Press Releases

ICMC Welcomes UNHCR Call for Increased Resettlement

ICMC strongly supports UNHCR’s efforts to step up the resettlement of refugees world-wide. According to UNHCR’s “Refugee Resettlement: Performance Outcomes 2007 and Global Projections 2009” report released this week, the number of refugees in need of resettlement will increase to 560,000 in 2009. This figure still represents less than 5 percent of the world’s refugee population. The rise in the numbers of refugees identified by UNHCR as needing resettlement is mainly due to a refocusing on refugees in long-lasting protracted situations and enhanced efforts to identify vulnerable refugees, such as women-at-risk, victims of torture, and unaccompanied minors.

“We join UNHCR in urging States to increase the resettlement space for vulnerable refugees with protection needs and refugees who have been caught in decades long protracted situations, with no possibility of return to their home countries or local integration in the country of asylum,” said ICMC Secretary General Johan Ketelers. “It is only through international solidarity that the world’s most egregious refugee situations can be solved.”

The recommendations at the recent Consultations meeting on Resettlement between States, UNHCR and NGOs endorsed the development of Comprehensive Plans of Action to resolve protracted refugee situations. The Consultations also recognized that the increase of referrals of vulnerable refugees could only take place if traditional resettlement States increased their quotas and other States urgently developed resettlement programmes.

ICMC’s Resettlement Deployment Scheme, a joint effort with UNHCR, continues to play an important role in assisting UNHCR operations around the world to identify refugees for resettlement. ICMC also provides overseas processing services for the US Refugee Program and has been instrumental in expanding the number of Iraqi refugees assisted by that program during the past year.

For further information, please contact Linda Besharaty, Outreach Coordinator, Resettlement Deployment Scheme at 41 22 919 10 22.