‘Walls cannot deter migration to Europe’: PM at Rome conference

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Sunday participated in the Rome-hosted "International Conference on Development and Migration".

During the conference, organised by the Italian government at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni extended her greetings to His Majesty King Abdullah, and commended the "solid" state of Jordanian-Italian relations. Meloni praised King Abdullah's unwavering support for regional and global security and stability.

Addressing the participants, Khasawneh conveyed King Abdullah's greetings to the Italian prime minister and other heads of participating delegations. He expressed His Majesty's sincere hope for the success of the conference in reaching recommendations and decisions that would mitigate the challenges of migration faced by host countries.

Highlighting Jordan's remarkable efforts, the prime minister stressed that Jordan continues to provide vital services to Syrian refugees, offering them the same care it provides to its own citizens, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Khasawneh noted that Jordan is the largest host country for refugees relative to its population, hosting more than 1.3 million Syrians, with only 10 per cent living in refugee camps. Despite the severe economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian crisis, the Kingdom has remained steadfast in its commitment to provide dignified living conditions for these displaced persons, he said.

The prime minister stressed the importance of sustained international cooperation to address the far-reaching effects of the refugee and migrant crises. 

Hosting refugees has taken a heavy toll on Jordan and other host countries due to the alarming decline in international support, he said, adding “funding for Jordan’s response plan to the crisis in Syria has dropped to just 6.8 per cent this year, in contrast to the 33 per cent and around 64 per cent received in 2022 and 2016 respectively”.

Recognising the crucial role of the World Food Programme (WFP), he commended its efforts to meet the needs of refugees through “small but significant” grants for hundreds of thousands of refugees, at less than JD30 per month. However, he expressed concern that current funding levels are to become unsustainable as of September, leaving refugees at risk of increased hardship.

The prime minister emphasised that “investing in refugees is an investment in our collective security”. 

“Walls cannot deter migration to Europe,” he said, stressing the importance of creating conditions that encourage refugees to build dignified lives in neighbouring countries, until they are able to safely return to their home.

He cited UN figures showing an increase in the number of Syrians leaving Jordan for Europe through third countries over the past year.

He thanked the Italian government for organising the conference and praised the participation of European, African and Arab countries, as well as international organisations. 

On the sidelines of the conference, Khasawneh held meetings with the heads of several participating delegations. These discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between Jordan and these countries and exploring effective strategies to address common crises and challenges.