The Refugee Future

The lack of resettlement places globally feeds the smuggling industry and pushes desperate people to embark on dangerous journeys,” said Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland.

1.4 million refugees will need resettlement in 2019, according to new figures from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), but the number of places available do not match needs. The Norwegian Refugee Council calls for rich and mid-income countries to increase the number of people they admit for resettlement.

“The shocking lack of compassion and willingness among many rich and mid-income countries to take their share of responsibility and provide refugees with resettlement has resulted in a large and dangerous back-log,” he added. 

• The total number of displaced people globally continues to increase and has reached 68.5 million. Of these, 28.5 million are refugees and asylum seekers, while 40 million are displaced within their own borders. 
• Three countries, Turkey, Bangladesh and Uganda, hosted more than half of all new refugees last year.  
• In 2019, 1.4 million refugees will need resettlement. 
• Less than 1% of the world’s refugees are ever resettled.