Northern, Western, Central and Southern Europe
2015 year-end information on the Northern, Western, Central and Southern Europe subregion is presented below. A summary of this can also be downloaded in PDF format. This subregion covers the following countries:
| Andorra | Austria | Belgium | Bulgaria | Croatia | Cyprus | Czech Republic | Denmark | Estonia | Finland | France | Germany | Greece | Holy See (the) | Hungary | Iceland| Ireland | Italy | Latvia | Liechtenstein | Lithuania | Luxembourg | Malta | Monaco |Netherlands (the) | Norway |Poland | Republic of Moldova (the) | Portugal | Romania |San Marino | Slovakia | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the) |
Subregion: Northern, Western, Central and Southern Europe
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Latest update of camps and office locations 13 Jan 2016. By clicking on the icons on the map, additional information is displayed.
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Budgets and Expenditure in Subregion Northern, Western, Central and Southern Europe
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2015
{"categories":[2012,2013,2014,2015],"budget":[54.63938242,63.26919003,68.06467853,110.92231352],"expenditure":[39.96859563,50.03311406,53.1706932,82.16008297]}
{"categories":[2012,2013,2014,2015],"p1":[51.61922791,59.15260142,64.25408379,104.603939475],"p2":[3.02015451,4.11658861,3.81059474,5.127210913],"p3":[null,null,null,1.191163132],"p4":[null,null,null,null]}
{"categories":[2012,2013,2014,2015],"p1":[37.52905013,46.80158789,50.31378371,77.86368722],"p2":[2.4395455,3.23152617,2.85690949,3.24322882],"p3":[null,null,null,1.05316693],"p4":[null,null,null,null]}
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People of Concern - 2015
[["Refugees",1450479],["Refugee-like situation",11750],["Asylum-seekers",1075781],["Stateless",422156],["Others of concern",6085]]Loading ...
Response in 2015
The operational context in Europe changed dramatically for UNHCR during 2015. Persecution, conflict and poverty forced more than 1 million people to flee to Europe by sea.The three main counties of entry were Greece (84 per cent), followed by Italy (15 per cent) and Spain (1 per cent). It is estimated that nearly half of those crossing the Mediterranean in 2015 were Syrian (498,370; 48 prer cent), followed by Afghans (210,338; 20 per cent) and Iraqis (89,395; 9 per cent).
In response to this critical situation, UNHCR launched an emergency response, to support and complement government efforts. Aid and more than 600 emergency staff were deployed to 20 different locations to provide life-saving assistance and protection, and advocating for human rights and access to asylum, particularly for refugees with specific needs.
In cooperation with the European Commission, EASO and FRONTEX, UNHCR played a catalytic role in inspiring policy initiatives and promoting access to protection in Europe, notably through safe alternative legal pathways.
UNHCR also continued its efforts to address and prevent statelessness in Europe. In 2015, Italy acceded to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Operations
The situation of refugees and migrants in Europe reached a critical point in 2015. UNHCR continued to cooperate with relevant government counterparts, European Union institutions and agencies, international partners, non-governmental organizations, volunteer groups and local communities to respond to the situation, focusing on: providing emergency and life-saving assistance; strengthening coordination structures; conducting protection monitoring, critical incident reporting and advocacy; providing appropriate advisory, technical and functional support to government authorities; and capacity building, particularly in terms of emergency response.The Austrian and German asylum systems were seriously challenged by the continued sharp increase in numbers of asylum-seekers. In Germany UNHCR continuously advocated for preserving the open admission policy. In Austria, UNHCR launched a training handbook for interpreters assisting the asylum application process and organized training for more than 110 officials and decision makers of the first instance authority, as well as judges of various courts involved in asylum cases.
