Latest news with #refugees
BBC News
35 minutes ago
- Politics
- BBC News
'Everyone is scared': Iranians head to Armenia to escape conflict with Israel
It's hot, dusty and feels like a desert at the Agarak border crossing between Armenia and are dry, rocky mountains surrounding the area - no trees, no shade. It's not the most welcoming terrain, especially for those who have travelled long hours to reach Armenia.A woman with a fashionable haircut, with the lower half of her head shaven, is holding her baby, while her husband negotiates a price with taxi drivers. There's another family of three with a little boy travelling back to their country of residence, of those crossing into Armenia appeared to have residency or citizenship in other countries. Many were leaving because of the conflict between Israel and Iran, now in its eighth day. "Today I saw one site where the bombing happened," said a father standing with a small child near the minivan that they just hired. They had travelled from the north-western town of Tabriz."All the people are scared, every place is dangerous, it's not normal," he conflict began on 13 June, when Israel attacked nuclear and military sites as well as some populated areas. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) - a Washington-based human rights organisation that has long tracked Iran - says 657 people have so far been killed. Iran has retaliated with missile attacks on Israel, killing at least 24 says it has established air superiority over Tehran and has told people to leave some of its districts. In recent days, heavy traffic jams have formed on roads out of the city as some of its 10 million residents seek safety who drove to Armenia from Tehran said the journey had taken at least 12 hours. Several told us that they did not see the Israeli strikes - but heard the sound of explosions they caused."It was troubling there. Every night, attacks from Israel. I just escaped from there by very hard way. There were no flights, not any other ways come from there," said a young Afghan man with a single suitcase, who did not want to be described the situation in Tehran as "very bad". "People who have somewhere to go, they are leaving. Every night is like attacking, people cannot sleep, because of the sounds of explosions, the situation is not good at all," he said. A young woman with white headscarf and thick fake lashes said she was heading back to her country of residence, Australia."I saw something that is very hard, I don't want to talk about it," she said as she boarded a car with several others for the onward journey to the Armenian capital Yerevan. "Someone comes and attacks your country, would you feel normal?"Some Israeli ministers have talked up the possibility that the conflict could lead to regime collapse in Iran. But Javad - who had been visiting the north-eastern city of Sabzevar for the summer holidays and was heading back to Germany - said he thought this was unlikely."Israel has no chance. Israel is not a friend for us, it's an enemy," he said. "Israel cannot come to our home to help us. Israel needs to change something for itself not for us." Some Iranians at the border however were crossing were travelling in the other direction. The previous evening, Ali Ansaye, who had been holidaying in Armenia with his family, was heading back to Tehran."I have no concerns, and I am not scared at all. If I am supposed to die, I will die in my country," he said. He said Israel was "harassing the entire world – Gaza, Lebanon and other countries"."How can such a small country have nuclear weapons?" he asked. "Based on which law can this country have a bomb, and Iran, which has only focused on peaceful nuclear energy and not a bomb, cannot?"Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons, although it neither confirms nor denies this.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Thousands of Afghans are fleeing Iran every day to escape war and deportation
ISLAMABAD — Thousands of Afghans are fleeing Iran every day to escape deportation and war , a major international aid agency and Taliban official said Friday. Millions of Afghans have called Iran home for decades. But they have been leaving in large numbers since October 2023, when authorities announced a crackdown on foreigners who it said were in the country illegally. Neighboring Pakistan launched a similar campaign around the same time.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Hull asylum seeker: 'I have years of work in me'
As part of Refugee Week, people in Hull, the scene of rioting and anti-immigration protests 10 months ago, have been learning more about two asylum seekers who have fled Sierra a sunny car park, Francis waves hello to us on his phone screen. Having spent seven months in Hull waiting to hear if he would be granted refugee status, he is now in Scotland preparing an appeal with a lawyer after his claim was are on a group call so Francis can speak to Daniel Roche, a director at Roche Civil Engineering in Hull, who wants to understand his story and what refugees can offer businesses in this country."Every refugee was an asylum seeker once", Francis adds. "When you make an application for refugee status, you are an asylum seeker. If you get that granted, you become a refugee."And can you work when you're a refugee?" asks Daniel. "Yes, if I get refugee status, I can work," replies says to have people like Francis on his team would solve a big headache in the industry. According to industry website Civil Edge, 225,000 new workers will be needed by 2027."All we talk about is a shortage of skilled labour," Daniel explains. As the pair continue to chat, they discover they have plenty in common. They each have two children, but one difference is that Francis is thousands of miles from his girls after he fled West Africa in fear of his life."Back home, I was involved in politics and worked on the elections in 2018. There was some election malpractice and because of saying what I saw, my life was at risk."Daniel adds: "It's not fair, is it? Because of the hand you were dealt, where you were born, things out of [Francis's] control, he's ended up in the UK, with qualifications that are useable here and he can't work."After the call, I join trustee Shirley Hart at Welcome House - a community base and support centre for asylum seekers in part of Refugee Week, representatives from the Refugee Council are there to offer advice and people are getting help to fill in forms, one of which is for Hull college, where they can apply for an English course if they have been here for six aroma of spiced food comes from the kitchen, where volunteers cook a hot meal whenever the centre is is useful to those who live in shared accommodation, who, according to the government, get £49.17 per week each to cover food, travel and clothes. Those in full board hotels get £8.86 per Welcome House, we meet Sillah, who says he fled Sierra Leone in fear of his arriving in Europe he has been diagnosed with hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver. He was living at a hotel in the city until he collapsed in March and had to spend three months