Refugees and Migrant Workers in Benghazi Port, Libya Waiting in Line for Their Passport to Be Checked by an International Organi

Home , Benghazi

Refugees and migrant workers in Benghazi port, Libya waiting in line for their passport to be checked by an international organization before boarding a boat to Alexandria, Egypt. Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated to Egypt and Tunisia during the uprising and armed conflict in Libya in 2011.

20 UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 Population Levels and Trends

HIS CHAPTER analyses Fig. II.1 Refugees and IDPs protected/assisted the major trends and chang- by UNHCR | 2001-2011 (end-year) es in 2011 in the global populations for which UNHCR (Mill.) has a responsibility, includ- 20 Ting changes in the size, origin and Refugees IDPs protected/assisted flows of refugees, returnees, stateless persons and certain internally dis- 15 placed persons - collectively referred to as “persons of concern” to UNHCR. Palestinian refugees who fall un- 10 der the mandate of UNRWA are not included. This chapter only cov- ers IDPs generated by conflict, and 5 who benefited directly or indirectly from UNHCR’s protection and/or

assistance activities. 0 ‘01 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 OVERVIEW OF GLOBAL TRENDS By the end of 2011, the total population under UNHCR’s responsibility responsibility, including some 604,000 decade. Close to 532,000 refugees re- numbered 35.4 million persons, taking people in refugee-like situations. 30 The patriated voluntarily in 2011, up from account of new displacement, dura- number of people whose asylum appli- the 20-year low of 197,600 in 2010. ble solutions, legal and demographic cations had not yet been adjudicated During 2011, UNHCR identi- changes, improved availability of data, by the end of the reporting period fied 3.5 million stateless persons in and revised estimates. The analysis was estimated at 895,000. A total of 64 countries and estimated the total presented in the Yearbook is based on 15.5 million IDPs, including more than number of stateless persons world-

UNHCR NOY / F. individual population groups. 453,000 people in IDP-like situations, wide at three times that figure, or By the end of 2011, there were received humanitarian assistance un- up to 12 million people. 31 In addition, 10.4 million refugees under UNHCR’s der arrangements in which UNHCR some 1.4 million individuals not in- was either a lead agency or a key part- cluded in these categories received

30 Three-quarters of the 604,000 people in a ner. This was the second highest fig- protection and/or assistance from refugee-like situation were located in Bangladesh, ure on record. UNHCR based on humanitarian or Ecuador, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of). 3 2 31 Refugees and asylum-seekers who are also stateless An estimated . million IDPs were other special grounds. These individ- persons are not included in this figure, but are able to return home during the year, uals are referred to as “other groups of reflected in the figures relating to the relevant refugee and asylum-seeker groups. the highest number in more than a people of concern”.

UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 21 Map 1 Total population of concern to UNHCR by category | end-2011

COLOMBIA

DEM. REP. OF THE CONGO

4,000,000

2,000,000

400,000

Refugees(a)

Asylum-seekers (pending cases)

IDPs protected/assisted by UNHCR(b) Returned refugees, returned IDPs Total population below 10,000 Stateless persons a Including people in refugee-like situation Others of concern b Including people in IDP-like situation

22 UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 IRAQ

UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 23 Population Levels and Trends

TABLE II.1 Refugee populations by UNHCR regions | 2011

Start-2011 End-2011 Change (total) People in People in refugee-like Total refugee-like Total UNHCR regions Refugees situations refugees Refugees situations refugees Absolute % - Central Africa and Great Lakes 628,400 - 628,400 635,100 - 635,100 6,700 1.1% - East and Horn of Africa 1,206,100 34,300 1,240,400 1,606,900 26,000 1,632,900 392,500 31.6% - Southern Africa 146,200 - 146,200 144,900 - 144,900 -1,300 -0.9% - West Africa 168,300 - 168,300 280,500 - 280,500 112,200 66.7% Total Africa * 2,149,000 34,300 2,183,300 2,667,400 26,000 2,693,400 510,100 23.4% Americas 513,500 290,500 804,000 516,600 290,800 807,400 3,400 0.4% Asia and Pacific 3,793,900 220,200 4,014,100 3,390,900 216,300 3,607,200 -406,900 -10.1% Europe 1,605,500 1,000 1,606,500 1,556,600 900 1,557,500 -49,000 -3.1% Middle East and North Africa 1,889,900 50,800 1,940,700 1,669,400 69,900 1,739,300 -201,400 -10.4% Total 9,951,800 596,800 10,548,600 9,800,900 603,900 10,404,800 -143,800 -1.4%

Note * Excluding North Africa.

