The number of displaced people in the world increased to 80 million in 2019, a new record

The number of displaced persons and refugees in the world grew by almost nine million last year to a record 79.5 million, about one percent of the world's population, according to the annual report released today by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This is the highest figure collected by the agency since it compiled these statistics, published as every year on the eve of World Refugee Day (20 June). 

The increase is partly explained by the greater flow of displaced people in areas such as the Sahel region (Mali, Niger), from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Uganda or in north-west Syria, explained the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Italy's Filippo Grandi, in presenting the report. 

Of this moving population, 45.7 million are internally displaced within their country of origin, 26 million are refugees in territories other than their own, 4.2 million are asylum seekers and 3.6 million are Venezuelans considered in a different category because of the dual economic and political aspects of their exodus.

Venezuela, whose exodus actually exceeds 5 million people, is the second country in number of refugees counted by UNHCR, only below 6.6 million Syrians and surpassing nations such as Afghanistan (2.7 million), Southern Sudan (2.2 million) and Burma (1.1 million). 

In terms of destinations, Turkey is the country hosting the largest number of refugees (3.6 million) followed by Colombia (1.8 million), Pakistan (1.4 million), Uganda (1.4 million) and Germany (1.1 million). 

The report highlights that 85 per cent of displaced persons are concentrated in low- and middle-income nations and 73 per cent of refugees live in countries neighbouring their home countries. 

Grandi highlighted in presenting the data that 40% of displaced persons are under 18 years of age and underlined that the number of refugees who can return to their countries of origin (317,200 in 2019) is decreasing every year. 

"In the 1990s about 1.5 million people returned home every year, but in the decade just ended the annual average has been only 400,000 and still falling," he said. This "shows the persistence of conflicts, the emergence of new ones and the paralysis of the international community in dealing with them," the high commissioner added. 

Asylum applications last year exceeded two million, with the United States receiving the most (301,000), followed by Peru (259,800), Germany (142,500), France (123,900) and Spain (118,300). 

Displaced populations also face the added challenges this year of the global COVID-19 pandemic, although Grandi noted that so far there have been no major outbreaks in refugee camps (1,200 suspected cases have been tested in such facilities so far). 

The high commissioner cited the case of Cox's Bazar, the world's largest refugee camp in Bangladesh, where only 35 cases of the disease have been confirmed so far, but asked to be cautious with the figures and remain vigilant. 

The Italian stressed that, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, the response of donor countries has remained positive in recent months. The $250 million requested by UNHCR to assist the displaced population during the pandemic has been fully funded and the agency is now preparing to increase its request to $745 million.