“Everyone should be able to assert their right to protection, as established by many international agreements”. This was said by archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the UN, as he spoke last night at the Third Committee of the 61st session of the general assembly of the United Nations in New York. The focus of the agenda was the Report of the UN High Commissioner for refugees. Although voicing his appreciation of the adoption of the "Conclusion on at-risk girls and women”, as well as other measures taken in this area, mgr. Migliore stated: “Protection needs far more than a good legal framework: cooperation and political willingness are as essential to make such framework function as it should”. Unfortunately, he added, "a certain deterioration of the legal concept of asylum is spreading, since some states prefer national legislations or bilateral agreements to the international legislation on refugees”. Mgr. Migliore noted that "access to asylum has become" for some reasons "more difficult" as well, and "such schemes are poorly funded", then he concluded: "A permanent solution to the problem of refugees”.