REFUGEES voluntary repatriation. In some loca- (392,600) 34 constituting the largest Regions and countries of asylum tions, however, there were significant number in this region. While the number of refugees un- increases in refugee numbers due to A decrease in the number of refu- der UNHCR’s mandate increased new or continued conflicts, as in Côte gees was observed in the Middle in some regions, including in sub- d’Ivoire, Libya and Somalia. East and North Africa region, where Saharan Africa, and decreased in oth- By the end of 2011, women and girls figures dropped by 10 per cent dur- ers, such as Asia and the Pacific, the constituted slightly less than half (48%) ing the reporting period, primar- global number of refugees remained of all refugees globally. 32 Developing ily the result of revised estimates. essentially stable at 10.4 million, ap- countries hosted 8.4 million refugees, Estimates by the Government of the proximately 144,000 fewer than in or four-fifths of the global refugee Syrian Arab Republic for the number 2010. Decreases occurred because of population. The 48 Least Developed of Iraqi refugees was revised down- two main reasons. First, estimates for Countries provided asylum to 2.3 mil- ward by 250,000, based on the as- Afghan and Iraqi refugee populations lion refugees, 22 per cent of the total. 33 sumption that a number of Iraqis had in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Paki- Table II.1 shows that 3.6 million left, either to return to Iraq or to other stan, and the Syrian Arab Republic or more than one-third (35%) of all countries. Conversely, the armed were reduced by 16 per cent. Second, refugees were residing in coun- conflict in Libya led to an estimated a number of refugees found durable tries covered by UNHCR’s Asia and 150,000 Libyans fleeing, primarily to solutions during the year, notably Pacific region. Of these, 2.6 million Tunisia. Almost all of them had re- were Afghans (71%). Sub-Saharan turned to Libya by the end of the year. Africa was host to 2.7 million refugees More than 27,000 Somali refugees ar- or one quarter of the global popula- rived in Yemen during the year. tion. They originated primarily from In sub-Saharan Africa, the num- Somalia (760,800), Sudan (462,100), ber of refugees had declined for nine Most refugees and the Democratic Republic of the consecutive years between 2001 and Congo (457,900). The Middle East and 2009. In 2010, the trend reversed as remain within North Africa region hosted 1.7 mil- the number of refugees rose, and this their region of origin lion refugees or 17 per cent of the to- continued into 2011. By the end of 2011, tal. They originated mainly from Iraq there were close to 2.7 million refu- (some 1.2 million according to Govern- gees in sub-Saharan Africa, roughly Available statistical evidence demonstrates ment estimates). Europe hosted some half a million more than at the begin- that most refugees having fled to neighbouring 1.6 million refugees (15%). Refugees ning of the year. However, the num- countries, remain in the same region. from Serbia (and Kosovo: S/RES/1244 bers remained below those of 2000 The major refugee-generating regions (1999)) (159,000), Iraq (148,000), and 119 500 hosted on average between 75 and 93 per cent Turkey ( , ) were the largest 32 See Chapter V for more details on the demographic of refugees from within the same region. UNHCR groups. The Americas region hosted composition of refugee populations. 33 See http://www.unohrlls.org for countries included. estimates that some 1.8 million refugees (17% of the smallest share of the global refu- 34 Including 283,300 Colombians considered to be in a the total of 10.4 million) live outside their region gee population (8%), with Colombians refugee-like situation. of origin. •

