The Comprehensive Refugee Response

Framework (CRRF)
Submitted By

Manirujjaman Manir

A Research Paper submitted to the University of Applied Management Studies in

fulfilments of the requirements for a course work in MIB Module –

International Politics & Organization

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Lars Castellucci

November 2017

University of Applied Management Studies

Management in International Business

Mannheim, Germany

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Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................3
What is CRRF’s content?...................................................................................................................3
What is – in the context of the existing international refugee framework?...................................3
What is in the context of the new CRRF?.........................................................................................5
CRRF Global Digital Portal................................................................................................................6
Businesses contribution to providing refugees autonomy or Freedom..........................................7
Businesses contribution to providing refugee education and jobs..................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Abstract
It was started hundreds of years ago that people are moving from one place to another for
better survival. On the beginning it was only for food and safety. But nowadays millions of
people moving for a lot of other reasons. Some of them are for financial opportunities and
horizons, some of them for safety from armed violence, some of them for poverty,
persecutions, food insecurity, terrorism and also for human rights violations and abuses from
different circumstances. These people are called in two different names Migrants & Refugees.
But these name are given to them only when they move from home country to another one.
Migrants are those people, who cross the border legally and mostly for economic opportunities.
But when they are do not have other choice but leave the home country for unexpected reasons
like safety and health, are refugees. Sometimes they are welcomed and served nicely by the
host countries. But sometimes they face many crisis also in the host country. United Nations
(UN), who mainly works for human rights. For more than 70 years, UN is working for human
rights over 193 countries. UN has rules, regulations and frameworks to help the people. Every
time in a UN summit there are changes or adoption of rules, regulations and frameworks. In the
last decade for UN history, there was largest movement of refugees and migrants. Regarding
this, on 19 Sep. 2016, for the first time General Assembly arranged for a summit at the Heads of
the State and Government level (The New York Declaration) for a better international response.
The Declaration highlights the elements of a Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework
(CRRF) and also requests United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to engage
with all the States and stakeholders to implement this CRRF program.

What is CRRF’s content?

This framework contains with a comprehensive response designed to ensure immediate support
on reception and admission; ongoing assistants for health, safety and education; support to all
local institutions including nationals, who are receiving refugees; investment in development of
refugees and local communities’ livelihood and extend all kinds of opportunities for long term
solutions.

What is – in the context of the existing international refugee framework?

The existing international refugee framework was not a solution for refugees’ problem. But it
could be defined as a helpful guide to the principled effectiveness of measures which State may
take or contemplate. Over the last six decades, the UN convention of 1951, was developed to
give refugees the minimum protection. United Nations summit on July 28, 195, which was
related to refugees’ status, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention. And it could not be
underestimated, because during World War 2, almost 60 million people were served under this
convention for international protection of refugees. It also included the rights of the people,
who were granted asylum and the responsibilities of the hosting countries. It made the
regulation which people would not be qualified as a refugee, for example as war criminals.
There was always a question about a multilateral legal framework. The 1951 Refugee

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Convention and its subsequent 1967 protocol, which was signed by 142 countries was the
answer of this question.
Over the years, there were a lot of changes and new adoption to the International legal
Framework regarding the refugee protection. In below I am going to discuss some basics of the
existing framework.
Definition of Refugee
According to the 1951 convention, a refugee is a person who takes a move to another country
but his or her origin or habitual residence and unable to return due to an actual fear of
persecution on the basis of his or her religion, race, nationality or a political participation to a
particular social group. Those people, who fled in Europe before 1951, the convention of 1951
was restricted for them. But the protocol of 1967 removed this restriction and provided a
convention of global scope and opened time frame.
Recognition
When a person crosses an international border for the basic human rights, is technically
considered as an asylum seeker. After receiving an asylum seeker, hosting government is
primarily responsible for his or her registration and recognition as a Refugee. But if the hosting
country is unable or unwilling to do this, UNHCR does it for him or her to conduct status
determination. Before the recognition, the person had to face an interview to determine the
reason of his/her seeking of international protection.
Exclusion
The Convention of 1951 made a criteria of people, who has committed war crime or any non-
political crime in or outside of the hosting country, what is contrary to the Principle and values
of UN, would not be accepted as a Refugee. For example a murderer.
Loss of Status as a Refugee
During the initial assessment, if a refugee had lied of misrepresent the actual facts, may lose
his/her status. On the other hand, if a refugee commits any criminal activities in hosting
country, may also lose his/her status and then will face the domestic criminal legal
consequences.
Non-refoulement
According to the international human rights of International Court of Justice (ICJ), no person
should be forced to return to any place where he or she has a risk of persecution. Because, it is a
violation to the basic human rights. This is a rule of customary international law and nobody can
breach it in any circumstances.

