Volunteer Ali dons a wetsuit and heads out into choppy surf off Lesvos to help boatloads of refugees reach the Greek shore safely. Those he helps call him a “superhero,” but Ali, an Iraqi who now lives in Denmark, says he is just “a little kid” prepared to give his life to help others. See the v...

ISTANBUL, Jan 17, 2016 – In a major shift of policy, the Turkish Government has published new regulations which will allow many of the 2.5 million Syrian refugees in the country to apply for work permits. Registered Syrian refugees who have been in Turkey for at least six months will be allowed t...

Geneva/ Ankara, 9 February 2015 – UNHCR expresses its gratitude for the generosity shown by the Turkish authorities and people towards the Syrian refugees they have been hosting for the last five years. UNHCR appreciates that Turkey is continuing to give access to humanitarian and medical cases desp...

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...

GENEVA, Sept 18 (UNHCR) – Following yesterday's mayhem on the Serbian border with Croatia, which has closed some entry points, the UN refugee agency today issued a stark warning that time was running out for Europe to resolve the current refugee crisis. UNHCR blamed the continuing absence of a co...

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 8 September 2015, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Deteriorating conditions inside Syria and neighbouring countries are driving thousands of Syrians to ...

The recent successive announcements of different border control measures by a number of European countries impacted by the refugee and migration crisis only underlines the urgency of establishing a comprehensive European response. This response must be based on the creation of effective reception...

GENEVA, Sept 4, (UNHCR) – The head of the UN refugee agency António Guterres, emphasizing the European Union faced a "defining moment", has laid out a set of key guidelines which he says should underpin all efforts to resolve the current refugee and migration crisis facing Europe. Guterres said t...

GENEVA, Aug 28 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said it was "deeply shocked and saddened" at the grim discovery yesterday of the bodies of 71 people inside a truck abandoned near the Austrian border with Hungary. "This tragedy underscores the ruthlessness of people smugglers who have expanded thei...

GENEVA, Sept 24, (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency today welcomed a decision by European Union leaders to boost resources for humanitarian assistance to countries neighbouring war-torn Syria. UNHCR, in a statement issued after the European Council decision, also welcomed a parallel decision to relo...