Latest news with #ShabiaMantoo
Business Recorder
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
UN estimates 2.5m refugees will need resettling in 2026
GENEVA: An estimated 2.5 million refugees worldwide will need to be resettled next year, the UN said Tuesday, at a time when the United States but also other nations are shrinking resettlement access. UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, said the needs were down slightly from this year, when around 2.9 million refugees are estimated to need resettlement. 'This is mainly due to the changed situation in Syria, which has allowed for voluntary returns,' UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva. 'We are seeing some people pull out of resettlement processes in favour of plans to go home to rebuild,' she added. Mantoo said that in 2026, the largest refugee populations likely to need to be resettled were Afghans, Syrians, South Sudanese, Rohingya from Myanmar, and Congolese. Most of the refugees will need resettling from major host countries including Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Uganda, she said. The announcement came as the UNHCR's resettlement efforts face towering hurdles. 'In 2025... resettlement quotas are expected to be the lowest in two decades, falling below the levels seen even during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many countries paused their programmes,' Mantoo said. Part of the decline is linked to the United States — long the world's biggest resettler of refugees — which has now slammed its doors shut. Shortly after returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump halted the US refugee resettlement programme. Trump's predecessor Joe Biden had embraced the programme designed to facilitate legal resettlement of vetted refugees, resettling over 100,000 refugees in the United States last year. Mantoo stressed though that the problem was not with just one country. 'We have indications that a number of countries are reducing or adjusting quotas,' she said.
Shafaq News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
UNHCR: 2.5M refugees need resettlement as US freezes program
Shafaq News/ Approximately 2.5 million refugees will require resettlement in 2025, a slight decrease from this year, largely due to voluntary returns of Syrians, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced on Tuesday. The figure, while still high, reflects a drop from 2.9 million in 2024, UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo told reporters. "We are seeing people withdraw asylum applications and planning to return home and rebuild their lives," she said, citing improvements in Syria as a key factor. The update comes as the United States has suspended its refugee resettlement program, which enables selected refugees to move from a host country to another state, granting them permanent residency, a program that is rare and highly selective. The largest groups projected to need resettlement next year include Afghans (573,400), Syrians (442,400), South Sudanese (258,200), Sudanese (246,800), Rohingya (233,300), and Congolese (179,500). UNHCR warned that resettlement quotas set by host countries in 2025 are expected to reach their lowest in two decades, falling below even the levels seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'This sharp drop in available places risks erasing the significant progress made in recent years,' Mantoo cautioned. Given the growing needs and limited resettlement opportunities, UNHCR urged host countries to maintain and expand their refugee programs. For 2026, the international community has set a resettlement target of 120,000 refugees, a slight increase from last year's 116,000. Since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump has suspended the American resettlement program, despite the country previously accepting over 100,000 refugees annually. Mantoo noted that several other countries are also reducing or adjusting their quotas.
