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...

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 28 August 2015, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The number of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean this year has now exceeded 300,000, inc...

GENEVA, Aug 27 (UNHCR) – With almost 60 million people forcibly displaced globally and boat crossings of the Mediterranean in the headlines almost daily, it is becoming increasingly common to see the terms 'refugee' and 'migrant' being used interchangeably in media and public discourse. But is there...

Con quasi 60 milioni di persone costrette a lasciare le proprie case in tutto il mondo e le traversate in barca del Mediterraneo in prima pagina quasi ogni giorno, è sempre più comune vedere i termini “rifugiato” e “migrante” usati in maniera intercambiabile, sia tra i media che nei dibattiti. Ma tr...

GENEVA, Aug 26 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency head António Guterres on Wednesday reiterated the need to protect refugees fleeing to Europe by ensuring they are protected from human traffickers and that a properly functioning system is created to allow them to apply for asylum legally. At a joint...