24 UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 Population Levels and Trends

when more than 3.4 million people the Central African Republic (9,000), were refugees in the region. and Rwanda (8,500). Due to conflict, violence and drought in southern and central N THE AMERICAS, the refu- Somalia, close to 300,000 Somalis left gee population remained virtual- Protracted their homes in 2011 and sought refuge ly unchanged (+0.4%), at roughly refugee situations abroad, mainly in Kenya (163,100) and 807,000. The United States of Ethiopia (101,000). Overall, an esti- America was home to one third mated 700,000 Somalis have left their Iof refugees in this region according to UNHCR defines a protracted refugee country during the past five years. UNHCR estimates (264,800). 35 Some situation as one in which 25,000 or more Côte d’Ivoire witnessed a large-scale 2,700 Colombians were granted refu- refugees of the same nationality have been in exile outflow of refugees in 2011, when an gee status in Ecuador bringing the for five years or longer in any given asylum country. estimated 207,000 people fled most- total number of Colombian refugees Based on this definition, it is estimated that some 7.1 million refugees were in a protracted situation ly to Liberia (about 200,000), with (54,300) and people in a refugee-like by the end of 2011. These refugees were living in smaller numbers arriving in Ghana situation (68,300) to 122,600 at the 26 host countries accounting for an overall total and Guinea. With the gradual return end of 2011. In the Bolivarian Repub- of 31 protracted situations. • of civil order from April 2011, more lic of Venezuela, the total number of than 135,200 people were able to re- Colombian refugees and persons in a turn to Côte d’Ivoire by the end of the refugee-like situation remained stable year. Conflicts or human rights viola- at about 202,000. In Pakistan, the Afghan refugee esti- tions in Eritrea and Sudan led to new In the Asia and Pacific region, the mate dropped from 1.9 to 1.7 million outflows of more than 127,500 refu- total number of refugees, including while in the Islamic Republic of Iran gees, primarily to South Sudan people in a refugee-like situation, was it went from slightly over 1 million at (76,800), Ethiopia (30,200), and Israel estimated at 3.6 million at the end of the start of 2011, to 840,500 by year- (15,300). In total some 236,000 refu- 2011, a decrease of 10 per cent during end. Voluntary repatriation of about gees across sub-Saharan Africa were the year. This was largely due to re- 71,000 Afghans from both countries able to return home in safety and vised estimates of Afghan refugees in also contributed to these reductions. dignity, including to Côte d’Ivoire Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of In Europe, the refugee population (135,200), Sudan (50,000), the Demo- Iran, following comprehensive reg- decreased by 49,000 people to 1.56 mil- cratic Republic of the Congo (21,100), istration exercises in both countries. lion at the end of 2011 (-3%) largely as a result of revised estimates in Germany and in the United Kingdom. Fig. II.2 Major refugee hosting countries In Germany, the figure decreased | end-2011 from 594,300 at the start of 2011 to 571,700 by year-end. In the United

Pakistan 1,702,700 Kingdom, UNHCR’s estimate of the refugee population was revised down- Islamic Rep. of Iran 886,500 wards from 238,200 to 193,500, based

* Syrian Arab Rep. 755,400 on assumptions regarding the acquisition of citizenship by long-term Germany 571,700 recognised refugees. 10 Kenya 566,500 With one exception, the major refugee-hosting countries in 2011 * Jordan 451,000 were the same as in 2010. The United 10 Chad 366,500 Kingdom dropped out of the top , and Ethiopia moved into ninth place ** China 301,000 [see Figure II.2]. Together, these 10 59 Ethiopia 288,800 countries accounted for per cent of all refugees under UNHCR’s man- *** United States 264,800 date. Over the past four years, the list of the top 10 refugee-hosting coun-

* Government estimate. UNHCR has registered and is assisting 132,500 Iraqi refugees tries has remained largely unchanged in both countries. (see Table II.2). ** The 300,000 Vietnamese refugees are well integrated and in practice receive protection from the Government of China. *** UNHCR estimate. 35 In the absence of official refugee statistics, UNHCR is required to estimate refugee populations in 24 industrialized countries.

UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 25 Map 2 Main source countries of refugees | end-2011

Major refugee origin > = 500,000 250,000 to < 500,000 100,000 to < 250,000 10,000 to < 100,000 < 10,000