Express Tribune
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
UN flags refugee crisis, says Pakistan key host
An estimated 2.5 million refugees worldwide will need to be resettled next year, the UN said Tuesday, at a time when the United States but also other nations are shrinking resettlement access. UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, said the needs were down slightly from this year, when around 2.9 million refugees are estimated to need resettlement. "This is mainly due to the changed situation in Syria, which has allowed for voluntary returns," UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva. "We are seeing some people pull out of resettlement processes in favour of plans to go home to rebuild," she added. Mantoo said that in 2026, the largest refugee populations likely to need to be resettled were Afghans, Syrians, South Sudanese, Rohingya from Myanmar, and Congolese. Most of the refugees will need resettling from major host countries including Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Uganda, she said. The announcement came as the UNHCR's resettlement efforts face towering hurdles. "In 2025... resettlement quotas are expected to be the lowest in two decades, falling below the levels seen even during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many countries paused their programmes," Mantoo said. Part of the decline is linked to the United States -- long the world's biggest resettler of refugees — which has now slammed its doors shut. Shortly after returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump halted the US refugee resettlement programme
NDTV
11 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
2.5 Million Refugees Face Uncertainty As Global Resettlement Access Shrinks
An estimated 2.5 million refugees worldwide will need to be resettled next year, the UN said Tuesday, at a time when the United States but also other nations are shrinking resettlement access. UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, said the needs were down slightly from this year, when around 2.9 million refugees are estimated to need resettlement. "This is mainly due to the changed situation in Syria, which has allowed for voluntary returns," UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva. "We are seeing some people pull out of resettlement processes in favour of plans to go home to rebuild," she added. Mantoo said that in 2026, the largest refugee populations likely to need to be resettled were Afghans, Syrians, South Sudanese, Rohingya from Myanmar, and Congolese. Most of the refugees will need resettling from major host countries including Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Uganda, she said. The announcement came as the UNHCR's resettlement efforts face towering hurdles. "In 2025... resettlement quotas are expected to be the lowest in two decades, falling below the levels seen even during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many countries paused their programmes," Mantoo said. Part of the decline is linked to the United States -- long the world's biggest resettler of refugees -- which has now slammed its doors shut. Shortly after returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump halted the US refugee resettlement programme. Trump's predecessor Joe Biden had embraced the programme designed to facilitate legal resettlement of vetted refugees, resettling over 100,000 refugees in the United States last year. Mantoo stressed though that the problem was not with just one country. "We have indications that a number of countries are reducing or adjusting quotas," she said. Stressing that resettlement among other things "offers a concrete alternative to dangerous journeys", Mantoo urged countries to "sustain their programmes and increase their intake". In recognition that the needs far outstrip the available spots, she said that the international community had set itself a goal of resettling 120,000 refugees in 2026. "Recent history shows that this is achievable," she said. Last year, she said that despite the challenges, the UNHCR supported the resettlement of 116,000 refugees globally. "Every place is invaluable for those fleeing danger." Earlier this month UNHCR said a record 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes at the end of 2024. But that figure dropped to 122.1 million by the end of April this year, as Syrians began returning home after years of turmoil. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Arab News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
UN estimates 2.5 million refugees will need resettling in 2026 from Pakistan, other countries
GENEVA: An estimated 2.5 million refugees worldwide will need to be resettled next year, the UN said Tuesday, at a time when the United States but also other nations are shrinking resettlement access. UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, said the needs were down slightly from this year, when around 2.9 million refugees are estimated to need resettlement. 'This is mainly due to the changed situation in Syria, which has allowed for voluntary returns,' UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva. 'We are seeing some people pull out of resettlement processes in favor of plans to go home to rebuild,' she added. Mantoo said that in 2026, the largest refugee populations likely to need to be resettled were Afghans, Syrians, South Sudanese, Rohingya from Myanmar, and Congolese. Most of the refugees will need resettling from major host countries including Iran, Turkiye, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Uganda, she said. The announcement came as the UNHCR's resettlement efforts face towering hurdles. 'In 2025... resettlement quotas are expected to be the lowest in two decades, falling below the levels seen even during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many countries paused their programs,' Mantoo said. Part of the decline is linked to the United States — long the world's biggest resettler of refugees — which has now slammed its doors shut. Shortly after returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump halted the US refugee resettlement program. Trump's predecessor Joe Biden had embraced the program designed to facilitate legal resettlement of vetted refugees, resettling over 100,000 refugees in the United States last year. Mantoo stressed though that the problem was not with just one country. 'We have indications that a number of countries are reducing or adjusting quotas,' she said. Stressing that resettlement among other things 'offers a concrete alternative to dangerous journeys,' Mantoo urged countries to 'sustain their programs and increase their intake.' In recognition that the needs far outstrip the available spots, she said that the international community had set itself a goal of resettling 120,000 refugees in 2026. 'Recent history shows that this is achievable,' she said. Last year, she said that despite the challenges, the UNHCR supported the resettlement of 116,000 refugees globally. 'Every place is invaluable for those fleeing danger.' Earlier this month UNHCR said a record 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes at the end of 2024. But that figure dropped to 122.1 million by the end of April this year, as Syrians began returning home after years of turmoil.
