United Nations urges greater commitment to refugee resettlement

Info Migrants: United Nations urges greater commitment to refugee resettlement

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says less than five percent of refugees in urgent need of resettlement last year were moved to safety. The agency has repeated a call for governments around the world to offer more resettlement opportunities.

In 2019, more than 1.4 million people worldwide were in “urgent need” of resettlement, the UNHCR says. However, only 63,696 (4.5%) of those were resettled.
While the number or refugees resettled by the UN has increased slightly compared with 2018, the UNHCR said a huge gap remains between the number of places needed and those made available by governments.
“Resettlement is not a solution for all refugees but it is a life-saving measure to ensure the protection of those most at risk and whose lives often depend on it,” Grainne O’Hara, UNHCR’s Director of International Protection, said in a press statement….[read more]