A Global Problem with a Global Solution

The number of refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people around the world has topped 65 million. It’s the first time in the United Nation’s history that the number has surpassed 60 million.

Motley spoke to Mr Martin Rentsch, a spokesman for UNHCR National Office in Germany on this increase in numbers. The Geneva Refugee Convention from 1951, is the foundation of the work of the UNHCR and they follow the principles enshrined in it. Per Mr Rentsch, UNHCR strives " to pursue, improve legislation, international agreements and everything to do with refugee protection to get better protection for people of concern all around the world."

The reason for the need to provide international protection all around the world can be found in the cause of the increase in refugees. Although media focus has been almost exclusively concerned with Syria and the movement of refugees and migrants to Europe, there are other factors at play in this upsetting increase. Mr Rentsch describes the “reason for the recent increase and the increase over the last years and decades is the many conflicts that we’ve had in the world today.”

He describes the many conflicts as ranging from protracted refugee situations which have been existing for sometimes decades to new crises in Africa and of course Syria and Iraq. It is these new and old crises combined which account for the increase.

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