In the Baltic States access to territory and asylum was further improved through border monitoring and capacity building of border guards. As the Baltic States agreed to participate in the EU resettlement scheme, UNHCR supported government efforts to develop comprehensive integration programs by providing technical refugee status determination support, launching a study on refugee integration opportunities and challenges in Latvia, and through public advocacy on the importance of establishing refugee integration programs. UNHCR further strengthened its presence in the region through the establishment of a Liaison Office in Estonia.
In Belgium, in the context of the transposition of recast of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) instruments, UNHCR analysed several draft legislations and met with different government counterparts to initiate a dialogue on the subject.
In Central Europe, UNHCR, promptly stepped up its operational presence, established 24/7 border monitoring and provided support to the Government and civil society organizations to respond effectively to the most urgent humanitarian and protection needs of refugees and migrants transiting through Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia. More than 800,000 people passed through these countries and many required urgent interventions and support from UNHCR, including to restore family unity and to meet their basic needs. In parallel, UNHCR worked with governments to strengthen asylum systems and advocated for alternatives to detention.
In Cyprus important progress was achieved with respect to naturalization; more refugees acquired citizenship in 2014 and 2015 than the previous five years combined.
Positive results were achieved in expanding resettlement to Finland, Iceland and Norway. The quality of status determination procedures was enhanced through: increased convention refugee recognition rates in Finland; improvement of RSD processes in Iceland; and in Lithuania by implementing quality assurance tools, which supported decision-making and led to higher refugee recognition rates.
In Italy UNHCR continued to advocate for protection-sensitive access to territory; search and rescue capacity as a joint undertaking by the EU; assistance with reception; and increased operational support to distribution and relocation of asylum-seekers and refugees. UNHCR prioritized assistance to persons of concern with specific needs. The reception system for unaccompanied and separated children was reformed, and reception capacity was increased.
In Malta important progress has been achieved with respect to naturalization: In 2014 and 2015 more refugees have acquired citizenship than in the previous five years combined.
In Luxembourg UNHCR significantly influenced the adoption of an overall favourable law on reception conditions.
In the United Kingdom UNHCR continued collaborating with the Government to improve the quality of refugee status determination. Supported by partners, UNHCR provided the authorities with capacity development training to enable them to better identify victims of SGBV during screening and registration and refer them to available services.
In Spain, asylum space in the enclaves was strengthened through UNHCR presence and the opening of government asylum offices in Melilla.
In response to the exceptionally high number of unaccompanied and separated children in Sweden and Norway, UNHCR organized a regional seminar on child’s right provide guidance to child protection actors.
In France UNHCR continued its engagement with the authorities to improve reception conditions and humanitarian assistance, particularly in Calais and surrounding areas, and worked to increase public awareness of and sensitization for refugee matters. The Office also contributed to the reform of the asylum law, which was introduced in mid-2015.
Operational Environment and Strategy
The number of asylum applications received in 2014 in European Union (EU) Member States has risen by 25 per cent compared to the same period in 2013. A quarter of the applicants are of Afghan, Eritrean or Syrian origin, and a similar proportion are under 18 years of age. There have also been many more asylum applications from stateless people with an estimated total of 436,000 people across the European Union. Germany continues to be the main recipient of asylum applications, followed by France, Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom.The economic situation in the region has had an impact on the capacity and readiness of many countries to strengthen their protection systems. Austerity measures have also hit civil-society organizations that provide services to asylum-seekers and refugees. Xenophobia and intolerance have led to incidents of discrimination and violence. States have responded by concentrating on curbing irregular movements, including through tighter border controls and detention, or penalization for illegal entry.
The Office continues to be particularly concerned about reports that some EU countries are placing barriers to entry or forcibly returning asylum-seekers and refugees.
In April 2014, the European Union adopted the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, representing a commitment of over EUR 3 billion for the next seven years (2014-2020).