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Regional Instrument
There are several legal instruments protecting refugees at the regional level. For example, the
1969 African Union Convention; the common asylum system in the European Union; and the
1984 Cartagena Declaration. The 1969 African Union Convention and the 1984 Cartagena
Declaration started with the principle of 1951 Convention and then customized specific laws
regarding the exigencies of conflicts emerging from the liberation movements in Central/South
America and Africa.
Durable Solution
The most supreme goal of hosting government and UNHCR has to be to find out a long-term and
sustainable solutions for refugees. There are generally three solutions for refugees: Local
integration, voluntary repatriation and resettlement.
If there is a significant better change in the circumstances of the origin country, the possibility of
safe return of asylum seekers may be assessed. In this situation, the UNHCR assists refugees to
voluntarily return home. But all the agencies who will assist this returning process, have to be
sure about the safety and dignity of the refugee. On the other hand, if the situations are
favorable and the hosting governments agree, refugees could be integrated locally in to the
hosting communities and considered for citizenship.

What is in the context of the new CRRF?

The elements or context of the new CRRF are actually elaboration in the New York Declaration
depending on the experience of more than 65 years refugee protection, humanitarian, search
for solutions. It was a historical opportunity to come up with all together for a better
international response. The new CRRF contains with some commitments, what are accepted by
all 193 countries. In below I am going to discuss about these commitments:
 Every refugee and migrants has the rights to be treated fair and equally, should not be
any discrimination for their gender, race and origin. Mostly in the refugee camp, women
and girls are abstracted by the circumstances from various basic human rights, for
example health, education and freedom. But in this summit everyone promised to
provide women and girls their full and equal basis human rights.
 Education is one of the basic human rights. But in reality, only a small number of children
have the chance of receiving education as a refugee. Sometimes it takes years for a
refugee child to start receiving education. But according to the New York Declaration,
every hosting country has ensure that all the refugee and migrants children are receiving
proper education in very short after arriving.
 There are thousands of news around the world that refugees are victimizing sexual
harassment and gender-based violence. But CRRF represents of prevention and very fast
legal respond to this occurrences.

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  When a country is receiving and hosting large number of refugees, it has to be
supported by all other countries to better protection for them. And it is one of the most
important commitment of CRRF.
 According to CRRF, every nation should try to stop practicing of detaining children for
the purpose of determining their migration status.
 Refugees and Migrants people could be very productive to the economic and social
development for the hosting country. There are a lot of examples of that. That’s why the
hosting countries should enhance positive awareness for refugees and migrants that
they would not be counted as burden for the nation.
 Those nations who are most affected and needed initial assistances, should be helped by
others through innovative multilateral financial solutions and also should improve the
delivery process of humanitarians.
 When there is a large number of movements of refugees and migrants, all member
states, NGOs, civil society partner, and all department of NU should implement a
comprehensive refugee respond in a proper scale.
 Build up new accommodation for identified refugees and also find resettlement for
them. On the other hand extend new effective opportunities for refugees to relocate
them to other countries through education schemes and other productive mobility’s.
 Bring all the International Organizations, who work for migration under United Nations
system and work together for most effective refugee protection ever.

CRRF Global Digital Portal

CRRF designed an online portal for greater information sharing, synchronizing information
between organizations, encourage others by showing the gaps and needs and also the possible
solutions to fulfill the needs. It is called CRRF Global Digital Portal. This tool represents an exact
clearer depiction on countries and regional situations.
Features
 CRRF global digital portal is an online server for information sharing. But it is not a
website for every common people that can access.
 It is a place of all information regarding CRRF and its implementations in one place. Every
authorized organization can access information’s, documents and contacts regarding
CRRF.
Reasons behind designing
 Providing a complete picture of CRRF and its implementation
 Support governments and related organizations for future planning.
 Increase stakeholder’s motivators and trust; also provide relevant and consistent
information.

