Joint press conference opening remarks by António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees

GENEVA, Nov 5 (UNHCR) – With thousands of refugees and migrants continuing to arrive in Europe via the Mediterranean each day as winter approaches, the UN refugee agency is appealing to donors for US$96.15 million in additional support for Greece and affected countries in the Balkans. UNHCR's new...

ATHENS, Greece, Dec 14 (UNHCR) – The UN Refugee Agency and the European Commission have launched a programme to provide 20,000 additional reception places for asylum seekers in Greece through subsidies for private sector housing. The Commission is providing 80 million euros from the 2016 EU budge...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Press Releases, 20 April 2016 On Tuesday, a UNHCR team interviewed survivors of what could be one of the worst tragedies involving refugees and migrants in the last 12 months. If confirmed, as many as 500 people may have lost their lives when a large ship went down in the Mediterranean Sea at an ...

Athens, 23 April 2016 PRESS RELEASE The Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction (Alternate Minister for Migration Policy) and UNHCR are strengthening their collaboration for the provision of accommodation and assistance to the refugees who are currently in Greece. On Wednesday, 2...