| World leaders voice support for new refugee deal. UNHCR hosted a gathering of political leaders from four continents at the UN General Assembly on Monday to galvanize support for the global compact on refugees – a new international agreement aimed at improving responses to refugees which member states are expected to adopt in December. Leaders from Bangladesh, Turkey and Costa Rica stressed the need for the international community to share responsibility for refugees more equitably. “No government has the right to ignore this problem,” said the Turkish minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. “Closing borders is not the right answer.” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi expressed concern about shrinking commitments to resettle refugees to third countries. “We must reverse that course,” he said. | | |
| Italy seeks to adopt stricter criteria for humanitarian protection. An emergency decree adopted by Italy’s council of ministers on Monday limits the use of humanitarian protection – a form of international protection given to those who do not meet the criteria for refugee status but would be at risk if returned home. This form of protection, which was awarded to 25 per cent of those who sought asylum in Italy last year, will now be limited to victims of domestic violence, trafficking, work exploitation and natural disasters, to those needing urgent medical care, and to people who carry out “particularly valuable civic acts”. The decree, which has 60 days to secure government approval to be converted into law, will also suspend asylum requests from those considered “socially dangerous” or convicted of crimes. Asylum-seekers, with the exception of minors, are also to be housed in larger reception centres for up to six months instead of being sent to small shelters in different parts of the country to foster integration. | | |
| Businesses urged to change refugees’ lives while gaining customers. In a special report, Investing in Refugees, released by the Financial Times today, UNHCR Chief Filippo Grandi writes that the private sector has a crucial role to play in transforming the approach to refugees, as envisaged by a new global compact on refugees that he has proposed to the UN General Assembly and is expected to be adopted by the end of 2018. The compact aims to ease pressure on countries hosting refugees by promoting development in hosting communities and by helping refugees become more self-reliant. The FT looks at pioneering efforts by the mobile technology, banking, education and housing sectors to treat refugees as potential customers and contributors. At an event in New York on Monday, 20 companies announced new commitments to hire, train, mentor and invest in refugees. | | |
| South Sudanese surgeon honoured for work helping refugees. Evan Atar Adaha, a 52-year-old doctor who runs the only functioning hospital in north-eastern South Sudan, has been named by UNHCR as the winner of this year’s Nansen Refugee Award . Dr Atar, as he is known, has been providing medical services to refugees from Sudan, displaced South Sudanese and locals in Maban county for the past 20 years. His team at the Maban hospital carries out an average of 58 operations per week in difficult conditions with limited supplies and equipment. “I hope this award can help draw attention to the plight of refugees especially here in Africa where they are often forgotten about," he told Reuters. | | |
| US almost doubles aid for Rohingya and releases findings of investigation. The US said it would contribute an additional US$185 million in aid to help displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh and Myanmar. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley made the announcement during a ministerial meeting to discuss the crisis on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday. The pledge coincided with the release of the State Department’s report documenting “ extreme, large-scale, widespread” violence against the Rohingya as part of a planned, coordinated campaign by Myanmar’s military. | | |
| Aid work suspended in DR Congo’s northeast following deadly attack. Aid groups have had to suspend their work on Ebola prevention activities and assistance to displaced people after an armed group attacked the north-eastern city of Beni on Saturday, killing 18 people. The Norwegian Refugee Council said on Monday that it had suspended all its activities in the area, while other aid groups have had to suspend planned Ebola vaccinations. The NRC said low levels of donor funding and the deteriorating security situation in North Kivu were increasing hunger levels. Last month, UNHCR expressed concern about worsening violence and restrictions on humanitarian access in Beni. | | |
| A new settlement in northern Zambia is bringing development to the area and giving more than 10,000 Congolese refugees the chance to farm or run businesses. Local farmers and traders are also benefiting from access to extra land, seedlings, tools and a new market in the settlement where they can sell their goods. | | |
Just 10 countries host 60 per cent of the world’s 25.4 million refugees, while 10 governmental donors provide almost 80 per cent of UNHCR’s funding.
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