Round up of the refugee situation around the world
April 2026
With the focus on the Channel crossings and refugees in hotels, there is a danger of overlooking the massive refugee issues around the world which are on a scale far larger than we experience in the UK. There are 117 million people who have been displaced due to violence, conflict, persecution or violation of human rights. There are over 42 million refugees according to the UNHCR. These people are often in countries unable to afford to look after them. The Middle East conflict continues to increase the number of refugees, notably from Southern Lebanon. It is reckoned that in 4 weeks a million Lebanese have been displaced, around one in 5 of the population.
A migration summit in Cairo to review trends prior to a global review to take place in New York has been overshadowed by the war; Egypt is home to a large number of refugees. The meeting, held in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, brought together African ministers and stakeholders under the framework of the International Organization for Migration and the Global Compact for Migration, ahead of a global review forum in New York.
Small boats
Small boats continue to be in the news. In the Mediterranean 180 migrants were lost in the last week, mostly coming
from Libya. The UNHCR’s Institute of Migration estimate that nearly 1,000 lives have been lost in the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year.
The EU continues to struggle with new arrivals. The border between Croatia (in EU) and Bosnia (outside) has seen particularly violent clashes.
Backlash in UK
In the UK the backlash against the Government’s tightening of regulations on refugee status, asylum seekers support and family reunions continues. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is under attack from her backbenchers, who may have enough support to raise their protest in the Commons. The House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has said of the Home Office that it ‘has not fully thought through the implications of the changes.’ Other bodies have pointed to crises in the system; Migrants Organise have noted a growing problem of access to justice for claimants, citing a collapse in legal aid provision and an increasing number of unrepresented claimants. The use of AI by the Home Office in its assessments may be unlawful.
With the local elections in view, the Scottish Greens are proposing to allow asylum seekers the right to work, the first party in the UK to do so.
The 1 in 1 out arrangement with France is said to be on the point of ending; many migrants, after being returned to France, have taken to lorries, as they did in the pre-small boats era.
The Congo has joined those countries prepared to take on asylum seekers deported from the UK. Details are not yet known.
In the United States the Supreme Court is likely to allow the administration to resume blocking asylum seekers physically from entering the country; much discussion has ensued on the meaning of ‘to arrive at/in’. The process (‘metering’) was stopped by Biden.
On the campaigning front, the Refugee Week organisers are planning a week of ‘A Million Acts of Hope’ from 13th to 20th May. Details to follow.
As a footnote, the first of the Afrikaner ‘refugees’ to be welcomed into the USA has now returned home.
AH
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 
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