Malta joins global efforts to address statelessness
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes Malta’s decision to join global efforts to end statelessness by 2024 after it acceded to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons on 11 December 2019. “This is a commendable step in protecting stateless...
UNHCR head appeals to South Sudan parties to ensure long-lasting peace
Six years after the outbreak of violence in South Sudan, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi is calling on all parties to boost efforts to form an inclusive national unity government in order to achieve permanent peace. Despite the signing of the peace...
Refugees get traction in Germany’s auto industry
A programme by Volkswagen offers refugees a path to a permanent job at the world’s largest auto maker. By Josie Le Blond in Baunatal, Germany When Volkswagen – the world’s largest automaker – offered Mastura Ekhlas a place on a programme that could lead to a permanent...
Comment by Andrew Harper, UNHCR’s newly appointed Special Advisor on Climate Action, who is attending this year’s UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP 25, in Madrid
“With climate change amplifying the frequency and intensity of sudden-onset disasters, and contributing to fragility and conflict, more people will be at risk of displacement unless urgent action is taken. In the first half of this year alone, and according to...
Afghan woman breaks barriers to heal Pakistan’s poor
Having grown up in a Turkmen refugee community without easy access to education, Saleema has beaten the odds by becoming a doctor. By Kate Bond in Islamabad, Pakistan The heart monitor sounds a slow, steady beat, as a group of doctors gather around an operating...
Afghan children learn side by side with Iranian peers
An exemplary policy in Iran lets Afghan children attend public school, whether they are registered refugees, passport holders or even undocumented. By Farha Bhoyroo in Esfahan, Iran As the bell rings to announce the start of the day, a group of girls run through the...
Asylum-seeker in Greece speaks out about the violence that upended her life
On her way home from work, a woman in Cameroon was attacked and raped by a pack of strangers. Now seeking asylum in Greece, she is raising her voice to help others. By Josie Le Blond in Lesvos, Greece The nightmare that forced Virginie Laure to flee Cameroon came at...
Sporting world pledge support for refugees, ahead of next week’s Global Refugee Forum
Over 70 organizations join UNHCR and the International Olympic Committee to help young refugees discover their potential through sports. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced today that more than 70 entities – including...