UNHCR is concerned by recent restrictive practices adopted in a number of European countries that are placing additional undue hardships on refugees and asylum-seekers across Europe, creating chaos at several border points, and putting particular pressure on Greece as it struggles to deal with large...

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Karin de Grujil – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 23 February 2016, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. A UNHCR survey found that some 94% of Syrians arriving in Greece in January made the perilous journey...

ATHENS, Greece, Feb 25, 2016 – Border closures in the Balkans may create an enormous and potentially critical refugee bottleneck in Greece, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has warned. Grandi spent most of Wednesday (February 24) in Athens. meeting the Greek prime minister Alexis ...

LESVOS, Greece, Feb 24 – Europe is backing into an even greater refugee crisis by tightening border restrictions on the hundreds of thousands who have fled war and conflict in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries. That was the message of UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi o...

Kos – 27.02.2016 UNHCR’s Representation in Greece expanded yesterday its support to the temporary accommodation of new arrivals in Kalymnos, by installing new hygiene facilities at the island’s port. In nearby Kos, the local office of the UN Refugee Agency furthered its support to the registration ...

Press Releases, 26 February 2016 Joint UNHCR, UNICEF Press Release As part of a joint endeavour to step up protection for the growing numbers of children and others with specific needs arriving in Europe, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and UNICEF are setting up special support centres for childre...

Briefing Notes, 1 March 2016 This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 1 March 2016, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. UNHCR is warning today that Europe is on the cusp of a largely self-induce...

Statements by High Commissioner, 8 March 2016 Mr. President, Thank you for welcoming me here. It is an honour for me to be here with you today to mark International Women's Day and to speak about it from the perspective of the United Nations refugee organization. Honourable members of Parli...

Statements by High Commissioner, 8 March 2016 Mr. President, Thank you for welcoming me here. It is an honour for me to be here with you today to mark International Women's Day and to speak about it from the perspective of the United Nations refugee organization. Honourable members of Parli...

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 8 March 2016, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. UNHCR has taken note of the Statement of the EU Heads of State and Government of Turkey last night and w...