AKISTAN CONTINUED The number of refugees in Kenya in- largest refugee-hosting country in to host the largest number of creased by 163,600 people during the the world. refugees (1.7 million), nearly year (+41%), mainly as a result of new Estimated refugee numbers in Chi- all from Afghanistan, with a arrivals from Somalia. From 2009 to na remained unchanged from 2010. decrease of almost 200,000 2011, 374,000 Somali refugees arrived Ethiopia, meanwhile, witnessed large Pin the total refugee population in the in Kenya, stretching the capacity numbers of new arrivals in 2011. In country. The decrease was partly of the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee 2008 Ethiopia had been host to 83,600 due to a large number of registered camps to the limit. In Jordan, the Gov- refugees, making it the 27th larg- Afghans not having renewed their ernment’s estimate of Iraqi refugees est refugee-hosting country in the Proof of Registration cards by 31 De- remained unchanged at 450,000, of world at that time - the lowest level cember 2011. The Islamic Republic of whom UNHCR has registered and for Ethiopia in nearly three decades. Iran hosted 886,500 refugees by year- assisted 32,200. In Chad, the over- Since 2008 refugee figures have more end, again almost all Afghans. The all refugee population increased by than tripled with the arrival of hun- Government decreased its refugee 5 per cent to 366,500 by the end of dreds of thousands of Eritrean and estimate by 187,000 people as a result 2011, partly due to new arrivals from Somali refugees. By the end of 2011, of a re-registration exercise known as Sudan. The country was the seventh the refugee population had grown to “Amayesh VII” for Afghan refugees. According to Government estimates, TABLE II.2 Ranking of top-10 the Syrian Arab Republic was host to 750,000 Iraqi refugees, making it the refugee hosting countries | 2008 - 2011 third largest refugee-hosting coun- List of countries based of each of them having been among the top-10 at least once during try. The Government revised its 2011 the period. figure by 25 per cent (-250,000 people), based on the assumption that a Country of asylum 2008 2009 2010 2011 number of Iraqis had left the country. Pakistan 1111 Islamic Republic of Iran 3222 UNHCR had registered and was assist- Syrian Arab Republic 2333 ing 100,300 Iraqi refugees in the Syrian Germany 4444 Arab Republic at the end of 2011. Kenya 8665 571 700 Jordan 5556 Germany reported , refu- Chad 6777 gees at the end of 2011, a decrease of China 9888 4 22 600 Ethiopia 27 20 19 9 per cent (- , people). Kenya was United States of America 119910 the fifth largest hosting country at United Kingdom 10 10 10 15 the end of 2011 with 566,500 refugees. United Republic of Tanzania 7212322

26 UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 Population Levels and Trends

288,800 making Ethiopia host to the for 79 per cent of all refugees under ninth largest refugee population in UNHCR’s mandate. Over the past the world. years, the list of the top 10 refugee countries of origin has fluctuated only Contributions of host countries marginally [see Table II.3]. The impact of hosting refugees Afghanistan remained the leading should, in theory, be quantifiable in country of origin of refugees in 2011 terms of the national and internation- with nearly 2.7 million refugees in al protection and assistance provided, 79 countries. On average, one out of and of the contributions made by refu- every four refugees in the world was gees to the host country. In practice, from Afghanistan, with 95 per cent however, comprehensive and compa- of them in Pakistan and the Islamic rable data are not available to allow Republic of Iran. Iraqis were the sec- this calculation. ond largest refugee group, with an es- Countries with strong economies timated 1.4 million having sought safe- are more likely to be capable of ab- ty mainly in neighbouring countries. sorbing and supporting refugees. By comparing the refugee population with the average income level of a Fig. II.3 Number of refugees per 1 USD GDP (PPP) country according to the Gross Do- per capita | 2011 mestic Product (GDP) (Purchasing Power Parity) 36 per capita 37, a statis- Pakistan 605 tical measure can be obtained of the relative weight of hosting refugees. Dem. Rep. of the Congo 399 If the number of refugees per 1 USD Kenya 321 GDP (PPP) per capita is high, the relative contribution and effort made by Liberia 290 countries compared to their national Ethiopia 253 economy can also be considered high. The 20 countries with the largest Chad 211 1 number of refugees per USD GDP Syrian Arab Rep. 143 per capita are all developing countries, and include 12 Least Developed Coun- Bangladesh 121 4 7 tries. Moreover, more than . million Uganda 101 refugees, representing 45 per cent of the global total, resided in countries United Rep. of Tanzania 92 whose GDP (PPP) per capita was below USD 3,000. At the end of 2011, Pakistan had Afghan and Iraqi refugees accounted the highest number of refugees com- for more than one-third (39%) of all pared to its national economy [see refugees under UNHCR’s responsibil- Figure II.3], hosting 605 refugees per ity worldwide. [see Map 2] 1 USD GDP (PPP) per capita. The Somalis constituted the third Democratic Republic of the Congo largest group under UNHCR’s re- was second with 399 refugees per 1 sponsibility, with almost 1.1 million USD GDP (PPP) per capita, followed people living as refugees at the end by Kenya (321), Liberia (290), Ethio- of 2011, three times as many as in pia (253), and Chad (211). The highest 2004. As conditions in Somalia con- ranked developed country was Ger- tinued to deteriorate, particularly many, in 26th place, with 15 refugees in the central and southern areas of per 1 USD GDP (PPP) per capita. the country, the combination of conflict, violence, drought, and famine Origi ns caused more than 300,000 people to 36 Source for GDP (PPP): International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database, April 2012 (accessed The 10 main countries of refugee ori- flee their country in 2011. More than 25 April 2012) 2011 2010 37 Source for national populations: United Nations, gin in were the same as in . half found shelter at the Dadaab refu- Population Division, World Population Prospects: The Together, these countries accounted gee camps in Kenya. Others fled to 2010 Revision, New York, 2011.

UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 27 Population Levels and Trends

Ethiopia (101,000), Yemen (27,400), TABLE II.3 Ranking of top-10 refugee origins | 2008 - 2011 and Djibouti (5,700). In Dadaab, the List of origins based of each of them having been among the top-10 at least once development of new sites, registra- during the period. tion, deliveries of emergency assis-

tance and services continued through- Origin 2008 2009 2010 2011 out the year. As of October, violence Afghanistan 1111 against Kenyan security forces and Iraq 2222 humanitarian workers crippled the Somalia 3333 Sudan 4774 ability of aid agencies to deliver all but Democratic Republic of the Congo 6445 life-saving assistance such as food, wa- Myanmar * 14 5 5 6 Colombia 5667 ter and health services. Viet Nam 8888 Sudan was the fourth largest coun- Eritrea 12 9 9 9 try of origin, with 500,000 refugees China 15 12 10 10 Serbia (and Kosovo: S/RES/1244 (1999)) 13 10 11 12 under UNHCR’s mandate at the end Turkey 10 14 14 15 of 2011. Fighting in southern areas of Burundi 9212121 Sudan forced an estimated 102,000 Palestinian * * 7202022 people to flee the country during 2011, Notes: mainly to South Sudan (76,800) and * Since 2009, some 200,000 people in a refugee-like situation in Bangladesh are included. 19 200 * * In the absence of a reliable and accurate figure for Palestinian refugees in Saudi Arabia, the figure of 240,000 Palestinian Ethiopia ( , ). Many families left refugees was removed from UNHCR statistics in 2009. with few belongings and walked for weeks through the bush, stopping A SYLUM-SEEKERS where there was water and moving on ers being granted refugee status in when the source ran dry. Some were Burundi and Uganda. The number of Those asylum-seekers that are in- stranded in heavily-forested areas refugees from Myanmar and Colombia cluded in the total population of con- bordering South Sudan. remained relatively stable compared cern to UNHCR are people who are Other main source countries of to early 2011. For refugees from Myan- awaiting a final decision on their ap- refugees were the Democratic Re- mar, the figure includes an estimated plications for asylum or refugee sta- public of the Congo (491,500), Myan- 200,000 unregistered people in Bangla- tus. The figures in this chapter refer mar (414,600), and Colombia (395,900). desh, while for Colombians, it includes to claimants whose applications were The number of Congolese refugees refugees as well people in a refugee-like pending as of the end of 2011, irrespec- increased by about 14,700, mainly as situation in Ecuador, the Bolivarian tive of when they were lodged, and a result of almost 8,000 asylum-seek- Republic of Venezuela and Panama. may include undecided or pending cases from previous years. 38 Worldwide, at least 895,300 individ- Fig. II.4 Major source countries of refugees uals were still awaiting a decision on | end-2011 their asylum claims at the end of 2011. They included people at all stages of the asylum process. Despite improved Afghanistan 2,664,400 reporting in recent years, the global

Iraq 1,428,300 number of undecided cases presented here is incomplete as some countries, Somalia 1,077,000 particularly in the industrialized

* Sudan 500,000 world, do not report these figures.

Dem. Rep. of the Congo 491,500 INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS

** Myanmar 414,600 The global number of conflict-generated IDPs at the end of 2011 was es- ** Colombia 395,900 timated at some 26.4 million. 39 The *** Viet Nam 337,800 number of IDPs, including people in IDP-like situations 40 who benefited Eritrea 252,000

China 205,400 38 For details on the number of new asylum claims submitted as well as decisions taken, see Chapter IV. 39 For detailed statistics on global internal displacement, see the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre * May include citizens of South Sudan (in absence of separate statistics for both countries). website at www.internal-displacement.org. ** Includes people in a refugee-like situation. 40 As in Kyrgyzstan (160,500), South Sudan (207,200), *** The 300,000 Vietnamese refugees are well integrated and in practice receive protection from the Government of China. and Sudan (83,100).

