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June 19, 2019 They escape from dramatic situations, sometimes at the limits of the imagination. Behind them they leave wars, conflicts and persecutions. In 2018 the number of people fleeing their land exceeded 70 million, the highest level recorded by UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, in 70 years. And half of the refugees are minors. An escape in search of the possibility of simply living, but only 7% of the total has been resettled in another country. The number of asylum applications submitted was 1.7 million, with those directed to the USA in the lead.  

Record figures and long-term trend
Data collected in the 2018 UNHCR Global Trends annual report released today show that nearly 70.8 million people are fleeing. Twice that of 20 years ago, with 2.3 million more people than in 2017 and with a population as large as the inhabitants of Turkey. The figure of 70.8 million is estimated by default, considering that the crisis in Venezuela affects this figure only partially. In all, about 4 million Venezuelans, according to the data of the countries that welcomed them, have left the country, making the ongoing crisis one of the most recent recent forced exodus worldwide. Although most people fleeing need international protection, to date only around half a million of them have formally applied for asylum.

New actors in the field
"What we observe in these data constitutes further confirmation of how there is a long-term trend towards an increase in the number of people fleeing in search of security from wars, conflicts and persecutions - said Filippo Grandi, Alto UN Commissioner for Refugees - "We are witnessing an unprecedented involvement of new actors, including those committed to development, private companies and individuals which not only reflects, but also puts into practice the spirit of the Global Compact. on Refugees. We must start from these positive examples - Grandi said - and express even greater solidarity towards the innocent people forced to leave their homes every day ".

Who are the people fleeing / Refugees
The figure of 70.8 million recorded by the report Global Trends is made up of three main groups: the first is that of refugees, i.e. people forced to flee their country due to conflicts, wars or persecutions. In 2018, the number of refugees reached 25.9 million worldwide, 500,000 more than 2017. Also included in this figure are the 5.5 million Palestinian refugees who fall under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Employment Agency in the Near East (United Nations Relief and Works Agency / UNRWA).

Asylum seekers
The second group is made up of asylum seekers, people who are outside their country of origin and who receive int international pending the outcome of the asylum application. At the end of 2018 the number of asylum seekers in the world was 3.5 million.

The displaced
Finally, the largest group, with 41.3 million people, is one that includes the displaced in inland areas to their country of origin, a category which is normally referred to the IDPs words (Internally Displaced People / IDP).

Solutions are lacking
The overall growth in the number of people forced to flee has continued at a faster rate than solutions found in their favor. The best solution for any refugee is represented by the possibility of returning voluntarily to one's own country, in safe and dignified conditions. Other solutions include integration into the host community or resettlement in a third country. However, in 2018 only 92,400 refugees have been resettled, less than 7% of those are on hold. About 593,800 refugees were able to return to their country, while 62,600 acquired new citizenship by naturalization. "Every refugee crisis, wherever it occurs and regardless of how long it is continuing, must be accompanied by the permanent need to find solutions and remove the obstacles that prevent people from returning home - said the High Commissioner Filippo Grandi - This is a complex job which sees the constant commitment of UNHCR, but which requires that all countries also work together for a common goal. It represents one of the great challenges of our times. "

8 facts you need to know
The UNHCR study concludes with a series of facts to keep in mind when talking about the topic: 1) in 2018 one out of two refugees was minor, many (111,000) alone and without families; 2) Uganda has registered 2,800 refugee children aged five or under, alone or separated from their families; 3) a refugee is more likely to live in the town or city (61%) than in rural areas or in a refugee camp; 4) high-income countries welcome an average of 2.7 refugees per 1,000 inhabitants, middle and lower-middle-income countries welcome an average of 5.8, the poorest countries welcome a third of all refugees worldwide; 5) about 80% of the refugees live in countries bordering on the countries of origin; 6) almost 4 out of 5 refugees lived as refugees for at least five years, but one out of 5 refugees remained in this condition for at least 20 years; 7) in 2018 the highest number of new asylum applications was presented by Venezuelans (341,800); 8) in 2018, 1 in 108 was a refugee, asylum seeker or displaced person. 10 years ago the proportion was 1 in 160.