UNHCR urges states to protect refugees’ rights, not to instrumentalize their plight
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is increasingly concerned by the instrumentalization of refugees and migrants by states apparently to achieve political ends. People are not, and should never be, pawns in geopolitical games. When states encourage population...
UNHCR statement on the return of displaced Syrians
As the dire socio-economic impact of COVID-19 worsens conditions for displaced Syrians, both inside Syria and in hosting countries, UNHCR calls for support for the displaced and their choices. Over the past 10 years, more than 13 million Syrians have been displaced...
Three Refugee Olympic athletes bound for Canada to pursue their postsecondary education after Tokyo Games
CANADA, 24 JULY 2021 – Three athletes from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Olympic Team, Rose Nathike Likonyen, Paulo Amotun Lokoro and James Nyang Chiengjiek have been offered admission to Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario for the 2021-2022...
UN Refugee Agency’s Grandi celebrates the IOC Refugee Olympic Team athletes
Celebrating the 29 refugee athletes competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi sent today a personal message of hope and support to the IOC Refugee Olympic Team. In his message shared on social media as the opening...
Internship a dream come true for refugee at IKEA store in Croatia
Furniture retailer IKEA offers promise of a new start for refugees in Croatia through internship programme under a partnership with UNHCR. By Jan Kapic in Zagreb Some people view their office jobs as a daily grind but for Lajan, a refugee from the Kurdistan region of...
Refugee athletes stride into global spotlight as Tokyo Games begin
Opening ceremony features refugee athletes marching out under the Olympic flag, showcasing the power of sport and sending a message of hope to 82 million displaced people worldwide. By Malcolm Foster in Tokyo, Japan One is a marathon runner who as a child fled...
Record numbers forced to flee ongoing violence in Burkina Faso
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. As attacks on civilians and security forces by jihadist groups in Burkina Faso become...
UNHCR welcomes Togo’s decision to intensify its fight against statelessness
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, applauds Togo’s accession to the two UN Conventions on Statelessness. Togo has now become the latest country to join the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, helping...