Tag Archives: unhcr

UNHCR underscores plight of Rohingya refugees amid alarming reports

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According to reports, one boat carrying 267 people from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and Rakhine State in Myanmar, sank on 9 May, with only 66 survivors, UNHCR said. 

The following day, a second boat fleeing with 247 people capsized, leaving just 21 survivors. In a separate incident, reports indicate that on 14 May, a third vessel carrying 188 Rohingya was intercepted while departing from Myanmar.

Since August 2017, mass violence, armed attacks and human rights violations have forced hundreds of thousands of mainly-Muslim Rohingya to flee Myanmar’s Rakhine State to seek refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh, particularly in the Cox Bazar’s region.

Last week, UNHCR voiced alarm over reports that Rohingya refugees had been forced off an Indian navy vessel into the Andaman Sea. News reports said that dozens of refugees were detained in Delhi, blindfolded, flown to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, then transferred to a naval ship and forced to swim ashore.

UN response

In Friday’s statement, Hai Kyung Jun, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, warned that the worsening humanitarian situation exacerbated by funding cuts to UN agencies is pushing more Rohingya to risk dangerous sea journeys.

She stressed the urgent need for stronger protection in first-asylum countries and greater responsibility-sharing to prevent further tragedies.

Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq highlighted during Friday’s press briefing that, with the annual monsoon season now underway, the perilous sea conditions reflect the desperation of those attempting to flee.

Rohingya refugees arrive in North Aceh, Indonesia, after a dangerous sea voyage from Bangladesh.

Rohingya refugees arrive in North Aceh, Indonesia, after a dangerous sea voyage from Bangladesh.

He also noted that so far this year, one in five people undertaking such sea journeys in the region has been reported dead or missing, underscoring the scale of risk and despair facing the Rohingya.

According to UNHCR data, as of 30 April, there are 1,272,081 Rohingya refugees officially displaced and stateless from Myanmar. Some 89 per cent are seeking asylum in Bangladesh and 8.8 per cent in Malaysia.

The refugee agency requires $383.1 million to sustain essential support for Rohingya refugees and host communities across Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and Thailand in 2025. To date, only 30 per cent of that funding target has been met.

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Hundreds of thousands of Afghans forced back into danger, says UNHCR

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According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), over 250,000 Afghans returned in April alone – among them, 96,000 who were forcibly deported. The agency voiced particular alarm over the fate of women and girls, who face increasing repression under Taliban rule.

The large-scale returns are putting even greater pressure on already stretched humanitarian resources and worsening the plight of millions struggling to survive.

“They face increasing restrictions in terms of access to employment, education and freedom of movement,” said agency spokesperson Babar Baloch.

“We keep telling the governments of Iran and Pakistan that returns to Afghanistan must be voluntary, safe and dignified,” he continued.

Aside from women and girls, forcibly returned human rights activists and journalists as well as ethnic or religious minority groups are among those who face the biggest dangers back in Afghanistan.

Massive needs

These risks are further compounded by rising needs, where half the population relies on humanitarian assistance. Since 2023, more than 3.5 million people have returned to the country.

Such high numbers of returnees only increase the risk of further internal displacement and attempts to reach Europe, Mr. Baloch noted.

UNHCR is seeking $75 billion to assist returnees and help stabilize the region. Afghans represented the largest group of irregular arrivals from Asia Pacific to Europe in 2024, at more than four in 10.

Additional funds will allow UNHCR in Afghanistan to provide returnees with urgent assistance including access to services, livelihoods, reintegration services, travel and financial assistance – “with emphasis on reaching women and girls,” Mr. Baloch explained.

The agency also plans to address immediate protection needs and enhance reception capacity.

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Slovenia to Resettle 60 Syrian Refugees from Turkey

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Slovenia will implement its first ever refugee resettlement programme with the support of IOM, the UN Migration Agency, by resettling 60 Syrian refugees from Turkey to Slovenia in 2018. The new programme officially came into effect after the signing of a Framework Agreement between IOM and the Slovenian government on Thursday (12/04).

“The resettlement agreement marks a new milestone in the cooperation between Slovenia and IOM,” said Iva Perhavec, IOM Slovenia Head of Office.

“Through the programme, we will support the Slovenian Government in meeting its commitments to providing a safe and legal pathway for vulnerable Syrian refugees in Turkey, and sharing responsibility with Turkey as a host country for refugee protection,” Perhavec continued.

In 2017, Turkey was the top departure country for resettlement globally, with 10,162 vulnerable refugees resettled to European countries alone.

Resettlement from Turkey is implemented through a close partnership between EU Member States, the Turkish Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM), UNHCR and IOM.

The resettlement process from Turkey begins with the DGMM and UNHCR, which identify, assess and submit refugee files to countries for resettlement consideration. Following the selection missions undertaken by EU Member States in Turkey, selected refugees are assisted by IOM with case processing, including assistance with obtaining visas and travel documents, pre-departure health assessments, pre-departure orientation sessions and movement management.

When the refugees are travel-ready, IOM facilitates their transfer from Turkey, including by providing operational and/or medical escorts to particularly vulnerable persons with special needs to resettlement states in the EU, where representatives of the local IOM office meet and greet them at arrival.

Following the arrival of refugees in Slovenia, local non-governmental organizations and other service providers will provide them with integration assistance to support their smooth and successful start to integration in their new home.

Resettlement of refugees has continued to be one of the fundamental purposes and priorities of IOM. Founded in 1951 to assist in the resettlement of Europeans displaced in the aftermath of World War II, IOM has been working closely with governments, UNHCR, non-governmental organizations and other partners to provide a durable solution for vulnerable refugees through resettlement for over 65 years.

In 2017, some 93,216 refugees were resettled worldwide by IOM, of which 26,673 beneficiaries were assisted with resettlement to and humanitarian admission in European countries, an increase of 49 per cent compared to the previous year. A total of 23 European countries implemented resettlement or humanitarian admission programmes in 2017, two more than in 2016.