Attachments
The number of refugees under UNHCR’s seven-decade long mandate continues to increase, reaching 21.3 million at the end of 2021. While most refugees are hosted in low-and-middle-income countries of first asylum and find themselves in protracted displacement, the durable solutions available to them fall well below the needs. Furthermore, amidst several already existing refugee crises, the past 12 months have been marked by tragic events in Afghanistan and Ukraine, where the human toll of hostilities has been immense, leading to the unfolding of new humanitarian emergencies and increased displacement. Consequently, global resettlement needs have significantly risen for 2023 compared to previous years.
The support of the international community in finding lasting solutions for those experiencing displacement is greater than ever.
Although there were some encouraging signs in 2021, with borders opening up and refugees gaining access to COVID-19 vaccinations, the continued impact of the pandemic further exacerbated the risks faced by UNHCR’s persons of concern and accentuates the existing inequalities and discrimination confronted by some of the world’s most vulnerable citizens. Increased risk of refoulment, detention and dangerous onward movement along with rising incidences of gender-based violence and refugees resorting to negative coping mechanisms, such as child labor, child marriage and survival sex, were noted across the globe. Refugees and other displaced persons faced further marginalization, stigmatization and xenophobia from local communities amongst instability and growing competition for increasingly scarce resources in many host countries.
The ongoing conflicts and insecurities in countries of origin continued to prevent many from returning home in safety and dignity while weak, overstrained or nonexistent asylum systems limited the ability of refugees to become self-sufficient in their countries of asylum. Thus, with growing numbers of displaced persons across the world, resettlement remains the key tool for the international community to provide urgently needed protection and solutions for refugees most at risk.
Additionally, aligned with the Global Compact for Refuges objectives, UNHCR also continues to engage with States and a great diversity of stakeholders to enable refugees to access existing safe and regular admission options, including through protection sensitive family reunification procedures, employment and education opportunities in third countries.
Innovative procedures developed in 2020 to respond to then-emerging COVID-19 situation were strengthened and continued in 2021. This allowed UNHCR, partners and States to maintain and in some cases increase processing of resettlement cases, in particular those in urgent and emergency need of a durable solution. Where needed and in agreement with resettlement States, UNHCR redirected critical resettlement places to operations less impacted by lockdowns and other restrictions to ensure as many refugees could benefit from this durable solution as possible.
In-person selection missions were conducted in several locations and support was provided to allow remote interviews, where needed.
The resettlement capacity of UNHCR was again significantly strengthened through its Global Resettlement Deployment Scheme, which was implemented by ICMC, the Danish Refugee Council and RefugePoint in 2021. Approximately 146 deployments provided critical capacity in resettlement, child protection/BID, registration and refugee status determination thereby significantly contributing to UNHCR’s total global resettlement submissions. The Deployment Scheme has also contributed with key strategic deployments to support family reunification and complementary pathways activities.
Despite the continued impact of COVID-19 and other humanitarian crises that required resources and capacity of resettlement actors, UNHCR submitted 63,190 persons for resettlement to 23 resettlement States, a significant increase compared to 2020. With thanks to the continued support of resettlement States, together with the opening of borders, global departures increased by 72 per cent compared to the previous year, with 39,266 refugees departing for resettlement during 2021.