Many EU member states could look to Jordan as an example of how to cope with refugees and migrants, said the Luxembourgish foreign minister on the second day of his working visit. Asselborn and his team returned to the Grand Duchy this week after visiting Egypt on Wednesday and Jordan on Thursday, where the veteran minister met with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman al Safadi in Amman.
Asselborn expressed criticism towards his European colleagues when comparing the situation in the EU to Jordan, saying: "There are countries in the EU with over 10 million residents, much like Jordan, who complain of the burden of taking in between 500 and 3,000 refugees. Here we have a situation where, among the 10 million people living in Jordan, you have 2.3 million Palestinians who have lived here for years, as well as 1.3 million Syrians who fled the war in their home country. You have to imagine the scale of this." He thanked his counterpart for the solidarity shown by Jordan by welcoming many Syrian and Palestinian refugees.
Asselborn went on to express his concerns regarding the UN aid agency engaged with Palestinian refugees, which currently finds itself in dire straits. The US under President Trump significantly reduced financial resources for humanitarian aid in the region, leaving just 45% of the required budget.
He said children in Gaza would not be able to attend school without aid from UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East). Equally no country would receive medical care without UNRWA, he said, pointing to the aid available in Jordan. Both Asselborn and Safadi underlined the importance for the international community to mobilise and strengthen financial support to UNRWA in order to allow it to fulfil its mission in the field.
"We in Luxembourg pay 4 million euros a year to UNRWA, by far the largest figure in relation to the population, but also in terms of absolute figures. The UNRWA is something that has been close to our hearts for decades, where we Luxembourgers are well placed to help."
But a larger issue looms - the peace process between Palestine and Israel. Asselborn's Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts confirmed that there was a willingness to pick up talks between the two parties. But the matter remains incredibly complex, added Asselborn. Both Asselborn and Safadi identified the colonisation policy practised by Israel, including the evictions of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem, as the main obstacle to an equitable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinians among themselves are also divided into different camps, with divergences on the subject. The United States will not intervene in the event of unresolved issues, according to Asselborn. US President Joe Biden has confirmed that the two parties are ready to sit down at the same table.
