Protection by Presence
Sometimes the simple act of being there is enough. They call it protection by presence. Arabic speakers, Farsi speakers, wearing the blue colours of UNHCR, offering a moment of reassurance as thousands of refugees ...
More support needed for Somali refugees going back home from Kenya
GENEVA, Oct 16 (UNHCR)—Nearly 5,000 Somali refugees from Kenya’s Dadaab camps have returned home since December 2014 and a further 4,500 have signed up to go back, the UN refugee agency announced today. UNHCR ...
A warm Austrian welcome for refugees
There wasn’t much time to think when the first call for help came back in early September. All the Austrians knew was that they had to act fast. Thousands of refugees were crossing the ...
Refugees themselves, Iraqis volunteer to help others reach safety in Germany
SALZBURG, Austria, Oct 12 (UNHCR)—Childhood friends Hussein and Jaffa fled war ravaged Iraq together, crossing seven borders and the Aegean Sea to seek refuge in Europe. As they seek asylum in Austria, they decided ...
First group of asylum seekers relocated from Italy to Sweden
ROME, Italy, Oct 9 (UNHCR)—A first group of 19 asylum seekers was relocated from Italy to Sweden today under an EU relocation scheme. The asylum seekers who arrived in Sicily by boat over the ...
Fishing for an Education
Yida, a town surrounded by wetlands in a remote part of South Sudan, sits just 12 kilometres from the border and is home to nearly 70,000 refugees escaping conflict in Sudan. At the same ...
UNHCR’s Türk warns against growing politicization of refugee and asylum matters
GENEVA, Oct 8 (UNHCR)—UNHCR’s top International Protection expert warned today of growing risks to people fleeing war and persecution, and said a renewed spirit of commitment from governments worldwide to the core human rights ...
UN High Commissioner calls for renewed international focus on Afghanistan
GENEVA, Oct 6 (UNHCR)—UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres today appealed to the international community to refocus its attention on Afghanistan, warning that it would be dangerous to ignore the country, and praised ...