The New Humanitarian welcomes new CEO Ebele Okobi.

Find out more
  1. Home
  2. Africa

In the news: Refugee resettlement flattens off

The United States has slashed the number of permanent places it offers refugees. Other countries aren’t filling the gap.

Pie Chart of the nationalities of the 63,696 refugees resettled in 2019, according to the UN's refugee agency. TNH
The nationalities of the 63,696 refugees resettled in 2019, according to the UN's refugee agency.

For refugees who can’t go home, starting over in a new country can be a life-changing opportunity – for generations. But the chances of that, even for the most deserving cases, are less than one in 20, according to new data from the UN.

The UN refugee agency reported on Wednesday that 63,696 refugees were offered resettlement in 2019, slightly more than in 2018. Those were placed from an estimated 1.4 million potential cases – just 4.5 percent.

Every year, UN refugee case-workers prepare files of candidates eligible for “resettlement” – those who are most vulnerable in the country they have taken asylum in, or who face special threats back home. Once accepted by the receiving country, resettlement usually means not just an air ticket and accommodation, but a clear path to permanent residency and citizenship.

The total number of available places has dropped almost half from a peak of over 120,000 in 2016, due largely to a change in the US quota, slashed by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Although refugee advocates have criticised the change of policy, the United States remains the largest receiving country for these UN-organised schemes, offering one third of places in 2019. Other countries have not filled the gap.

bp/ag

Share this article

Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

It’s the perfect way to start your day.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join