Facts about refugees

  • Civil wars and human rights abuses forced 4.6 million people, over 12,500 a day, to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere within their countries in 2008.
  • Members of minority groups are frequently at risk; they were displaced in at least 36 countries in 2008. Members of minority groups face discrimination when they are displaced which makes their lives even harder.
  • In 2008 the largest displacement of people occurred in the Philippines where 600,000 people fled fighting between the government and rebel groups.
  • The United States accepted 60,200 refugees in 2008 according to the World Refugee survey.
(Unless stated source is: Global IDP Project of the Norwegian Refugee Council)

How many refugees does New Zealand accept each year?

New Zealand has a resettlement quota of 750 refugees a year (+/- 10%).  Sometimes we allow more people into the country when there is a major world crisis and many people need a safe place to build a new home.