in the meantime, his application for refugee status was refused and his hotel place was withdrawn, along with his allowance. His condition is controlled now with medication but doctors are unable to release him until he has somewhere to go."I don't want to take up a hospital bed," he says. "But I have nowhere to go. I can't go back [to Sierra Leone]."My life is in danger and without this medicine, I will collapse again." Home Office applications He is talking to Helen, a former Hull primary teacher, who wanted to hear about Sillah's hopes for the future."I'm 30 this year. I have many years of work in me and I want to work in care," he to charity Skills for Care, there are about 131,000 vacant posts in the caring industry."When we're getting to know people, we always ask what they do," Shirley adds."In one day, we had a vet, a doctor, an ophthalmologist and a civil engineer. I see educated, young men who want to work but can't work because asylum seekers can't work."And because of the backlog at the home office... that's why they're in hotels for months and years."At the end of March 2025, there were 79,000 cases awaiting an initial decision, relating to 110,000 people, but the figures suggest the Home Office is making its way through the number is 9% fewer than the end of March 2024. The number of cases awaiting an initial decision is 41% lower than the peak at the end of June 2023 (134,000 cases).Helen sighs."How lucky are we?" she says."Sillah's is just one story. There's a hotel full of people with stories; there's a room full of people here with stories."It is our duty to treat other human beings as human beings, not just numbers, cases and problems." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
News24
3 hours ago
- Politics
- News24
UNHCR reports record displacement in West and Central Africa
About 12.7 million forcibly displaced and stateless people are in West and Central Africa, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This figure reflects a 48% increase since 2020, when the number was 8.6 million, underscoring a worsening forced displacement crisis. 'From conflict to climate shocks, protection risks are rising - particularly for women and children, who represent 80% of the forcibly displaced,' said Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, the UNHCR's regional bureau director for West and Central Africa. Gnon-Konde said the UN's data also showed that displaced people are 'returning home in increasing numbers where conditions allow'. Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Cameroon are home to more than 80% of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region. Drought, flooding, and chronic violence and insecurity have forced people to seek shelter in other regions within their countries. READ | Does SA have twice as many illegal migrants as Europe? Fact-checking Gayton McKenzie's latest claims According to the United Nations, over one million citizens of the Central African Republic (CAR) were forcibly displaced as of 30 April 2025. That figure, however, is 150 000 fewer than the same period in 2024. The slight improvement is attributed to an increase in voluntary returns. UN-sponsored voluntary returns Chad is providing refuge to almost 780 000 people who have fled Sudan's civil war, with another 250 000 expected to arrive by the end of the year. The country also hosts large numbers of refugees from the Central African Republic to the south and Niger to the west. Each group of displaced people faces unique dangers, and Chad is struggling to host all of them. The United Nations has been sponsoring voluntary returns to countries of origin within West Africa. It said 14 600 refugees returned to countries such as Nigeria, the Central African Republic and Mali from January through April 2025. 'Humanitarian crises are, first of all, political crises,' Alpha Seydi Ba, a UNHCR spokesperson based in Dakar, Senegal, told DW. Unless we are able to make peace, there won't be a situation where the returns are possible. Alpha Seydi Ba Ba said repatriations were carried out whenever and wherever possible and on a voluntary basis. As a result, the UNHCR says resettlement departures rose by 34% in 2024 (4 600 individuals), marking an increase of 1 500 people in the past year. 'I think it's always good news when people are able to go back home,' Ba said. 'Exile, it's not a choice. Being a refugee is not a choice, when someone leaves their home and everything behind.' 'We're seeing those people returning and rebuilding,' Ba said. 'I think it's one of the best things that can happen to the humanitarian person in his career.' 'Migrants become stranded' Although repatriation efforts have yielded some positive results, the UN's regional resettlement quota was reduced by 64% in 2025. To complicate matters, the UNHCR's regional budget overall has been reduced by 50% between 2024 and 2025. 'Our operations are very severely impacted,' Ba said. 'Meaning less food, less shelter, less health care, less clean water, less gender-based protection, which makes overall protection systems or displaced people more fragile,' Ba added. 'That's why the UNHCR in the region is at a tipping point.' 'The number of migrants, be it internally displaced people or migrants, is increasing,' Luisa de Freitas, who leads the Regional Data Hub in Dakar for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), told DW. 'We are seeing that, overall, more and more people are on the move.' Ben Stansall/AFP Though many people move to foreign countries because of climate disasters, armed conflict or instability, the IOM reports that economic needs are also a key driver of migration. 'Over 70% to 72% of the individuals that we survey at our flow monitoring points in 2024 were there because of labour or economic reasons,' de Freitas said. De Freitas said migration routes had become increasingly dangerous as EU nations and their partners within Africa have sought to stem the flow of migration to Europe. However, this has not deterred migrants from attempting to do so. 'People move when they feel they have no other option,' de Freitas said. 'They will take routes that are less and less travelled. So what is happening is that a lot of these migrants become stranded.' New strategies needed Simply putting up barriers or investing in forced removals of migrants is not the solution. Instead, de Freitas advised European nations to adopt a different approach that fosters and incentivises regular migration, benefiting both home and destination countries. Mohamed Elshahed/Anadolu via Getty Images 'Spain has just launched two initiatives: One to regularise migrants per year, and they've also launched system where Senegalese can apply for temporary travel visas to go and work in Spain,' de Freitas said. Many EU countries desperately need workers in sectors such as agriculture, she added. 'Circular migration allows migration on a temporary basis to address labour shortages in destination countries, while providing migrants with access to employment and education opportunities. 'Basically, try to make migration a win-win situation for both ends,' de Freitas said.
