Giving children a new chance in a new land
A Polish educator’s dedication and passion teaching asylum-seekers are fueled by the knowledge she is educating a whole community, one child at a time
View ArticleBulgaria’s asylum centres bursting at the seams as more Syrian refugees enter...
Asylum-seekers in Bulgaria face tough conditions, overcrowded centres and even prolonged detention, as the country struggles to cope with spike in arrivals
View ArticleSyrians face tough conditions in Bulgaria’s makeshift camps
Syrian refugees flow into Europe’s south-eastern border, as the government in Sofia struggles to accommodate them
View ArticleUNHCR chief urges Europe to help Bulgaria cope with Syrian refugee influx
António Guterres also announces that UNHCR will launch a programme to help Bulgaria meet the needs of the several thousand refugees
View ArticlePartners in a new life
Establishing a new life in a strange land may not be easy. But the process can be a growth experience for both refugees and the volunteers who help them
View ArticleUNHCR launches emergency operation to improve conditions for refugees and...
UNHCR provides food and other aid to asylum-seekers in Bulgaria, as the government struggles to cope with the increased arrivals, most of them Syrians
View ArticleUNHCR urges Bulgarian parliamentary committee to uphold human rights of refugees
Proposed changes to Bulgaria’s Law on Asylum and Refugees currently before parliament would restrict rights of asylum-seekers and refugees
View ArticleA family that fled war in Syria hopes for a better future in Poland
A young Syrian family is impatiently waiting for the new year to come as they are expecting their new baby in the first weeks as well as the decision on their asylum claim
View ArticleUNHCR calls for temporary halt to Dublin transfers of asylum-seekers back to...
Asylum-seekers face a genuine risk of inhuman or degrading treatment in Bulgaria due to the systemic deficiencies of the asylum system, concludes a new UNHCR position paper
View ArticleUNHCR report shows leap in asylum applications for industrialized countries
The number of asylum claims submitted in the 44 industrialized countries in 2013 is the highest since 2001
View ArticleTogether again in Slovenia
Being separated from loved ones is an excruciating part of being a refugee. But a special partnership in Slovenia is bringing together families.
View ArticleGlobal forced displacement tops 50 million for first time in post-World War...
Global Trends 2013 report shows that the number of refugees, asylum-seekers, and IDPs worldwide has, for the first time in the post-World War II era, exceeded 50 million people.
View ArticleUNHCR calls for end to detention of asylum-seekers and refugees
UNHCR's new global strategy aims at helping countries move away from the detention of asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless people worldwide
View ArticleSyrian refugee women fight for survival as they head families alone
One quarter of Syrian refugee women caught in a spiral of poverty, isolation and fear
View ArticleUNHCR urges Europe to do more to help Syrian refugees
The UN refugee agency called for European nations to do more to help Syrian refugees who are trying in growing numbers to reach the safety of Europe
View ArticleNeeds soar as number of Syrian refugees tops 3 million
Almost half of all Syrians have been forced to leave home and flee for their lives. One in every eight has fled across the border; a million more than a year ago.
View ArticleNumber of displaced Ukrainians above half million
Fighting in eastern Ukraine, in particular around Donetsk, Luhansk and neighbouring towns, is driving more people from their homes and increasing the need for humanitarian aid.
View ArticleUNHCR on target to deliver 2,410 tons of aid for Iraqi displaced
UNHCR appreciates support of donors for its Iraq operation, particularly Saudi Arabia which has provided US$88.3 million to the refugee agency.
View ArticleHigh seas tragedies leave more than 300 dead on the Mediterranean in past week
More than 300 people have died while trying to make irregular sea crossings from North Africa to Europe in the past week, bringing the death toll this year from sinking vesels on the Mediterranean to...
View ArticleAsylum claims from Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones rise in first half 2014
The number of people seeking refugee status in industrialized countries continued to climb in the first half of 2014, driven by the wars in Syria and Iraq as well as conflict and instability in...
View ArticleFrom Ironman to doctor - Romanian hospitality may make it possible
After three years in Romania, a young Iranian refugee has found his adopted country to be a welcoming place - his dream is to become a doctor.
View ArticleAfghan trainee chef has the recipe to make it in Hungary
Zia arrived to Hungary as an Afghan refugee at the age of 15, completely on his own. Now he is a trainee chef in a top Budapest hotel with his own family and a career plan.
View ArticleBulgarians urged to “see refugees through new eyes” in media campaign
Imaginative TV spots help fight discrimination against refugees in Bulgaria by encouraging viewers to imagine themselves isolated and far from home.
View ArticleHousing programme to help Bosnians rebuild two decades after the war
The Regional Housing Programme plans to funnel millions of euros into the Balkans to provide housing for tens of thousands of people who were displaced during the conflicts of the 1990s.
View ArticleThe approach of winter threatens thousands of displaced Ukrainians
In UNHCR-sponsored collective centres in Ukraine aid workers distribute essential supplies to some of the 490,000 people uprooted by the fighting as winter arrives to the country.
