From Turkey to the Horn of Africa, refugees are in dire need of permanent resettlement. The UNHCR said there "simply has to be more equitable sharing of responsibility for global crises."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Bandic
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The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday said by next year, nearly 1.5 million refugees residing in more than 60 host countries will be in need of resettlement.
"Given the record numbers of people needing safety from war, conflict and persecution and the lack of political solutions to these situations, we urgently need countries to come forward and resettle more refugees," said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi.
The region with the highest resettlement needs is the area that comprises East Africa and the Horn of Africa, with nearly 450,000 refugees. Turkey comes in second with 420,000, while the wider Middle East and North Africa region hosts 250,000 refugees in need of resettlement.
"History has shown that with a strong sense of purpose, states can come together to collectively respond to refugee crises, and help millions to reach safety, find homes and build futures in new communities," Grandi said.
Since the 2015 migration crisis, the European Union has also struggled with resettling refugees, in part due to right-wing and populist resistance. Berlin has pushed for refugees from front line countries such as Italy and Greece to be resettled in other EU member states in order to share the burden across the bloc.
"With the overwhelming majority — 84% — of the world's refugees hosted in developing regions facing their own development and economic challenges and whose own populations may live below the poverty line, there simply has to be more equitable sharing of responsibility for global crises," Grandi said.
According to the UNHCR, less than 100,000 refugees were resettled last year, a mere fraction of those in need of permanent sanctuary.
From escalating violence in the Middle East and Africa to incoherent asylum policy at home - DW looks at how the EU has found itself in the midst of a refugee crisis.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Fleeing war and poverty
In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Seeking refuge over the border
Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
A long journey on foot
In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the "Balkan route". The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.
Image: Getty Images/M. Cardy
Desperate sea crossings
Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies - by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.
Image: Reuters/D. Zammit Lupi
Pressure on the borders
Countries along the EU's external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/B. Mohai
Closing the open door
Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.
Image: Reuters/F. Bensch
Striking a deal with Turkey
In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey's potential accession to the EU.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Altan
No end in sight
With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise.