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Authorized Organizations for CRRF global digital portal
Mainly these are the Organizations who has the authorization for using this portal:
 All national and local authorities of hosting countries
 UN Agencies and all other international organizations
 NGOs, who are working on the ground for humanitarian and development including
NGO consortia
 International financial institutions for example World Bank.
 Regional Organization for example IGAD
 Related private sectors
 Civil society partners, for example educational institutions

Businesses contribution to providing refugees autonomy or Freedom

Business is the core of financial strength. And that’s why business organizations can play a great
role in the migration and refugee crisis. Recognizing the potential refugees offer and welcoming
the in to the workforce, business organization can help refugees to gain their freedom. Because
by providing works and jobs, they can ensure economical solutions of refugees. Companies can
provide financial support to UN Agencies, funds and programmers, as well as to other partners
responding to the refugee crisis. Business organizations can make direct financial donation to
refugee education, health care and accommodation. Refugee crisis could be solved by a
companies’ core business operations, human resources hiring practices, sourcing policies ,
supply chains, as well as the development of appropriate products and services for refugees.
Private organizations can join governments, civil society organizations, UN entitles to act
collectively to find out refugee crisis and also a long-term relationship for sustainable
development.

Businesses contribution to providing refugee education and jobs

According to the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and also 191 Refugee convention,
education is a basis human rights. But only 2% of international humanitarian aid allocated to
educations. Nowadays some business leaders are helping refugees to find a solution for their
educational crisis. UN bodies, NGOs and other international nongovernmental organization
(INGOs) are trying to find solutions for access to education and struggling to address the
increasing needs. They can make direct investment to the local and national communities to
build up school, college and other educational institutions. There are a lot companies, who has
vocational training center. They can offer refugee children or young to get vocational training,
what will help them to overcome their crisis. Refugee young, who are merit willing to study,
often get scholarships, internships, and educational opportunities by different business
organizations. So it is clear that nowadays business plays a great contribution to refugee
education. On the other side, Business can play a vital role in helping address the refugee crisis.
Creating jobs for refugees raising the productivity, stimulating international and investment,
increasing innovation, corporations can ensure job facilities for refugees. According to the
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international Monetary Fund, investing €1 in welcoming refugees can yield nearly €2 in
economic benefits within five years.

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References
 Business.un.org. (2017). Business Action Pledge in Response to the Refugee
Crisis. [online] Available at: https://business.un.org/pledge_refugee_crisis
[Accessed 5 Nov. 2017].
 Chu, B. (2015). Refugees do contribute to the economies of their new homes.
[online] The Independent. Available at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/evidence-shows-that-refugees-
contribute-to-the-economies-of-their-new-homes-10499122.html [Accessed 4
Nov. 2017].
 Crrf.unhcr.org. (2016). CRRF Frequently Asked Questions. [online] Available
at: http://crrf.unhcr.org/en/faq/ [Accessed 4 Nov. 2017].
 Lee, M. (2015). Education without borders: teaching Syria's lost generation.
[Online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-
business/2015/aug/19/syria-refugee-crisis-education-teaching-lost-generation-
children [Accessed 4 Nov. 2017].
 Newsdeeply.com. (2017). International Legal Framework — Background —
Refugees Deeply. [online] Available at:
https://www.newsdeeply.com/refugees/background/international-legal-
framework [Accessed 4 Nov. 2017].
 Refugees and Migrants. (2016). New York Declaration. [online] Available at:
http://refugeesmigrants.un.org/declaration [Accessed 4 Nov. 2017].
 Refugees, U. (2017). Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework. [online]
UNHCR. Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/comprehensive-refugee-response-
framework-crrf.html [Accessed 5 Nov. 2017].
 Un.org. (2016). United Nations Official Document. [online] Available at:
http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/71/1 [Accessed
5 Nov. 2017].
 World Economic Forum. (2017). What can business do to help refugees?.
[online] Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/10/what-can-
business-do-to-help-refugees/ [Accessed 5 Nov. 2017].