FORCED GLOBAL DISPLACEMENT TRENDS IN 2017 2017 IN REVIEW Trends at a Glance Globally, the forcibly displaced population increased in 2017 by 2.9 million. By the end of the year, 68.5 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, or generalized violence. As a result, the world’s forcibly displaced population remained yet again at a record high. MILLION FORCIBLY DISPLACED as a result of 68.5 WORLD wiDE persecution, conflict, or generalized violence 25.4 million refugees 19.9 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate 5.4 million Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate 40.0 million internally displaced people1 3.1 million asylum-seekers 16.2 44,400 MILLION NEWLY DISPLACED 1 IN 6 NEW DISPLACEMENTS An estimated 16.2 million people EVERY DAY were newly displaced in 2017. Lebanon continued to host the This included 11.8 million individuals largest number of refugees relative 2 The number of new displacements displaced within the borders of to its national population, where 1 in was equivalent to an average of their own countries and 4.4 million 6 people was a refugee under the 44,400 people being forced to flee newly displaced refugees and new responsibility of UNHCR. Jordan their homes every day in 2017. asylum-seekers. (1 in 14) and Turkey (1 in 23) ranked second and third, respectively. When Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate are included, 85% the figures rise to 1 in 4 for Lebanon 3.1 and 1 in 3 for Jordan. MILLION Developing regions hosted 85 per ASYLUM-SEEKERS cent of the world’s refugees under UNHCR’s mandate, about 16.9 million 1 Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre of the Norwegian Refugee Council. people. The least developed countries 2 Ibid. By the end of 2017, about 3.1 million provided asylum to a growing 3 The number of new individual asylum people were awaiting a decision on proportion, amounting to one-third of applications for Turkey does not include Syrian their application for asylum, about nationals who receive protection under the the global total (6.7 million refugees). Temporary Protection Regulation. half in developing regions. 2 UNHCR > GLOBAL TRENDS 2017 5 1.7 102,800 MILLION MILLION NEW CLAIMS REFUGEES FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE RESETTLEMENT RETurNED Asylum-seekers submitted 1.7 million new asylum claims. With 331,700 such claims, the United States of America In 2017, UNHCR submitted 75,200 refugees to States for resettlement, During 2017, nearly 5 million was the world’s largest recipient of a 54 per cent drop from 2016 due to displaced people returned to their new individual applications, followed the decline in resettlement quotas. areas or countries of origin, by Germany (198,300), Italy (126,500), 3 According to government statistics, comprising 4.2 million internally and Turkey (126,100). 102,800 refugees were admitted for displaced people and 667,400 resettlement during the year, with or refugees. Returns have not kept without UNHCR’s assistance. pace with the rate of new displacements. 3.5 MILLION PEOPLE 173,800 UNACCOMPANIED For the fourth consecutive year, 68% Turkey hosted the largest number of AND SEPARATED refugees worldwide, with 3.5 million people. The main countries of CHILDREN Altogether, more than two-thirds asylum for refugees were: (68 per cent) of all refugees worldwide came from just five countries: This conservative estimate takes into account new applications, asylum- Syrian Arab Republic Turkey 3.5 million 6.3 million seekers and refugees. It includes Pakistan 1.4 million 45,500 unaccompanied and Afghanistan separated children who sought asylum 2.6 million Uganda 1.4 million on an individual basis in 2017 as reported by 67 countries and 138,700 998,900 South Sudan Lebanon unaccompanied and separated child 2.4 million refugees and asylum-seekers as Islamic Rep. of Iran 979,400 reported by 63 UNHCR operations, Myanmar Germany 970,400 with reductions to avoid possible 1.2 million double-counting. Bangladesh 932,200 Somalia 986,400 Sudan 906,600 52% CHILDREN Children below 18 years of age constituted about half of the refugee population in 2017, up from 41 per Dem. Rep. cent in 2009 but similar to more of the Congo recent years. The IDP population in the Dem. Rep. of the Congo doubled in 2017 to 4.4 million. Also, 620,800 Congolese refugees Myanmar in other countries and 537,100 refugees from other countries 655,500 refugees displaced in Dem. Rep. of the Congo. to Bangladesh in 2017, mostly in 100 days since end of August. UNHCR > GLOBAL TRENDS 2017 3 “We are at a watershed, where success in managing forced displacement globally requires a new and far more comprehensive approach so that countries and communities aren’t left dealing with this alone.” Filippo Grandi United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees CHAPTER 1 Introduction