Europe

As the custodian of the 1951 Refugee Convention, UNHCR works to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless persons by providing guidance, training and support to governments across Europe and promoting the best international standards in legislation, policy and procedures.  

As part of these efforts, we forge and strengthen partnerships and coordination mechanisms to garner wide-ranging support from relevant stakeholders in the spirit of the Global Compact on Refugees, to enhance joint advocacy efforts, mobilize resources and counter negative discourse. 

UNHCR supports efforts by governments and other stakeholders to find solutions for refugees, notably in the form of local integration or resettlement, as well as voluntary return. We also promote safe and regulated avenues under which refugees can be admitted to a third country. These include community sponsorship programmes, family reunification, scholarships and humanitarian visas. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the international armed conflict in Ukraine have had important socioeconomic consequences for everyone in Europe. Refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless people have been particularly affected.

To address these challenges, we have expanded the use of social media, hotlines and other methods of communication to ensure continued delivery of protection services. 

In addition, UNHCR advocates to end statelessness in Europe and globally by 2024, in line with the #IBelong campaign. At the same time, we are also pressing for concerted European action to prevent loss of life in the Mediterranean and to improve the reception system for asylum-seekers. 

We produce and publish statistics and data on refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless people and engage with the public to foster inclusiveness and empathy. 

Offices in various operations have also begun forming refugee working groups and committees to better understand the issues facing people forced to flee and to communicate with them on UNHCR’s areas of operations. 

What is the difference between a refugee, an asylum-seeker and a migrant?

People who are forced to flee their country in fear of persecution are refugees. They have legal protections under the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, as well as other legal instruments. UNHCR, governments and humanitarian organizations offer assistance to refugees, who are recognized by State authorities or UNHCR, because it is too dangerous for them to return home. Asylum-seekers are people whose request for refugee status, or asylum, is being processed. 

People who move to a different country primarily to improve their lives by finding work or gaining education, or to reunite with family, are called migrants. 

This distinction is important. States interact with refugees through specific norms dealing with refugee protection and asylum defined in regional and international frameworks. 

Are all refugees coming to Europe?

No. Nearly 83 per cent of the world’s refugees and Venezuelans displaced abroad were hosted by low- and middle-income countries as of the end of 2021, and 72 per cent were hosted in neighbouring countries. The Global Compact on Refugees emphasizes the importance of greater responsibility- and burden-sharing. Yet, when it comes to hosting refugees, the burden is not equally shared. Developing regions continued to shoulder a disproportionately large responsibility for hosting displaced populations. 

According to UNHCR data, as of May 2022, there were more than 100 million people forcibly displaced in the world, with the total number propelled by the hostilities in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts. 

How many people are displaced within their own country in Europe?

By the end of 2021, the number of internationally displaced persons (IDPs) in Europe was 2.1 million, mainly in Ukraine (already with 0.8 million before the war started), Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Georgia, and Serbia and Kosovo - S/RES/1244 (1999).

The international armed conflict in Ukraine has led to the displacement of millions within the country. Estimates of these populations are challenging due to the rapidly evolving situation. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) conducts randomized, representative telephone surveys to estimate the number of people displaced within Ukraine. At the end of June 2022, there were an estimated more than 6 million IDPs in Ukraine.

Who are UNHCR’s partners in Europe?

As per its mandated responsibilities and in line with the Global Compact on Refugees, UNHCR engages with various stakeholders to pursue its protection and solutions priorities in Europe. These include governments, international organizations within and outside the UN system, other humanitarian and development actors, regional actors (notably the European Union and its agencies, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), local authorities, municipalities, academia, the private sector, media and civil society, including faith-based organizations. Refugees and other populations of concern are key partners, and we have been strengthening our engagement with refugee-led organizations. In collaboration with the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) and the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), we organize regular regional dialogues and consultations with civil society actors to identify opportunities for joint and complementary advocacy. 

We are also committed to supporting the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. In Europe, UNHCR is an integral part of the regional UN system and co-chairs the Issue-Based Coalition on Large Movements of People, Displacement and Resilience. 

In Europe, four of our offices are accredited to regional institutions (the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the European Union Agency for Asylum, and Frontex).