Where persecuted writers find refuge
Syrian writer Rabab Haidar had to flee her homeland because she resisted President Assad. She has now found refuge at the Heinrich Böll House in Germany. For World Poetry Day, we look into her story.
syrian refugees
3.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey struggle with access to education
The city of Adana in Southern Turkey near the border with Syria is indicative of the situation of the currently 3.5 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey, including hundreds of thousands of minors who are often not enrolled in school. But a UNICEF program aims to change that with money from the EU-Turkey deal.
Norwegian Refugee Council urges EU to restart relocation programme
Three years after the EU-Turkey declaration, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is calling on European countries to take their share of responsibility for handling refugees. Paying off Turkey and Greece, who have been excessively hit by the crisis, cannot be the solution, the NRC said.
UNICEF: Eight million children have been affected by war in Syria, which enters 9th year
March 15, 2019 marked the beginning of the ninth year of the war in Syria. UNICEF is commemorating the date by recalling that 8 million children have been affected by the war, five million of whom need humanitarian assistance within Syria's borders, and 2.5 of whom are refugees in neighboring countries.
Syria donor conference brings pledges of $7 billion for refugees
Donor pledges exceeded expectations at the 2019 conference in Brussels. But with 12 million refugees across the region and the Syria conflict far from over, questions remain over how to deliver aid.
Audio: Armenia welcomes Syrian refugees
For many European countries, the arrival of war refugees has caused domestic political upheaval. But one tiny European nation has actively welcomed those fleeing Syria. That country is Armenia, a country of just three million people in the south Caucasus region. And as Christian Cummins found out, this open-arms policy has cultural, historical and pragmatic roots.
EU-Turkey deal: 12,000 people transferred in 2018
Around 7000 Syrian refugees were transferred from Turkey to EU countries in 2018 as part of the EU-Turkey deal, while just over 5000 asylum seekers were sent from Greece to Turkey. Critics of the deal say it turns a blind eye to the detrimental conditions in Greece and Turkey.
'Fun Bus' in Lebanon gets child refugees off the streets
An initiative by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR and the European Union is providing a "Fun Bus" in Lebanon to offer children who are forced to work on the streets a safe place to play and learn.
Germany: Family reunification figures picking up
The number of people entering Germany to join family members who have received temporary or 'subsidiary' protection status has reached its planned target of 1,000 per month. But critics are still calling for the cap to be lifted altogether.
Germany facilitated return of more than 400 Syrian refugees
German authorities offered financial assistance to 437 Syrian refugees to return to their country voluntarily in 2018. That’s according to preliminary figures provided by Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, BAMF.
Turkey: 268,000 undocumented migrants apprehended in 2018
The Turkish interior ministry said they apprehended around 268,000 undocumented migrants in 2018. The ministry also released estimates for how many Syrian refugees have returned home: roughly 310,000. But more than ten times as many Syrians remain in the country.
Baking up a future in Germany
A bakery in eastern Germany is helping the integration of a Syrian refugee. Through an apprenticeship program, Mohamad Hamza Alemam is forging a future as a baker. And growing new roots in his host country.