Links to recent news and analysis on the drivers of global migration and the rights of migrant workers and refugees.
UN refugee agency urges EU to preserve right of asylum
10/1/2022: Amid record global displacement the UN Refugee Agency has urged European countries to protect people fleeing war, conflict and persecution. 2021 saw the continuation of violent pushbacks of asylum seekers at EU borders despite commitment to refugee principles.
Source: UN News
UK set to renege on 1951 Refugee Convention
17/12/2021: The UK Borders Bill works to dismantle the international refugee protection regime and renege on the fundamental principles underpinning the 1951 Refugee Convention. The Bill empowers the UK Government to send asylum seekers to a "safe" third country for offshore asylum processing and to push back boats at sea.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Biden quadruples Trump refugee cap from 15,000 to 62,500
4/5/2021: President Joe Biden has formally raised the US cap on refugee admissions to 62,500 this year, fulfilling his promise made in February. The announcement paves the way for Biden to boost the cap to 125,000 for the 2022 fiscal year.
Source: Eyewitness News
Aid groups praise Colombia for Venezuelan migrant move
10/2/2021: Aid groups welcomed Colombia’s offer of temporary legal status for a decade to more than 1.7 million Venezuelan migrants. The UN estimates that around 5.4 million Venezuelans have fled President Nicolás Maduro’s increasingly authoritarian government since 2015.
Source: The New Humanitarian
$1.44 billion needed for 2021 Venezuela response
12/12/2020: Of the more than 5.4 million Venezuelans who have left their country, an estimated 4.6 million remain in Latin America and the Caribbean. UN agencies have launched a $1.44 billion appeal to meet the needs of Venezuelan refugees and migrants and host communities in 2021.
Source: Devex
Are Germany and the EU prepared for a new influx of refugees?
5/3/2020: Thousands of migrants and refugees have gathered at the Turkish-Greek border, desperate to make it into the European Union. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Europe to share the migrant "burden."
Source: DW