Why Flee Syria?

With the refugee crisis worsening as many Syrians attempt to flee to Europe, many people may find themselves wondering just how the war in that country got so bad, and why so many are fleeing now. Here, then, is a very brief history of the war, written so that anyone can understand it: Syria is a relatively new country: Its borders were constructed by European powers in the 1920s, mashing together several ethnic and religious groups. Since late 1970, a family from one of those smaller groups — the Assads, who are Shia Alawites — have ruled the country in a brutal dictatorship. Bashar al-Assad has been in power since 2000. This regime appeared stable, but when Arab Spring protests began in 2011, it turned out not to be. On March 18, Syrian security forces opened fire on peaceful protestors in the southern city of Deraa, killing three. Perhaps inevitably, Syrians took up arms to defend themselves. It worked. By 2014, Syria was divided between government, rebel, ISIS, and Kurdish forces. Related: Refugees

Two Billion Miles [interactive] The Refugee Project Every day, all over the world, ordinary people must flee their homes for fear of death or persecution. Many leave without notice, taking only what they can carry. Many will never return. They cross oceans and minefields, they risk their lives and their futures. The Refugee Project looks beyond the crises that are currently making headlines and allows viewers to explore all refugee migrations around the world since 1975. About the Data Under international law, the United Nations is responsible for protecting asylum seekers around the world. The Refugee Project does not consider the large number of economic migrants and other undocumented populations, nor does it show the millions of internally displaced persons in troubled countries around the world. Recognition The Refugee Project was selected for MoMA’s Design and Violence exhibition, where it was written about by the UNHCR’s High Comissioner, António Guterres. Compare refugee population visually by country

Ten things you didn’t know about refugees With 45.2 million displaced by violence, persecution or rights abuses, the number of refugees is higher than at any time since 1994, says UNHCR Today is World Refugee Day - and the latest statistics from the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) show world refugee numbers are higher than at any time since 1994. As U.N. refugee chief Antonio Gutteres put it at a recent news conference: “Each time you blink, another person is forced to flee.” UNHCR’s annual report shows that some 45.2 million people were uprooted by violence, persecution or rights abuses as of the end of last year, but the numbers also challenge some common misconceptions about refugees and displacement. Here are 10 things you may not have known. 1. Until you do, you’re just a person who’s been uprooted within your own country - or an internally displaced person (IDP), to use the aid world jargon. The difference matters because it’s only by crossing a border that you gain the protection of international laws and conventions. 2. 3. 4.

Refugee or migrant Refugee or Migrant - word choice matters. © UNHCR GENEVA, July 11 (UNHCR) – With more than 65 million people forcibly displaced globally and boat crossings of the Mediterranean still regularly in the headlines, the terms 'refugee' and 'migrant' are frequently used interchangeably in media and public discourse. But is there a difference between the two, and does it matter? Yes, there is a difference, and it does matter. Refugees are persons fleeing armed conflict or persecution. Refugees are defined and protected in international law. The protection of refugees has many aspects. Migrants choose to move not because of a direct threat of persecution or death, but mainly to improve their lives by finding work, or in some cases for education, family reunion, or other reasons. For individual governments, this distinction is important. Politics has a way of intervening in such debates. In fact, they happen to be both. By Adrian Edwards, Geneva

UNHCR Population Statistics Welcome to the UNHCR Population Statistics Database The database currently contains data about UNHCR's populations of concern from the year 1951 up to 2014 and you can use it to investigate different aspects of these populations: their general composition by location of residence or origin, their status (refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, etc.), their evolution over time, and so on.. In each of the screens in the system you start by selecting the sub-set of data you are interested in, choosing one or more countries or territories of residence and/or origin. General notes A number of statistics are not shown in this system but are displayed as asterisks (*). On each page you have the option to download the data you have selected to a comma-separated variable (CSV) format file, from which you can import the data into a spreadsheet application such as Microsoft Excel and analyse it in greater depth. UNHCR's populations of concern

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