In 2018, less than 5% of people identified as needing resettlement by UNHCR were resettled – just 0.2% of the global refugee population. This paper calls for refugees to be meaningfully included in discussions and decisions about their future, and for higher-income countries to do their fair share by increasing their commitments.
Oxfam’s research shows that less than three percent of the Syrian refugee population have actually arrived in rich countries through resettlement programmes. By analysing resettlement policies and practices in eight key countries, this paper shows why resettling at least 10 percent of the refugee population from Syria is both necessary and possible.
As recovery in Nepal begins after the earthquake that struck in April 2015, there is an opportunity to ensure that reconstruction and resettlement policies and programmes are inclusive of women and those who are landless.
Oxfam, Save the Children and the Norwegian Refugee Council criticized the deeply disappointing outcome of today’s international pledging conference for resettlement of refugees fleeing the ongoing crisis in Syria. The meeting in Geneva offered to resettle only a tiny fraction of the most vulnerable people with a less ambitious timeline. Governments have shown a shocking lack of political and moral leadership, said the agencies.
Oxfam is calling for the states attending the Geneva conference to collectively commit to offer a safe haven through resettlement or other forms of humanitarian admission to at least 10 percent of the refugee population – the equivalent of 481,220 people – by the end of 2016.
Rich countries have resettled only 1.39 percent of the nearly five million Syrian refugees, a fraction of the 10 percent of people who need to be urgently offered a safe haven. As wealthy states meet in Geneva on 30 March to discuss the Syria refugee crisis, Oxfam urges them to redouble their efforts and offer their ‘fair share’ of support to hundreds of thousands of refugees.
The number of people in need as a result of the conflict in Syria continues to rise. Oxfam is calling for rich states to commit to fully funding this year’s Syria crisis response appeal and to resettle 10 percent of all registered Syrian refugees by the end of 2016.
The international community has failed so far to address the spiralling catastrophe in Syria. This briefing calls for urgent and immediate action by the international community to deal with this deepening crisis.
The ICIJ’s exposure of immense human suffering around the world, linked to World Bank funding, should finally wake the Bank up to the reality of its failures.
Total aid pledged at the Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, in Kuwait City, Kuwait, is less than half the amount needed this year to help people in desperate humanitarian need.