UNHCR report sees steady displacement of people around the world
The number of people forced to flee their place of residence either within their country or to migrate across borders has been steadily increasing for the last 12 years, according to the UNHCR’s annual report on refugees for 2023 published Wednesday and seen by Kathimerini.
The report notes that 1.5% of the world’s population today is displaced from their place of residence due to war, climate threats and poverty and lives in refugee conditions. Refugee flows in Greece have also followed the global trend and since the beginning of the year (2024) there has been a large increase of 150% compared to the previous year.
More specifically, in the first quarter of 2024, 11,835 people arrived in Greece, while in the corresponding period of 2023, the number of arrivals was much lower, at 4,660. Until June 9, according to the data of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, 18,439 asylum seekers had arrived in Greece. Of these, 16,116 came by sea to the Aegean islands and 2,323 by land from Evros.
By April 2024, 65,038 refugees had been granted asylum in Greece, but according to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and as shown by the number of those hosted in state accommodation facilities, many did not remain in the country.
At the same time, by May 2024, 29,767 Ukrainians had applied for and received temporary protection status in Greece. However, very few are hosted in state-run facilities, while many are more likely to have traveled to other European countries where they have relatives.
