43.3 million: The Number of Forcibly Displaced People

Refugee News
from International Association for Refugees

Number of Refugees Grows to 43.3 million
Highest number of refugees in the world since the mid-1990s
The Refugee Highway – 16 June 2010
According to the latest statistics published by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of forcibly displaced people in the world has increased by more than 1 million in the past year.

Here are some FAQ concerning the Refugee Highway today…

Q. How many forcibly displaced people (FDP) are in the world?
A. 43.3 million. The number includes internally displaced people (IDP), refugees, asylum-seekers and Palestinian refugees receiving support from the UN’s UNRWA program.

Q. How many of the world’s FDP are internally displaced (IDP)?
A. 27.1 million. “Internally displaced persons are people or groups of individuals who have been forced to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of, or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights, or natural- or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an international border.” -UNHCR

Q. How many refugees are in the world?
A. 15.2 million. Who is a refugee?

  • Refugees have to be outside their country of origin;
  • The reason for their flight has to be a fear of persecution;
  • The fear of persecution has to be well-founded
  • The persecution has to result from one or more of the 5 grounds listed in the definition, that is race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion;
  • They have to be unwilling or unable to seek the protection of their country.

Source: UNHCR

Q. How many Palestinian refugees are in the world?
A. 4.8 million. This is the number of Palestinian refugees receiving care from UNRWA.

Q. How many asylum-seekers are in the world?
A. 983,000. “Asylum-seekers are individuals who have sought international protection and whose claims for refugee status have not yet been determined.” -UNHCR

Q. How many stateless people are in the world?
A. Between 6.6 million and 12 million. “Stateless persons are individuals not considered as citizens of any State under national laws.” -UNHCR

Q. What can you tell me about the average refugee in the world today?

  • 49% of the world’s refugees are women.
  • 45% of the world’s FDP are under 18 years old.
  • 41% of the world’s FDP

Q. What country is producing the greatest number of refugees?
A. 25% of the world’s refugees come from Afghanistan (2.9 million).

Q. What are other leading refugee-producing countries in the world?

  1. 2.9 million refugees from Afghanistan
  2. 1.8 million refugees from Iraq
  3. 678,300 refugees from Somalia
  4. 455,900 refugees from D.R. Congo
  5. 406,700 refugees from Myanmar
  6. 389,800 refugees from Colombia
  7. 368,200 refugees from Sudan
  8. 209,200 refugees from Eritrea
  9. 195,600 refugees from Serbia

Q. What part of the world hosts the most refugees?
A. 37% of the world’s refugees are hosted in the Asia/Pacific region of the world. 80% of the world’s refugees are hosted by developing nations. Over half are living in urban areas.

Q. What countries host the largest number of refugees?
A. Pakistan (1.7 million), Iran (1 million) and Syria (1 million) host the largest number of refugees in the world. Taken together, these countries plus Germany and Jordan host 47% of the world’s refugees.

Q. What country received the most claims for asylum in 2009?
A. South Africa received 222,000 claims for asylum in 2009.

Q. What country received the most resettled refugees in 2009?
A. 80,000 refugees were resettled to the United States in 2009. Canada resettled 12,500 refugees in 2009. There are only 19 countries in the world that receive resettled refugees.

Q. What does the Bible have to say about refugees and forcibly displaced people (FDP)?
A. Click here to watch a 3 minute online video to begin exploring the answer. Click on the “Orphan, Widow, Alien” video option in the list.

Source: UNHCR, 2009 Global Trends, published 15 June 2010.

 

 

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