THE SITUATION OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES IN A GLOBAL LEVEL

One of the aims of EREI is to make visible and give voice to the faces that are behind the numbers that are published by media, regarding migratory fluxes. That is why we work together with the people who are living at first hand the migratory realities. However, we also believe that it is important to analyse and communicate the global numbers, so that we can have an image of the situation of migrants and refugees in a global level.

That is why we have analysed the data published by UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the Interior Ministry of Spain. In order to understand this data, it is important to explain who are asylum seekers and who are refugees.

Asylum seekers are those that have requested the recognition of the state of refugee and whose request has not been definitely evaluated. This evaluation determines whether those that requested asylum “need” international protection. Taking into account the 1951 Refugee Convention of Geneva, a refugee is any person who owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, gender or sexual orientation or political opinion, is outside the country of his/her nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail herself/himself of the protection of that country.

Therefore, the people that look for international protection and seek asylum have to go through an evaluation that will determine if they really need international protection. If so, they will achieve the state of refugee and the consequent international protection. In some cases, the evaluation and the resolution of the asylum can take many months or years, which is what has happened in the borders of Europe in the last years.

It is important to highlight that every person has the right to seek international protection outside of their country of origin or common residence. The right of asylum is an essential Human Right, collected in the Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Taking into account the data published by UNHCR at the end of 2020, 82,4 million were forcibly displaced worldwide, as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and events seriously disturbing public order: 48 million internally displaced people, 26,4 million refugees (under UNHCR’s and UNRWA’s mandate, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) and 4,1 million asylum seekers.

At the end of 2020, 68% of refugees came from only 5 countries: Syria (6,7 million), Venezuela (4 million), Afghanistan (2,6 million), South Sudan (2,2 million) and Myanmar (1,1 million). 39% of refugees took refuge in 5 countries: Turkey (3,7 million), Colombia (1,7 million), Pakistan (1,4 million), Uganda (1,4 million) and Germany (1,2 million). 

In Spain, at the end of 2020, there were 207.064 forcibly displaced people, 103.679 of which were refugees and 103.385 asylum seekers. The main countries of origin were Venezuela (94.705), Colombia (24.720) and Syria (16.205). In Spain the number of asylum seekers per the number of refugees is bigger in comparation to the global trend.

During 2020, 41.861 people arrived in Spain through the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands, while in 2019, 32.513 people arrived. In 2020, 40.326 people (96%) arrived by sea and 1.535 people (4%) arrived by land, through Ceuta and Melilla. The 80% of the people that arrived in Spain were men. In their ways, 809 people died or disappeared, 18% more than the previous year. The five main nationalities of the people that managed to arrive in Spain were: Algeria (39%), Morocco (20%), Mali (13%), Guinea (8%) and Ivory Coast (7%)[1].

As for the data from 2021 (until the end of September), 28.304 people arrived in Spain by sea. 13.292 people arrived in the Canary Islands, while 8.746 people arrived in Andalucía. 2.468 people arrived by land in Ceuta and Melilla[2].

As for the asylum applications, during 2020, 88.762 people sought asylum in Spain and 68.435 asylum applications were rejected. Only 4.360 people obtained the state of refugee. The main countries of origin of the asylum seekers were: Venezuela (28.365), Colombia (27.576), Honduras (5.536), Peru (5.162) and Nicaragua (3.750). The people that were considered to be refugees came mainly from: Nicaragua (1.117), Honduras (688), Colombia (624), Syria (529) and El Salvador (41). In addition, 40.726 of the 88.762 asylum seekers obtained the authorization of the temporal residence in Spain due to humanitarian reasons. This authorization has a length of one year and it can be renewable. It consists of an extraordinary authorization of temporal residence due to exceptional circumstances. The majority of the people that obtained this authorization were coming from Venezuela (40.396) [3].

Regarding the data from 2021, from January until the 31st of August, 35.728 people sought asylum in Spain and 34.317 asylum applications were rejected. During the 8 months, only 2.924 people obtained the refugee status. The five main countries of origin of the asylum seekers were: Venezuela (6.488), Colombia (5.427), Morocco (4.212), Mali (3.334) and Senegal (2.418), while the five main countries of origin of the people that obtained the refugee status were: Colombia (912), Mali (534), Ukraine (419), Nicaragua (663) and Honduras (395). 8.754 asylum seekers obtained the authorization of temporal residence in Spain due to humanitarian reasons, most of them coming from Venezuela[4]. 

As for Greece, at the end of September of 2021, there are 164.009 forcibly displaced people, 103.136 of which are refugees and 60.873 are asylum seekers. In comparison to global trends, the number of asylum seekers per the number of refugees is bigger in Greece. This trend reflects the reality of the Greek border, where thousands are trapped for months or years waiting for the resolution of their asylum applications.

In Greece, the three main countries of origin of refugees are Syria (36.448), Afghanistan (21.456) and Iraq (11.840). In the case of the asylum seekers, the three main countries of origin are Afghanistan (19.706), Syria (5.965) and Pakistan (5.423) [5]. 

6.350 people arrived in Greece in 2021 (until the beginning of October), 2.373 by sea and 3.977 by land[6]. The arrival of refugees and migrants to Europe through the Greek borders has decreased in the last years, due to the closure of the Greek borders by the Greek Government, with the support of the European Union. In 2015, 861.630 people arrived in Greece, while in 2020, 15.696 people arrived. The trends show that this year the number will be even lower. 

We believe that this data can provide us more information to understand and to be more critical when analysing what is happening in the borders of Europe. In this case, we have focused in Spain, due to proximity, and in Greece, because the majority of the people that shared their personal experiences with EREI, did it from the Greek borders. We believe that being able to combine the numbers and the personal stories can help us to understand better the migratory realities.

[1]https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/84312

[2]https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean

[3]http://www.interior.gob.es/documents/642012/11504833/Avance_proteccion_internacional_2020_12_31.pdf/8f090c81-6b54-46fc-9ebd-858dc419869e

[4]http://www.interior.gob.es/documents/642012/13036726/Avance_proteccion_internacional_2021_08_31.pdf/a49e84c1-1e2b-4aff-980e-c6145caedcbd

[5]https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/88966

[6]https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean/location/5179