refugees

Vietnamese boat people arriving in Malaysia in 1978. Helping refugees from Vietnam was one of the major challenges in UNHCR's first 60 years

On 60th anniversary, UN refugee agency highlights new causes of displacement

14 December 2010
The head of the United Nations refugee agency today urged the international community to come up with ways of responding to the displacement of people as a result of evolving circumstances that did not exist when the organization was founded or when treaties on refugees were created.
Opening session of the High Commissioner for Refugees’ Dialogue begins in Geneva

Top UN refugee official calls for better protection for displaced people

8 December 2010
The head of the United Nations refugee agency today called for improved measures to protect displaced and stateless people, citing gaps in current arrangements that mainly stemmed from inadequate implementation of existing treaties.
Congolese refugees in the back of a truck after returning to Katanga province from Zambia

UN shuts down camps in Zambia after Congolese refugees go home

29 October 2010
The United Nations refugee agency this week closed the last two remaining camps in Zambia which hosted refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), after the repatriation of the final group of refugees.
Mauritian refugees cross the River Senegal on a ferry chartered by UNHCR

UN resumes repatriation of Mauritanian refugees from Senegal

19 October 2010
The first group of Mauritanian refugees have returned to their home country from Senegal, as the United Nations refugee agency’s repatriation scheme resumes following a 10-month break.
High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres (right) meets refugees at a community centre in southern Beirut

Lebanon: UN official supports improved conditions for refugees

24 June 2010
The top United Nations refugee official has wrapped up a visit to Lebanon by urging authorities to improve conditions for refugees living there, while urging the governments in Iraq and elsewhere to create conditions so that the displaced can return to their homelands.
Refugees in their special tented camp in remote and desolate region

Number of refugees returning home drops to lowest in 20 years – UN report

15 June 2010
With major conflicts in Afghanistan and Somalia among those showing no signs of being resolved, the number of refugees voluntarily returning to their home countries last year plummeted to their lowest levels in two decades, according to a new United Nations report.