New Migration Map from the US State Department's HIU

The Humanitarian Information Unit (HIU) of the US State Department has posted a new map on its website detailing the latest refugee migrant status in Europe. This follows up on the changes made in Europe to stem the huge flood of refugees flowing north from Turkey through Greece and then spreading out from there. As I noted last year, Europe struck a deal with Turkey to keep people from leaving Turkey until they are processed by European countries, at which time they are allowed to migrate. 

The HIU data (the first page of which is shown below) indicate that fewer than half as many refugees have been relocated as the EU was aiming for. This is, of course, a global issue. Not many countries really want to take in refugees. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported this week that there are a record number of refugees that need to resettled in the world.

The United Nations said today it will try to resettle a record 170,000 refugees urgently in need of a new home next year as it grapples with an unprecedented displacment crisis. The projected resettlement figure from the UN refugee agency represents an increase of nearly 30,000 people compared with this year. But it is still less than 15 per cent of the 1.19 million refugees worldwide who will be "in need of resettlement" in 2017, the UNHCR acknowledged in a report released today.

Overall the UNHCR has estimated that there are currently more than 60 million people who have been forced from their homes worldwide. Of those, roughly 40 million are internally displaced within their home country, while just over 20 million are refugees who have fled across borders.