Multiple ongoing displacement crises and several new ones characterized 2017. As a result, the global population of forcibly displaced people increased to 68.5 million, compared with 65.6 million in 2016. Significant new displacement, affecting millions of people, was seen in particular from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Myanmar as well as continuing displacement due to the Syrian crisis. The past decade has seen substantial growth in the global population of forcibly displaced people. In 2007, this population numbered 42.7 million; over the last 10 years, this figure has increased by over 50 per cent [Figure 1].4 Today 1 out of every 110 people in the world is displaced, compared with 1 in 157 a decade ago, with much of this increase having occurred over the last five years.5 While the Syrian conflict contributed significantly to this increase, there have been other major displacements throughout the world over the last five years, notably in and from Burundi, Central African Republic, the DRC, Iraq, Myanmar, South Sudan, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen. 4 These included 25.4 million refugees: 19.9 million under UNHCR’s mandate and 5.4 million Palestinian refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The global figure also included 40.0 million internally displaced persons (source: IDMC) and 3.1 million individuals whose asylum applications had not yet been adjudicated by the end of the reporting period. 5 The annual rate of change of the population of forcibly displaced in the first five years of the last decade was -0.09 per cent, while for the last five years it was 9.5 per cent per year on average. 4 UNHCR > GLOBAL TRENDS 2017 BANGLADESH. An eight-year-old Rohingya refugee girl stands beneath a UNHCR solar lantern outside her shelter at Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh. "I feel happy to have light; it helps me to study," she says. Newly arrived families receive solar lanterns as part of their emergency relief package. © UNHCR/ANdrEW MCCONNEll UNHCR > GLOBAL TRENDS 2017 5 CHAPTER 1 Figure 1 | Trend of global displacement and proportion displaced | 2007-2017 70 10 9 60 8 50 7 6 Proportion displaced 40 5 isplaced population (millions) D 30 4 20 3 2 10 (number displaced per 1,000 world population) 1 0 0 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17 Internally displaced persons UNRWA refugees UNHCR refugees Asylum-seekers Proportion displaced The levels of new displacements in 2017 continued remained forcibly displaced, of whom 1.8 million to far outstrip any returns or other solutions. were IDPs and 3.0 million were refugees or asylum- During the year, 16.2 million people were newly seekers. Other large displaced populations at the displaced, including 4.4 million who sought end of 2017 included people from South Sudan protection abroad 6 and 11.8 million who were (4.4 million), Iraq (3.3 million), Somalia (3.2 million), forced to flee but remained in their own countries.7 Sudan (2.7 million), Yemen (2.1 million), Nigeria In 2017 an average of some 44,400 people were (2.0 million), and Ukraine (2.0 million). newly displaced every day [Figure 2], a higher rate than seen even in 2014. At the same time, many The situations in the DRC and Myanmar others returned to their countries or areas of origin deteriorated rapidly in the second half of 2017, to try to rebuild their lives, including 4.2 million affecting millions of people. The flight of refugees internally displaced people (IDPs) and at least from Myanmar to Bangladesh occurred at a 667,400 refugees. particularly rapid rate. Over 2017, 655,500 arrived in Bangladesh, mainly concentrated in 100 days As in previous years, the Syrian Arab Republic from the end of August,9 making the humanitarian (Syria) continued to account for the largest forcibly response very challenging. In addition, there was a displaced population globally. As of the end of 2017, large proportion of infants, children, and pregnant there were 12.6 million forcibly displaced Syrians, women among refugees and IDPs from the DRC comprising around 6.3 million refugees, and Myanmar, adding a further layer of complexity 146,700 asylum-seekers, and 6.2 million IDPs. for interventions. Colombia had the second-largest displaced population with 7.9 million victims of conflict, the 6 Consisting of 1.7 million new individual claims for asylum and 2.7 majority of whom were IDPs (7.7 million).8 The DRC million new refugees recognized on a prima facie or group basis. was the third-largest displacement situation with 7 Based on a global estimate from IDMC. 8 The large number of registered IDPs in Colombia comes from 5.1 million Congolese forcibly displaced, comprising the total cumulative figure recorded in the Government’s Victims 4.4 million IDPs, 620,800 refugees and 136,400 Registry, which commenced in 1985.