In this context, UNHCR’s work in the subregion will also focus on:
- Assisting and supporting governments to build and maintain fair and efficient asylum and protection systems;
- Ensuring border management is more protection-sensitive. The Office will promote alternatives to detention. It will also advocate for reception conditions that meet minimum international standards;
- Promoting responsibility-sharing among EU Member States, complementing the efforts of the European Commission and the European Asylum Support Office (EASO);
- Promoting community participation and preventing and responding to incidents of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV);
- Advocating for more resettlement places and enhancing integration capacity in resettlement countries;
- Urging States to accede to the 1954 and 1961 UN Statelessness Conventions, improving mechanisms to identify and protect stateless people and preventing and resolving situations of statelessness; and
- Supporting EU policy-making processes related to people of concern and mobilizing regional political and financial support for UNHCR’s work worldwide.
Response and Implementation
Asylum and protectionIn 2015, one of UNHCR’s priorities will be to ensure the safeguarding of asylum space. To prevent deaths at sea, the organization will work with European States towards more concerted action.
UNHCR offices in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the United Kingdom will follow up on measures in respect of the Response to Vulnerability project. Standard operating procedures will be instituted in reception centres to respond to SGBV.
The Office will pursue efforts to build and maintain an effective asylum and protection system. Since 2013, UNHCR and the Government of Albania have worked in close collaboration to ensure the safe arrival of more than 240 former residents of the Hurriya temporary transit location (ex-Ashraf) in Iraq who are in need of international protection, and will continue working on durable solutions for this refugee group.
UNHCR will also work to assure reception conditions and procedures that are adequate for responding to asylum-seekers’ specific needs and maintaining their dignity. UNHCR and UNICEF are developing guidance on how States can ensure respect for the best interests of unaccompanied children in Europe.
In line with the organization’s global Beyond Detention strategy, rolled out in Hungary, Lithuania, Malta and the United Kingdom, the Office will promote alternatives to detention, as well as the release of children held and improvements in detention conditions.
Comments on legislation in the context of the transposition of the asylum acquis, comparative analyses and judicial engagement, will allow UNHCR to contribute to the setting of national and regional legal standards. It will implement quality audit mechanisms and participate in some national asylum procedures, such as those in France, Italy and Spain.
Durable solutions
Despite 22 out of 36 countries contributing to UNHCR’s resettlement efforts in some capacity, the number of resettlement places for the region remain limited.
In order to enhance reception and integration capacities and improve refugees’ local integration prospects, the Office will work to raise awareness of the integration challenges facing 1.6 million refugees in the region and to promote good practice in labour market integration, housing and the building of social and professional networks.
UNHCR will use the opportunity of its 10-year campaign to end statelessness to advocate for more EU Member States to accede to the 1954 and 1961 UN Statelessness Conventions. The organization will encourage and support States to adopt national action plans to address statelessness, conduct public awareness activities and advocate for a formal identification and protection mechanism for stateless people be established in countries that lack one.
The Office will continue to advocate for law reform preventing statelessness at birth or later in life, and the facilitation of naturalization. Cooperation with the European Network on Statelessness will continue.
