United Nations reveals that the number of people worldwide forced to flee their homes in 2022 due to conflict, persecution, violence, and human rights abuses reached 108.4mn. In the previous year, 2021, the number of refugees was less than 20mn.
The annual Global Trends report released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on June 14 indicates that by May 2023, the global refugee population might have reached 110mn people.
The primary factor behind this significant increase in the number of refugees worldwide is the war initiated by Russia against Ukraine. The number of Ukrainian refugees escalated from 27,300 at the end of 2021 to 5.7mn by the end of 2022.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees describes this as the fastest wave of emigration since World War II. Additionally, the rise in the number of displaced people in 2022 can be attributed to individuals fleeing Afghanistan and other military conflicts, notably armed conflicts in Sudan.
Interestingly, the countries receiving the majority of refugees do not include wealthy nations. The UN reveals that over a fifth of displaced migrants have sought refuge in 46 developing countries, whose combined gross domestic product (GDP) is less than 1.3% of the world's GDP. These countries are expected to face financial challenges in accommodating the influx of refugees.
The recent news also indicates that there might be a reason behind why refugees choose the developing world. Apparently, the EU offers large sums of money to countries, through which migrants might reach EU, to sustain the refugees within their borders, like Tunisia.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, emphasizes the need for more international support and a fair distribution of responsibility.
The report also highlights that in 2022, more than 339,000 refugees returned to their homelands across 38 countries, particularly in South Sudan, Syria, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast.
Among internally displaced individuals, 5.7mn people were able to return to their homes in Ethiopia, Myanmar, Syria, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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