View ArticleSyrians give back to the country that gave them refuge and hope
While working to integrate into Hungarian life, a reunited Syrian family discovers a novel way to give back to the country that has given them a home.
View ArticleHungarian border last hurdle on a long journey from war zones
Fleeing war and persecution, many Afghans and Syrians turn to smugglers to help them enter Europe, where they hope to find safety and a better life.
View ArticleOnce a child refugee, young Afghan becomes confident "Hungarian" man
Dariush arrived in Hungary at the age of 15 as an unaccompanied minor. Today, he's a fluent Hungarian speaker and hopes to work in the tourism industry.
View ArticleEscape from terror leads only to Ukrainian war zone for two desperate Iraqis
Yusuf and Omar fled war in Iraq – only to find a different conflict engulfing their safe haven in Ukraine. Now they hope for safety in Western Europe.
View ArticleDisplaced families in Ukraine rely on the kindness of strangers
As collective centres in Mariupol are flooded with families displaced in the conflict, fellow Ukrainians offer much-needed help.
View ArticleUNHCR report shows world’s poorest countries host most refugees
Wars in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere caused 5.5 million people to become refugees or internally displaced in the first half of 2014, says a UNHCR report released today.
View ArticleBureaucracy threatens the dream of enterprising refugees in Bulgaria
Until recently, the newly opened salon Persia was a success story of refugee integration. But barely six months after opening its doors, the salon has become a cautionary tale about the challenges of...
View ArticleA safe Romanian pit stop on the road to resettlement
After a lifetime of uncertainty and danger, 24-year-old Ahmed, a refugee from Somalia, is finally about to start a normal life with his family after he will be resettled from the Emergency Transit...
View ArticlePhoto essay: From Nigerian to “Croatian” in three years
Prince Soniyiki is the poster boy for Croatia’s refugee system. When he arrived from Nigeria three years ago, he felt like a “complete nobody.” Today he has a good job and is an advocate for...
View ArticleGenerosity of Ukrainians helps displaced face winter cold
Private citizens are playing a vital role in helping more than 1 million people displaced inside Ukraine to survive the bitterly cold winter.
View ArticleUNHCR saddened by death of baby Kosovar asylum-seeker in Hungary
UNHCR extends its sympathy to the Kosovar asylum-seeker family whose 18-month-old baby girl died of pneumonia at an open reception centre in Vamosszabadi, Hungary.
View ArticleIranian asylum-seeker in Hungary uses sport to heal body and soul
Najib sits in the gym where he exercises, telling a horrifying tale of arbitary punishment against his wife in Iran. Only his passion for sports, he says, allows him to conquer the pain and be strong...
View ArticleUNHCR calls for an investigation into the death of two Iraqis at the...
UNHCR is concerned over a recent incident where two Iraqi men lost their lives earlier this month at the land border between Bulgaria and Turkey.
View ArticleThe IKEA Brighter Lives for Refugees campaign raises €10.8 million for UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency thanks IKEA customers and co-workers for supporting ‘Brighter Lives for Refugees’, a global cause-related campaign that raised €10.8 million for refugees this year.
View ArticleBangladeshi family cooks up success in Hungary – in any language
The Ali family's lifetime on the run in search of safety came to an end in Budapest – where they have put their culinary and linguistic talents to good use.
View ArticleUNHCR - New Mediterranean boat tragedy may be biggest ever, urgent action is...
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has expressed his shock at the latest boat capsizing on the Mediterranean, and the hundreds of lives reported to have been lost.
View ArticleUkrainians: rejected at home but Poland says they are not refugees
Two Ukrainian men tell how they had to flee after their neighbors turned on them – but no Ukrainians fleeing conflict have been granted refugee status in Poland.
View ArticleUNHCR calls on Hungary to protect, not persecute, refugees
UNHCR on Friday spoke out against a growing expression of xenophobia in Hungary. It raised concerns over efforts by the Hungarian government to paint refugees as a threat to the country.
View ArticleUNHCR billboards encourage Hungarians to get to know real refugees
Next week, UNHCR will launch a World Refugee Day billboard campaign highlighting links between Hungarians and refugees.
View ArticleUNHCR urges Hungary not to amend its asylum system in a rush, ignoring...
The UN refugee agency is deeply concerned about a set of proposals to amend Hungary’s asylum act that have been put forward this week to the Hungarian parliament for debate.
View ArticleOpen letter to the Members of the Hungarian Parliament
The Parliament is planning to discuss a number of legislative amendments in a rushed manner, the adoption of which would jeopardize the lives and safety of asylum-seekers arriving from war zones.
View ArticleTotal number of Syrian refugees exceeds 4 million
The Syrian is the world’s single largest refugee crisis for almost a quarter of a century.
View ArticleLending a hand in Hungary
Locals in the Hungarian capital are coming together to help exhausted asylum-seekers with food, clothes and kind words.
View ArticleStatement by UNHCR Chief, António Guterres on refugee crisis in Europe
Europe has failed to find an effective common response, and people have suffered as a result. To address this untenable situation, we all must keep in mind a number of fundamental points.
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