20% Hike Expected In Global Refugee Resettlement Needs In 2024: UNHCR

News Desk

United Nations: More than 2.4 million refugees will require resettlement in 2024, compared to just over 2 million in 2023, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report.

In its ‘Projected Global Resettlement Needs 2024’ assessment report, the large increase (20 percent) in the number of refugees in need of resettlement in 2024 reflects the growing number of refugees worldwide, which had its largest yearly increase ever on record (from 27.1 million in 2021 to 35.3 million at the end of 2022), and the concerning trend of new emergencies and protracted refugee situations globally.

Resettlement remains a critical lifeline for those most at risk and with specific needs, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

The Asia region tops the list, with nearly 730,000 refugees likely requiring resettlement support, representing around 30 percent of the total

The Asia region tops the list, with nearly 730,000 refugees likely requiring resettlement support, representing around 30 percent of the total.

With the Syrian war extending into its 13th year and remaining the world’s largest refugee situation, refugees there continue to need the most resettlement support for the eighth consecutive year, with around 754,000 requiring urgent assistance.

Refugees from Afghanistan are estimated to have the second-highest level of needs, followed by refugees from South Sudan, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In 2022, out of approximately 116,000 submissions, only 58,457 refugees were able to depart for resettlement.

Over 1.2 million refugees from Myanmar (including over a million Rohingya) reside throughout the region, but primarily in Bangladesh and Malaysia.

Pakistan remains a refugee-hosting country

There are 5.2 million individuals from Afghanistan living as refugees or in a refugee-like situation in the region, primarily in the major host countries of Pakistan and Iran.

Pakistan continues to be one of the largest refugee-hosting countries, providing refuge to more than 3 million Afghans. Pakistan is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention nor its 1967 Protocol and does not have a national asylum system.

However, Pakistan’s provision of protection and assistance to Afghan refugees is generally by international standards and Pakistan’s international human rights obligations.

There are 5.2 million individuals from Afghanistan living as refugees or in a refugee-like situation in the region, primarily in the major host countries of Pakistan and Iran

The UN refugee agency continues to advocate the importance of allocating more places for emergency and medical cases and ensuring timely processing and departure. It called for urgent action to address the escalating challenges faced by millions forced on the run worldwide.

“I ask all States with the means to step up and provide sustainable and multi-year resettlement commitments to offer safety and protection to those in need and to share the international community’s responsibility for refugees,” Filippo Grandi urged.

Resettlement provides a lifeline of hope and protection to those facing extreme risks by offering a durable solution while at the same time playing a pivotal role in relieving the pressure on host countries and strengthening the broader protection framework.