Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUnifeed
GENEVA / UNHCR TRUMP COMMENTS
STORY: GENEVA / UNHCR TRUMP COMMENTS
TRT: 02:35
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 08 DECEMBER 2015 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Aerial shot, Palais des Nations
2. Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR:
“We have a very strong resettlement programme to the United States and the resettlement programme includes Syrian refugees, we’re talking about Syrian refugees today, and we’re concerned that the rhetoric that is being used in the election campaign is putting incredibly important resettlement programme at risk, that is meant for the most vulnerable people, the victims of the wars that the world is unable to stop.”
4. Med shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR:
“This is the most scrutinised population coming into the United States. It takes two years to go through all of the screening steps with the different agencies in the US system, before being admitted to the United States. And it would be a shame if this were put in to, if this were halted, at a time when we actually need the world to step up.”
6. Close up, journalist
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR:
“Our refugee programme is religion blind. It only, our resettlement programme selects the people who are most in need.”
8. Med shot, journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR:
“The US is the largest resettlement country in the world. That means it takes the most refugees in through resettlement every year, more than any other country. So, it’s contribution, it has been both a blessing to those people who are given the opportunity to restart their lives in the United States, but it also sent a signal around the world that this is one really important way that the richer countries in the world can contribute to sharing the responsibility of protecting and hosting refugees.”
10. Wide shop, journalists
11. Close up, keyboard
Inflammatory comments by US presidential candidate Donald Trump could put a United Nations programme to resettle Syrian refugees in the US at risk, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR.
Trump has been wildly condemned for calling for a ban on Muslims entering the US, saying there should be ‘a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on’.
Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for UNHCR, said, “We have a very strong resettlement programme to the United States and the resettlement programme includes Syrian refugees”, adding “we’re concerned that the rhetoric that is being used in the election campaign is putting an incredibly important resettlement programme at risk, that is meant for the most vulnerable people, the victims of the wars that the world is unable to stop.”
She also noted that Syrian refugees entering the US are rigorously scrutinised, with the security screening process to enter the US taking two years to complete.
She said It would be “a shame” if these programs were halted “at a time when we actually need the world to step up.”
UNHCR pointed out that the US is the largest resettlement country in the world, taking in more refugees than any other country. The agency also noted that this not only gives those most in need an opportunity to restart their lives but also sends a signal to other countries that they have a responsibility to protect and give a safe haven to refugees.
Download
There is no media available to download.