28 UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 Map 3 IDPs protected/assisted by UNHCR | end-2011

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA GEORGIA KYRGYZSTAN** SERBIA* AZERBAIJAN

IRAQ AFGHANISTAN

LIBYA PAKISTAN SUDAN** MYANMAR

CHAD YEMEN

CÔTE D’IVOIRE **SOUTH SUDAN SRI LANKA COLOMBIA PHILIPPINES CENTRAL AFRICAN REP. SOMALIA KENYA UGANDA BURUNDI DEM. REP. OF THE CONGO

ZIMBABWE

IDP population 4,000,000 2,000,000

400,000 * Serbia (and Kosovo: S/RES/1244 (1999)) ** Includes people in an IDP-like situation.

from UNHCR’s protection and as- placement occurring in Afghanistan, number in 15 years. Of the countries sistance activities stood at almost Côte d’Ivoire, Libya, South Sudan, where UNHCR was engaged with 15.5 million at the end of 2011. This was Sudan, and Yemen. UNHCR offices IDPs in 2011, returns were highest in the second highest figure on record, reported at least 2.9 million newly- the Democratic Republic of the Con- and almost 800,000 more than at the displaced people in 2011. More than go (822,700), Pakistan (620,400), Côte end of 2010 (14.7 million). The increase 3.2 million IDPs returned home dur- d’Ivoire (466,800), and Libya (458,000). was partly due to new or renewed dis- ing the reporting period - the highest UNHCR statistics at the end of 2011 included IDP populations in a total of 26 countries. Fig. II.5 Internal displacement due to conflict In Colombia, where Government | 2001-2011 (end-year) registration of IDPs began in 1997, more than 3.8 million IDPs were re- 30 ported as registered by the end of (Mill.) 2011. 41 Escalating violence in Côte

25 d’Ivoire displaced an estimated one million people during the year, while the uprising in Libya displaced more 20 than half a million people within the country. In both countries, hundreds 15 of thousands of IDPs were able to return to their place of habitual resi-

10 dence during the year, reducing the estimated number of IDPs protected/ assisted by UNHCR to 126,700 in Côte 5 d’Ivoire and 93,600 in Libya.

0 41 Cumulative figure dating back to 1997. The Government ‘01 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 has highlighted an under-registration of 21 per cent (see Report by the National Government to the Portion of IDPs protected/assisted by UNHCR Constitutional Court, Judgment T-025/2004).

UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 29 Population Levels and Trends

HE NUMBER OF IDPS protected or assisted by UNHCR in Sudan was approximately 2.4 million 42 by the end of the year. In Somalia, the IDP Tfigure stood at an estimated 1.4 million. In the newly-independent Re- public of South Sudan, an estimated 350,000 people were displaced in 2011, due to fighting. The number of IDPs protected/assisted by UNHCR, including that of persons in an IDP-like situation, stood at 560,200 at the end of the year. Renewed conflict and security concerns displaced 212,000 people in Afghanistan in 2011; by the end of the year, the number of IDPs was estimated at almost 447,500, compared to 351,900 in 2010. (see Annex Table 6) In Yeme n, internal displacement continued as tens of thousands of ci- vilians fled tribal clashes in the north and renewed fighting between government troops and militant groups in the south. As a consequence, the number of IDPs protected/assisted by UNHCR in the country nearly dou- bled to 347,000. In Pakistan, although more than 620,000 IDPs were able to return home in 2011, an estimated 453,000 remained displaced within the country at year- end. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 822,000 IDPs returned to their homes in 2011; however, at the end of the year the number of IDPs remained high (1.7 million) as a result of renewed conflict. 43 Some 96,000 IDPs in Uganda were able to return to their villages in the course of the year, reducing the IDP population remaining in camps and transit sites to less than 30,000, and marking the end of UNHCR’s assistance to displaced people in the country. At the conflict’s peak in 2005, caused by fighting between the Ugan- dan army and the rebel Lord’s Resist- ance Army, there had been 1.84 million IDPs living in 251 camps across 11 districts of northern Uganda.

42 According to IDMC estimates, the number of IDPs in Sudan is estimated at up to 5.2 million 43 The number of newly displaced persons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2011 is unknown.

