São Paulo – Refugee claims in industrialized countries increased by 24% in the first half of this year, driven by wars in Syria and Iraq as well as instability in other parts of the globe, such as Afghanistan and Eritrea. The figure is part of a report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) this Friday (26th).
According to information posted on the United Nations website, the report is based on data received from 44 governments in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific and it reads that 330,700 people asked for refugee status in these regions between the start of January and the end of June. The increase could be seen from year-ago equivalent months.
The report estimates 700,000 refugee claims should be made in such regions by the end of 2014, the highest level in 20 years. “We are clearly into an era of growing conflict,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres. According to the UNHCR, refugee claims usually increase in the second half of each year.
“The global humanitarian system is already in great difficulty. The international community needs to prepare their populations for the reality that in the absence of solutions to conflict more and more people are going to need refuge and care in the coming months and years. Unfortunately, it is not clear that the resources and the access to asylum will be available to help them," he said.
More than two thirds of the claims were in just six countries: Germany, the United States, France, Sweden, Turkey and Italy. Hungary, Poland and Australia saw a decline in the number of people asking to be accepted as refugees. Syria was the leading country of origin of people seeking asylum in industrialized countries, Iraq was the second, Afghanistan was the third and Eritrea, the fourth.
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça
