For one man, fifth exile from north-east Syria drains all hope
Mustafa and his family have fled to Iraq five times since the start of the Syria crisis, but having lost his home and business in the latest violence he fears for their future. By Charlie Dunmore in Bardarash Refugee Camp, Kurdistan Region of Iraq Mustafa is no...
UNHCR issues recommendations for EU to make 2020 year of change for refugee protection
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has launched a set of ambitious but achievable Recommendations for the 2020 Croatian and German Presidencies of the Council of the European Union (EU). The Presidencies and the envisaged EU Pact on Migration and Asylum present unique...
North Macedonia accedes to key statelessness treaty
By UNHCR in Geneva, Switzerland North Macedonia’s accession to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness is an important step in global efforts to end statelessness, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said on Monday. This brings the total number of State...
Innovative programme helps lift Venezuelan refugees out of poverty
Training, mentorship in entrepreneurship and seed money help Venezuelans who lost everything start over in Ecuador. By Ilaria Rapido and Jaime Giménez in Quito, Ecuador On graduation day, proud parents Osmar* and Valeria* beamed with pride. But this very special...
News comment by UNHCR’s Chief of Mission for Libya, Jean-Paul Cavalieri, about shelling close to Gathering and Departure Facility in Tripoli
By UNHCR in Geneva, Switzerland UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply concerned for the safety of refugees and asylum seekers at the Gathering and Departure Facility (GDF) in Tripoli, Libya, following news that three mortars fell close to the site earlier...
Relocation flights give Venezuelans a new lease on life in Brazil
By flying thousands of Venezuelans out of a remote Amazonian state to cities with better job prospects, an ‘interiorization’ programme helps refugees get off to a fresh start. By Jenny Barchfield in São Paulo, Brazil Gabriela Peña fled hunger, widespread shortages...
Kazakhstan amends laws to ensure universal birth registration and prevent childhood statelessness
Joining global efforts to prevent statelessness, Kazakhstan has amended its Code on Marriage and Family so as to ensure that all children born in the country are registered at birth and issued birth certificates, regardless of the legal status of their parents. By...
Syrian rose farmer uses skills to graft new life in Lebanon
With a bag of seeds and a lifetime of knowledge, Syrian refugee Salem has regrown his precious flowers in Lebanon to provide his family and others with a vital income. By Rima Cherri in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon Several times a week when the roses are in full bloom,...