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
'They don't need our pity': Creators share refugee stories, call for dignity over aid
At a refugee camp in Lebanon, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Karen Wazen met a young girl whose image has stayed with her ever since. No older than five, the child was caring for her toddler sister, tying her shoes, running after her, and keeping her safe with a sense of responsibility far beyond her age. 'I remember thinking, I'm a grown woman with every privilege, and I still wonder if I'm getting motherhood right,' Wazen said. 'And there she was, doing it all, with nothing.' The Lebanese content creator has spent nearly eight years working with refugee communities in Lebanon and Kenya. What began as an effort to lend support, she said, turned into a deeply personal transformation. 'I thought I was going to help them. I didn't realise they would be the ones changing me.' As the world marked World Refugee Day on June 20, Wazen's reflection offered more than just a moment of solidarity; it served as a reminder of the individuals behind the numbers. More than 120 million people are currently displaced globally, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the highest number ever recorded. Countries across the Middle East and Africa continue to bear a significant share of this responsibility, including Lebanon, Jordan, Sudan, and Yemen. This year, a campaign titled Creators for Purpose was launched in partnership between Meta, UNHCR, and Creators HQ to draw attention to refugee experiences through digital storytelling. The campaign aims to raise both awareness and funds. 'People want to give back, now more than ever,' said Mon Baz, Director of Global Partnerships at Meta for Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. 'When creators share real stories with empathy, it cuts through the noise. It reminds people that behind the word 'refugee' is someone just like them.' The initiative focuses on humanitarian emergencies in countries such as Syria, Sudan, Yemen, and among the Rohingya population, with funds directed toward cash assistance, relief items, and services like education, protection, and psychosocial support. Between surviving and living The campaign also reinforces a shift in how refugee needs are understood, not just in terms of survival, but in terms of dignity. In a statement, Alya Al Musaiebi, Director of The Big Heart Foundation, noted that needs evolve depending on context. 'In refugee communities, needs multiply in proportion to loss, of home, of safety, of control,' she stated. 'The need is not just to survive, but to feel alive.' Al Musaiebi called on the humanitarian sector to move beyond simply meeting basic needs. 'Without dignity, even food and medicine lose meaning. Aid must preserve self-respect and empower people as active participants in rebuilding their lives.' This philosophy is also reflected in Wazen's own approach to advocacy. 'When I first started, I felt something was missing in my platform,' she said. 'I was sharing fashion and lifestyle, but it felt empty. I realised that having a voice, having reach, comes with responsibility.' Cost of showing up Wazen, whose online following exceeds eight million, admits that regularly engaging with humanitarian causes also comes at a personal cost. 'There are days I ask myself: what does this even mean? I post a story, and people are dying somewhere else. What am I doing?' she said. 'But I remind myself that we all need balance. Even bringing a smile to someone's face is a kind of solidarity. That too has value.' Al Musaiebi echoed that sentiment, stating: 'Genuine solidarity is not measured solely by what we provide, but by what we help keep alive within the individual, passion, dignity, and the ability to dream.' As the campaign gains traction, Wazen hopes it will help shift public perception of refugees away from passive recipients of aid. 'They don't need our pity,' she said. 'They need us to see them.' The message, repeated by advocates and campaign organisers alike, is clear: refugees are not a 'special case.' They are individuals whose needs mirror our own, security, belonging, opportunity, and whose futures must be shaped by dignity, not dependency. As Al Musaiebi put it: 'When dignity is restored, aid becomes partnership. Shelter becomes a home. The refugee becomes the architect of their future.'
