General Article Refugees flee in record numbers around the world

Topic Selected: Expat or Immigrant? Book Volume: 359
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The world’s refugee population is growing. But the countries where migration is most contentious is not where most refugees are settling.

By Ben Barber

Conflict, poverty, violence and human rights violations are driving more people to flee their homelands than at any time since World War Two.

Last year, an estimated 13.6 million people were newly displaced due to conflict or persecution, raising the total number of individuals who have been forced to flee their homes to a record 70.8 million, according to a UN report.

The number of refugees ‘is the highest number since we started tracking them,’ said Sibylla Brodzinsky, a Washington spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Of the displaced, 28 million – or 40% – fled to another country and are considered refugees, said Kathleen Newland, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington think tank. Another 40 million fled from their homes but remained in their native country and are counted as ‘inter...

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