2015 Budget and Expenditure in Northern, Western, Central and Southern Europe | USD
| Operation | Pillar 1 Refugee programme |
Pillar 2 Stateless programme |
Pillar 3 Reintegration projects |
Pillar 4 IDP projects |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium Regional Office | Budget Expenditure | 14,280,960 11,246,544 | 2,054,558 1,925,245 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 16,335,518 13,171,790 |
| Hungary Regional Office | Budget Expenditure | 20,601,408 15,441,686 | 1,702,007 301,783 | 1,191,163 1,053,167 | 0 0 | 23,494,579 16,796,637 |
| Italy Regional Office | Budget Expenditure | 39,460,925 32,404,465 | 177,949 134,097 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 39,638,874 32,538,562 |
| Sweden Regional Office | Budget Expenditure | 4,518,289 2,278,669 | 965,440 659,958 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 5,483,728 2,938,627 |
| Regional activities | Budget Expenditure | 25,742,357 16,492,322 | 227,257 222,146 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 25,969,614 16,714,468 |
| Total | Budget Expenditure | 104,603,939 77,863,687 | 5,127,211 3,243,229 | 1,191,163 1,053,167 | 0 0 | 110,922,314 82,160,083 |
2015 Voluntary Contributions to Northern, Western, Central and Southern Europe | USD
| Earmarking / Donor | Pillar 1 Refugee programme |
Pillar 2 Stateless programme |
All pillars |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium Regional Office | ||||
| Austria | 302,920 | 0 | 35,493 | 338,413 |
| Belgium | 79,955 | 0 | 0 | 79,955 |
| France | 735,758 | 0 | 0 | 735,758 |
| Germany | 0 | 0 | 501,777 | 501,777 |
| Ireland | 254,710 | 0 | 0 | 254,710 |
| Luxembourg | 0 | 0 | 10,204 | 10,204 |
| Private donors in Ireland | 0 | 0 | 1,125 | 1,125 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 297,823 | 0 | 0 | 297,823 |
| Belgium Regional Office subtotal | 1,671,165 | 0 | 548,599 | 2,219,764 |
| Hungary Regional Office | ||||
| Croatia | 0 | 0 | 24,957 | 24,957 |
| Czech Republic | 0 | 0 | 40,000 | 40,000 |
| Hungary | 0 | 0 | 200,000 | 200,000 |
| Poland | 0 | 0 | 70,000 | 70,000 |
| Private donors in Sweden | 14,886 | 0 | 0 | 14,886 |
| Romania | 0 | 0 | 160,000 | 160,000 |
| Hungary Regional Office subtotal | 14,886 | 0 | 494,957 | 509,843 |
| Italy Regional Office | ||||
| European Union | 4,030,113 | 0 | 0 | 4,030,113 |
| Germany | 2,163,173 | 0 | 0 | 2,163,173 |
| International Organization for Migration | 16,984 | 0 | 0 | 16,984 |
| Italy | 4,725,735 | 0 | 196,275 | 4,922,009 |
| Malta | 44,893 | 0 | 0 | 44,893 |
| Netherlands | 675,000 | 0 | 0 | 675,000 |
| Private donors in Germany | 0 | 0 | 1,092,896 | 1,092,896 |
| Private donors in Greece | 43,860 | 0 | 0 | 43,860 |
| Private donors in Italy | 16,575 | 0 | 0 | 16,575 |
| Private donors in Japan | 7,641 | 0 | 0 | 7,641 |
| Private donors in Spain | 260,061 | 0 | 0 | 260,061 |
| Private donors in Sweden | 131,013 | 0 | 0 | 131,013 |
| Private donors in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 15,152 | 0 | 0 | 15,152 |
| Private donors in the United States of America | 656,048 | 0 | 0 | 656,048 |
| Republic of Korea | 0 | 0 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 |
| Spain | 416,884 | 0 | 359,477 | 776,361 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 514,403 | 514,403 |
| UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | 200,293 | 0 | 0 | 200,293 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 5,605,089 | 0 | 0 | 5,605,089 |
| WFP | 42,165 | 0 | 0 | 42,165 |
| Italy Regional Office subtotal | 19,050,678 | 0 | 3,663,051 | 22,713,729 |
| Regional activities | ||||
| Austria | 0 | 0 | 15,211 | 15,211 |
| European Union | 1,205,654 | 0 | 0 | 1,205,654 |
| Private donors in Italy | 24,018 | 0 | 0 | 24,018 |
| Private donors in Japan | 435,912 | 0 | 0 | 435,912 |
| Private donors in Spain | 194,247 | 0 | 0 | 194,247 |
| Regional activities subtotal | 1,859,830 | 0 | 15,211 | 1,875,041 |
| Sweden Regional Office | ||||
| Russian Federation | 0 | 200,000 | 0 | 200,000 |
| Sweden Regional Office subtotal | 0 | 200,000 | 0 | 200,000 |
| Total | 22,596,559 | 200,000 | 4,721,819 | 27,518,378 |