Performers with refugee backgrounds take Eurovision by storm
Singers with refugee backgrounds are representing Sweden and Russia at this year’s contest, while a ballet dancer, based in the Netherlands, performed during an interval. By Ararat Babayan in Moscow As her performance at the 2021 Eurovision semi-final reached...
UEFA and UNHCR partner to support refugees
UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, have this week signed a Cooperation Protocol to support refugee access to sport and enhance social inclusion. The Protocol commits the two organisations to establish long-term...
Statement attributable to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on the need to end US COVID-19 asylum restrictions
I appeal to the government of the United States to swiftly lift the public health-related asylum restrictions that remain in effect at the border and to restore access to asylum for the people whose lives depend on it, in line with international legal and human rights...
As rainy season approaches, displaced Nigeriens receive emergency shelters
Forced to flee armed attacks in Niger’s southwestern region, thousands brace themselves for torrential rains, which often result in flooding. By Boubacar Younoussa Siddo in Ouallam, Niger Temperatures in Niger easily soar above 45 degrees Celsius. But when it rains,...
UNHCR warns against “exporting” asylum, calls for responsibility sharing for refugees, not burden shifting
Amid considerations by some governments to send asylum seekers abroad for processing, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is urging states not to externalize their asylum and protection obligations. UNHCR warns that such practices jeopardize the safety of those in need of...
Three performers with refugee backgrounds participate in Eurovision 2021
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is delighted that three performers with refugee backgrounds will be participating in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The competition will take place in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, between 18 – 22 May and is organized by the...
Pandemic-hit Rohingya refugees and local Bangladeshis get help to grow food
Local marketplaces are helping struggling Bangladeshi farmers sell their produce while rooftop gardens are allowing Rohingya refugees to grow their own food. In Cox’s Bazar, the COVID-19 pandemic has made life even harder for some 880,000 Rohingya refugees living in...
UNHCR appeals for Mozambicans fleeing violence to be given access to asylum in Tanzania
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Boris Cheshirkov – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply concerned by ongoing reports of people...