying to reach Europe. This death toll does not include yesterday's tragedy off Libya

where numbers of deaths are still unconfirmed. In 2014 some 3,500 people died or were reported

missing in the Mediterranean Sea.

In 2015, more people have lost their lives in three separate incidents.

The Libyan Coast Guard carried two rescue operations on Thursday morning, seven miles off the

port town of Zwara. Two boats carrying an approximate total of 500 refugees and were migrants

intercepted and survivors taken to shore in Libya. An estimated 200 people are still missing and

feared dead. A still undetermined number of bodies were recovered and taken to shore. The

Libyan Red Crescent has been helping with the collection of the bodies. On 26th August'15 ,

rescuers coming to the aid of a boat off the Libyan coast found 51 people dead from suffocation in

the hold. According to survivors, smugglers were charging people money for allowing them to

come out of the hold in order to breathe. One survivor, Abdel, 25, from Sudan told our

colleagues, "we didn't want to go down there but they beat us with sticks to force us. We had no air

so we were trying to get back up through the hatch and to breathe through the cracks in the ceiling.

But the other passengers were scared the boat would capsize so they pushed us back down and

beat us too. Some were stamping on our hands." Another survivor, Mahdi, an orthopedic surgeon

from Baghdad, told us he paid 3,000 euros to get his wife and two-year-old son on the top deck.

15 August'15 , in a similar incident, the bodies of 49 persons were found in the hold of another

boat. They are thought to have died after inhaling poisonous fumes.

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In another incident, a rubber dinghy carrying some 145 refugees and ran into trouble migrants

when the person steering it made a maneuver that caused the dinghy to tilt dangerously to one side.

Some people fell into the sea and two men jumped into the water to rescue them. Panic ensued

and people began to jostle and shove and, as a result, three women were crushed to death on the

dinghy. Of those who fell in the water, 18 are still missing and believed to have drowned. The

survivors were rescued and taken to Lampedusa, including the two-month old baby of one of the

women who died. Most of the survivors are in critical condition, suffering from shock, cuts and

bruises.

Despite the concerted efforts of the joint European search and rescue operation under

FRONTEX, which has saved tens of thousands of lives this year, the Mediterranean Sea continues

to be the deadliest route for refugees and .migrants

Many of the people arriving by sea in southern Europe, particularly in Greece, come from

countries affected by violence and conflict, such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan; they are in need of

international protection and they are often physically exhausted and psychologically traumatized.

UNHCR appeals to all governments involved to provide comprehensive responses and act with

humanity and in accordance with their international obligations.While these numbers are overwhelming for the already overstretched capacity of single countries,

such as Greece, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Hungary, Serbia or Germany, they

are manageable through collaborative and coordinated responses at the European level. All

European countries and the EU must act together in response to the growing emergency and

demonstrate responsibility and solidarity.

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3- Suggestions made by Amnesty International and the like:

Eight ways to solve the crisis.

1. Opening up safe routes to sanctuary for refugees is one important solution. That means allowing

people to reunite with their relatives, and giving refugees visas so they don't have to spend their life

savings and risk drowning to reach safety.

2. It also means resettling all refugees who need it. Resettlement is a vital solution for the most

vulnerable refugees – including torture survivors and people with serious medical problems.Right now, 1.15 million people urgently need this lifeline. But so far, the world's wealthiest nations

are offering to resettle less than 10% every year. Amnesty estimates that 1.45 million refugees will

need resettlement by end-2017.

3. World leaders also need to put saving lives first. No one should have to die crossing a border, and

yet almost 7,000 people drowned in the Mediterranean alone in the two years since the first big

shipwreck in October 2013.

In May 2015, thousands of people fleeing persecution in Myanmar suffered for weeks onboard

boats while Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia bickered over who should help them.

States can stop this by investing in search and rescue operations and immediately helping people in

distress.

4. And whether they travel by land or by sea, people fleeing persecution or wars should be allowed

to cross borders, with or without travel documents. Pushing people back and putting up massive

fences only forces them to take more dangerous routes to safety.

5. All countries should investigate and prosecute trafficking gangs who exploit refugees and

migrants, and put people's safety above all else. Amnesty recently met survivors in South East Asia

who said traffickers killed people on board boats when their families couldn't pay ransoms. Others

were thrown overboard and left to drown, or died from because there was no food and water.

6. Governments also need to stop blaming refugees and migrants for economic and social

problems, and instead combat all kinds of xenophobia and racial discrimination. Doing otherwise

is deeply unfair, stirs up tensions and fear of foreigners, and sometimes leads to violence – even

death.

7. In Durban, South Africa, at least four people died, many were seriously injured, and over 1,000

mainly Burundian and Congolese refugees forced to flee after violence and violence and looting

broke out in April and May 2015.

8. The world has a very short memory. In the aftermath of World War II, most countries agreed to

protect refugees through the 1951 Refugee Convention, and through UN agencies like the 1

UNHCR.

1. h�ps://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2015/10/eight-solu�ons-world-refugee-crisis/

____________________________________

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Reading Recommendations:

Ÿ h�p://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=search&docid=5679451d6&query=syrian%20migrants

Ÿ h�p://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=search&docid=562a16326&query=syrian%20migrants

Ÿ h�p://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/03/dark-side-eu-turkey-refugee-deal-160309080433064.html

Ÿ h�p://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/03/refugee-crisis-eu-turkey-agree-proposal-160308021149403.html

Ÿ h�p://www.theguardian.com/commen�sfree/2016/mar/01/the-guardian-view-on-the-refugee-crisis-li�le-�me-le�-to-find-a-solu�on

Ÿ h�p://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646cf8.html

Ÿ h�p://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/11843234/Seven-proposed-solu�ons-for-the-EU-refugee-crisis.html

Ÿ h�p://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/02/refugees-economic-migrants-europe-rhetoric-160214130119808.html

Ÿ h�p://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/10000-refugee-children-missing-europe-160131164555450.html

Ÿ h�p://www.aljazeera.com/topics/people/migrants.html

Ÿ h�p://www.reuters.com/subjects/migrant-crisis

Ÿ h�p://www.reuters.com/news/picture/syrias-refugee-crisis?ar�cleId=USRTX11RE5

Ÿ h�p://www.reuters.com/ar�cle/us-germany-leadership-idUSKCN0VN0T3

Ÿ h�p://in.reuters.com/ar�cle/europe-migrants-merkel-idINKCN0WK2M9

Ÿ h�p://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/15/migrants/

PIMUN 2016 SPECPOL Pg. 12

Final Outline:In so far as the committee is concerned, The delegates are supposed to form a substantive ground before debating the pro's and con's of this concern. The reading recommendations are only coming after hours of careful reading and profiling, and we hope the delegates have a nice time in committee.

The Judging criteria is very simple. The Dais is going to be watchful and is going to recognize every move made by a delegate in the committee. The debate in this committee is bound to get very entangled in laws and bylaws, and in such cases, fret not. We will take measures to make sure that all delegates know what they are getting embroiled in.

Having said all this, be as imaginative as you can, and try to make steps towards coming up with solutions and foolproof ways to implement them. The agenda is actually very touchy, and a good read through the reading material is bound to make your eyes go teary. The problem is very real, and the questions still torment us as to why people still pick the hard way out, but we need to put it all aside and make sure that justice is not denied to anyone.

In the brightest day, and the blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship Evil's might, Beware my power, Green Lantern's light. – Green Lantern

All The Best. Happy MUNing.

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