BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Amnesty International on Monday called on Argentina to implement a plan to welcome Syrian refugees fleeing their country’s civil war.
President Mauricio Macri has said he intends to allow more than 3,000 Syrian refugees to resettle in the South American country, but so far the plan has stalled. Organizations and members of the Argentina’s Syrian community are pressuring Macri’s government to keep its promise.
“I think the Argentine state has the good intention to help in this humanitarian crisis, but it is limited [by resources]. But for us, the economic excuse is not valid,” said Leah Tandeter, head of international justice for Amnesty International’s local branch.
The rights organization on Monday displayed a replica of a Syrian home in a busy subway stop of the Argentine capital. Images of bombings were projected on screens on its windows in an effort to call attention to the more than four million Syrians who have sought refuge abroad since civil war erupted in 2011.
World leaders gathered at the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week will discuss the fate of the world’s 65.3 million displaced people at the first summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants.