Already in 2013, several thousand people are believed to have boarded smugglers' boats in the Bay of Bengal, among them Rohingya from Rakhine or Bangladesh

Introduction

1. The actions of non-state armed actors (NSAAs) have received significant attention in recent years, especially with regard to how their presence in the field impacts humanitarian space. Groups such as the Taliban and al-Shabaab are believed to restrict access to populations of concern and contribute to an increasingly insecure operating environment.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, November 6 (UNHCR) – Three-and-a-half years after Sri Lanka's civil war ended, fresh challenges have emerged as people continue to return home. The UN refugee agency is working with local authorities and partners to support sustainable returns by addressing some of these problems, including housing, land and property.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, September 27 (UNHCR) – Menik Farm, once the world's largest camp for internally displaced people (IDP), closed this week, bringing Sri Lanka's population displacement crisis closer to final resolution three years after the civil war ended.

"The closure of the camp is a significant step towards ending displacement in Sri Lanka, but there are still people displaced in different situations who need to find a solution," said Michael Zwack, UNHCR's representative in Sri Lanka.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The number of Sri Lankan refugees returning home has fallen in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the previous year.

Latest UNHCR statistics show that some 408 individuals voluntarily returned to Sri Lanka with UNHCR’s help during the first three months of this year, nearly a third less than the same period last year when 597 refugees returned.

GENEVA, March 27 (UNHCR) – A report released on Tuesday by the UN refugee agency shows that new conflicts and a rising outflow from older crisis spots such as Afghanistan together contributed to a 20 per cent rise in asylum claims in industrialized countries in 2011.

UNHCR's report, "Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries 2011," says that an estimated 441,300 asylum claims were recorded last year compared to 368,000 in 2010. The report covers 44 countries in Europe, North America, Australasia and north-east Asia.

Operational objectives

• Ensure protection of asylum-seekers pending refugee status determination

• Improve the living conditions of refugees and asylum-seekers

• Strengthen the partnership with the Government of India on global issues of concern to UNHCR

• Strategically implement durable solutions: local integration, voluntary repatriation and resettlement

• Support Government and NGOs efforts to protect Sri Lankan refugees and facilitate their voluntary repatriation

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The number of Sri Lankan refugees returning home has seen a marked drop in 2011 when compared with the previous year, latest UNHCR statistics show.

A total of 1,728 Sri Lankan refugees returned under UNHCR’s facilitated voluntary repatriation programme last year while higher numbers were recorded in 2010 during which the agency helped some 2,054 Sri Lankan refugees come home. In 2009, UNHCR facilitated the voluntary return of some 818 individuals.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, October 12 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Wednesday began repatriating Sri Lankan refugees from southern India by ferry, adding a new dimension to its voluntary return programme for civilians who fled the island nation before a long conflict ended in 2009.

A first group of 37 refugees (15 families) arrived by commercial ferry in Colombo on Wednesday morning after an overnight voyage from Tuticorin in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They were accompanied by three UNHCR staff.