As the UN registers more than 100 million people trying to escape war, persecution and hunger, those trying to help migrants and refugees may feel like they have little to celebrate. But the fight for better humanitarian assistance and peace-building continues.
The number of asylum seekers in the European Union has increased significantly in 2022, according to a media report. In Berlin, meanwhile, the accommodation situation for migrants and refugees continues to be tense as the number of asylum applications keeps rising.
Norway has accepted over 32,000 mostly Ukrainian refugees so far this year, according to Norwegian government figures. The non-EU country expects to take in a similar number in 2023.
Switzerland has announced a temporary halt to its participation in a UN program to take in vulnerable refugees. The government says the influx of war refugees from Ukraine has pushed it to the limit.
Tenants in Pakistan's capital are complaining that Afghan refugees are pushing up rents. Many of the Afghans say they can't move on because of delays getting visas to Western nations.
Thanks to a humanitarian corridors project, on Wednesday, 37 Syrian nationals including 13 minors arrived in Rome on a flight from Beirut. On October 28, another 29 refugees are due to arrive from Lebanon.
Humanitarian corridors bring new groups of asylum seekers to Italy and Belgium from Cyprus and Lebanon, with the last legs of the initiative carried out by the Sant' Egidio Community.
In 2023, the German state of Berlin will take in 300 Syrians who are living in refugee camps in Lebanon. Berlin wants to extend admissions for vulnerable and at risk groups.
The Danish government has announced that it will take 200 refugees from Rwanda under a resettlement quota scheme. But the door remains firmly closed to asylum seekers.
The number of Italian citizens who have chosen to live abroad is higher than the number of immigrants who reside in Italy, new research shows. The COVID-19 pandemic, legal barriers and other obstacles have impeded the growth of Italy's immigrant population, the Catholic foundation has said.
NesT, the German resettlement program that has groups of volunteers taking vulnerable refugees under their wings, is to be continued long-term. 200 additional refugees are expected to arrive in Germany next year. Conditions to become a 'mentor' will also be eased.
UNHCR has said that two million refugees will be in need of resettlement next year. That's 36% more than the number of those in 2022, the UN agency said.