Statements

How many refugees have arrived in Europe?

According to UNHCR data, by the end of 2021, the number of people displaced across borders hosted in European countries was more than 7 million, an increase of 3 per cent from the previous year. This increase reflects newly recognized refugees, who total 288,000, primarily in Germany (79,700), France (51,000) and Italy (21,100).

Türkiye remained the largest refugee-hosting country in the world in 2021, with more than 3.8 million refugees at year-end, or 15 per cent of all people displaced across borders globally. Germany was the second-largest refugee-hosting country in Europe, with 1.3 million refugees.

The international armed conflict in Ukraine, which started in February 2022, has caused the largest human displacement crisis in the world today, with millions of people forced to flee their homes.

What is the difference between a refugee, an asylum-seeker and a migrant?

People who are forced to flee their country in fear of persecution are refugees. They have legal protections under the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, as well as other legal instruments. UNHCR, governments and humanitarian organizations offer assistance to refugees, who are recognized by State authorities or UNHCR, because it is too dangerous for them to return home. Asylum-seekers are people whose request for refugee status, or asylum, is being processed. 

People who move to a different country primarily to improve their lives by finding work or gaining education, or to reunite with family, are called migrants. 

This distinction is important. States interact with refugees through specific norms dealing with refugee protection and asylum defined in regional and international frameworks. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the international armed conflict in Ukraine have had important socioeconomic consequences for everyone in Europe. Refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless people have been particularly affected.

To address these challenges, we have expanded the use of social media, hotlines and other methods of communication to ensure continued delivery of protection services. 

In addition, UNHCR advocates to end statelessness in Europe and globally by 2024, in line with the #IBelong campaign. At the same time, we are also pressing for concerted European action to prevent loss of life in the Mediterranean and to improve the reception system for asylum-seekers. 

We produce and publish statistics and data on refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless people and engage with the public to foster inclusiveness and empathy. 

Offices in various operations have also begun forming refugee working groups and committees to better understand the issues facing people forced to flee and to communicate with them on UNHCR’s areas of operations. 

Are all refugees coming to Europe?

No. Nearly 83 per cent of the world’s refugees and Venezuelans displaced abroad were hosted by low- and middle-income countries as of the end of 2021, and 72 per cent were hosted in neighbouring countries. The Global Compact on Refugees emphasizes the importance of greater responsibility- and burden-sharing. Yet, when it comes to hosting refugees, the burden is not equally shared. Developing regions continued to shoulder a disproportionately large responsibility for hosting displaced populations. 

According to UNHCR data, as of May 2022, there were more than 100 million people forcibly displaced in the world, with the total number propelled by the hostilities in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts. 

Can I promote my MUN’s participation in the Challenge?

Absolutely! Indeed, you are strongly encouraged to do so. Here are a few ways of going about it: 

• Talk about the Challenge on your website and social media platforms. Use the hashtag: #MUNRefugeeChallenge, #MUNRefugiados, MUNDéfiRéfugiés or #模拟联合国难民事务挑战赛#. 
• Follow and tag UNHCR’s social media platforms: @Refugees on Instagram, Twitter; @UNHCR on Facebook, LinkedIn and Sina Weibo.
• Download and share the Challenge’s promotional video and images on your platforms.”
• Create your own content about the Challenge before and during your MUN conference (e.g. videos, photos and text). The best social videos created about the MUN Refugee Challenge will also win awards.
• Reach out to local media outlets. Tell them about your participation in the Challenge and ask if they are interested in running a story about it. 
• Use the Challenge’s official logo in your communications. Please do not use UNHCR’s official logo. Here you can download the the Challenge’s logo.

For any further questions about the MUN Refugee Challenge, please contact [email protected].

For up-to-date numbers of people arriving in Europe via Mediterranean and Northwest African maritime routes, as well as the numbers of people who have died or gone missing after attempting to cross the sea, you can have a look at this interactive data page.  

You can find more statistics and data visualizations on the numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers in Europe on UNHCR’s data portal,  Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, and in the latest Global Trends Report.