U.N. migration agency says Syria remains largest origin of refugees
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A United Nations migration organization said on Tuesday Syria continued to be the largest origin of refugees in the world at the end of 2022 as the number amounted to 6.5 million, although this was a decrease from 6.8 million in 2021.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) added that although the number decreased in the first six months of 2022, the first time since 2011, almost one in five refugees globally remains Syrian.
In its World Migration Report 2024, the IOM indicated that the number of Syrian refugees who received permanent residence or citizenship increased to 14,400.
The IOM pointed out that the number of the people displaced due to the Syrian conflict rose to nearly 6.9 million marking the highest number by the end of 2022.
The organization mentioned that by May 2023 more than 15 million Syrians were in need of humanitarian assistance.
The IOM report noted to a rise in xenophobia and racist attacks against Syrian refugees in Turkey and Lebanon, saying that a surge in anti-immigrant sentiment has resulted in racialized assaults on Syrian migrants.
In a report published in April, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Lebanese authorities unlawfully arrested, mistreated, and forcibly deported Syrian refugees back to Syria.
“Lebanese authorities have arbitrarily detained, tortured, and forcibly returned Syrians to Syria in recent months, including opposition activists and army defectors,” the HRW said.