30 UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 Population Levels and Trends

STATELESS PERSONS Census Programme 44 in providing in- the world. As a result, there was a Identifying stateless persons remains formation that is crucial to determine discrepancy between reliable coun- key to addressing their difficulties, and the magnitude of statelessness. 45 try-level data reported by UNHCR to enabling UNHCR to fulfil its state- The statistics in the Yearbook only and the total number of stateless per- lessness mandate. This responsibility include data on countries for which sons worldwide, estimated at up to includes the prevention and reduction reliable official statistics or estimates 12 million people. Increased data cov- of statelessness and the protection of of stateless populations were avail- erage will gradually narrow this gap. stateless persons, and involves inform- able. Annex table 7 includes some RETURNEES ing the international community of countries (marked with an asterisk) (REFUGEES AND IDPS) 46 the magnitude of statelessness around for which UNHCR has information the world. Measuring statelessness is about the existence of significant Voluntary repatriation (for refugees) complicated by the very nature of the stateless populations but for which no and voluntary return (for IDPs) remain phenomenon. Stateless people often reliable figures were available. They the durable solution sought by the live in a precarious situation on the include the Dominican Republic, In- largest numbers of persons displaced margins of society, frequently lacking dia and Indonesia. by conflict. As a result of enhanced identity documentation, and subject Following a gradual expansion in efforts to provide durable solutions, to discrimination. Only a minority data coverage and awareness of state- 532,000 refugees repatriated voluntar- of countries have procedures in place for the identification, registration and documentation of stateless persons. MEASURING STATELESSNESS In December 2011, UNHCR con- IS COMPLICATED BY THE VERY NATURE vened a Ministerial Intergovernmen- tal Event on Refugees and Stateless OF THE PHENOMENON. Persons to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and less persons in recent years, the qual- ily during 2011, more than double the the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Con- ity of data improved somewhat in 2011, figure for 2010 (197,600). Yet, 2011 saw vention on the Reduction of Stateless- but the number of countries reporting the third lowest number of voluntarily ness. Many States used this occasion to statelessness figures did not increase. repatriated refugees in a decade. More pledge their accession to one or both By the end of 2011, statistics on state- than 3.2 million IDPs were able to re- of the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Con- less populations were available for turn - the highest number in more ventions, to establish 64 countries, compared to the 30 coun- than a decade. 2004 A girl stands outside statelessness determi- tries reporting these figures in , a tent in a UNHCR OTHER GROUPS nation procedures, and when UNHCR first started systemati- OR PEOPLE OF CONCERN emergency relief camp to improve levels of cally collecting statistics on stateless for flood-affected birth registration and populations. For 2011, UNHCR of- UNHCR extended its protection or as- communities alongside 3 5 a road between the civil documentation in fices reported an identified . million sistance activities to individuals whom cities of Hyderabad and order to prevent and stateless persons, a figure comparable it considers “of concern”, but who do Thatta, Pakistan. reduce statelessness. In to that reported in 2010. not fall into any of the above popula- addition, a number of Significant progress was made in tion categories. These activities were States expressed their commitment obtaining statistics on the reduction based on humanitarian or other special to improve data collection on stateless in the number of stateless persons due grounds, and included asylum-seekers populations. Nine States specifically to acquisition of nationality. Approxi- rejected by States, but whom UNHCR pledged to map stateless populations mately 119,000 stateless persons in deemed to be in need of humanitarian within their respective territories in 27 countries acquired nationality dur- assistance or otherwise of its concern. the context of carrying out a national ing the year. Almost half of this num- The number of people in this category population census or through dedicat- ber was as a result of steps to resolve was 1.4 million by year-end, of whom ed surveys and studies. UNHCR has the statelessness situation of part of two-thirds were Afghans. These were already begun to see the results of the the Kurdish population in the Syrian former refugees who returned to Af- 2010 World Population and Housing Arab Republic. ghanistan prior to 2011 but who had Despite improvements in the num- been unable to reintegrate due to the ber of countries reporting and in the re- difficult economic situation, the lack 44 See http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sources/ census/2010_PHC/default.htm liability of reported figures, UNHCR of comprehensive reintegration meas- 45 See for example the report of results of the census of was unable to provide comprehen- ures, and poor security. Many of these the Russian Federation at http://www.perepis-2010.ru/ results_of_the_census/results-inform.php sive statistics on the number of state- individuals continued to benefit from

UNHCR / S. PHELPS 46 See Chapter III for more details on durable solutions less persons in all countries around UNHCR’s assistance. n

UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2011 31