Over the past decade, the number of refugees in the world has more than doubled. In 2022, it generally exceeded the figure of 30 million. Find out which countries of the world received the largest number of forced migrants

It is customary to believe that refugees usually go far beyond the borders of their continent, but this is not the case at all. In most cases, they seek asylum in the nearest neighboring country.

Turkey has become the absolute leader in terms of the number of admitted forced migrants over the past 10 years, but the indicator of the number of admitted refugees in relation to the population is equally important.

About the 10 countries that accepted the most refugees in relation to the number of the population further in this article.

10th place - Estonia

- The number of refugees in relation to the population: 4.1%.

Before the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Estonia hardly accepted any refugees. However, over the past two years, the country has suddenly become one of the largest host countries in the world by population.

More than 50,000 Ukrainians found refuge in the country with a population of 1.3 million. Most Ukrainians quickly integrated into working life in Estonia, unlike refugees in other European countries.

9th place - Moldova

- The number of refugees in relation to the population: 4.1%.

Moldova borders Ukraine, a country that in 2022 was engulfed in the worst war in Europe. And although Moldova has faced quite serious problems due to the sudden arrival of refugees, the country is making maximum efforts to provide protection to refugees.

More than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees remained in the small country of Moldova, whose population does not exceed three million inhabitants. Moldova sheltered Ukrainians, for which it was awarded by the UN High Commissioner.

8th place – Czech Republic

- The number of refugees in relation to the population: 5.1%.

As in Estonia and Moldova, the number of refugees in the Czech Republic before the war in Ukraine was very small. The country was very reluctant to accept forced migrants from the Middle East and Africa. However, after the start of the war in Ukraine, the state hospitably opened its doors to Ukrainians. Unlike Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, the Czech Republic does not share a common border with Ukraine. However, it has accepted more refugees per capita than any of Ukraine's neighboring countries.

It is worth noting that the position of the Czech Republic regarding refugees from other countries of the world has not changed. In particular, in 2022, border control was introduced in the state to prevent Syrian refugees from Slovakia. Along with Hungary and Poland, the Czech Republic refused to participate in the EU scheme to relocate refugees from Greece and Italy.

7th place - Colombia

- The number of refugees in relation to the population: 5.6%.

Between 2018 and 2023, Colombia hosted about 2.9 million Venezuelans. And although a small percentage of people received official refugee status, Colombian authorities grant official refugee status to Venezuelans.

It is worth noting that humanitarian conditions for refugees in Colombia are difficult. The level of violence in the state is also high, affecting vulnerable refugees and migrants.

6th place - Lebanon

- The number of refugees in relation to the population: 8.7%.

Lebanon, with a population of 5.8 million, has hosted an estimated 1.2 million Syrian refugees since 2011. The exact number of displaced persons is unknown. For years, Lebanon topped the list of countries that accepted the most refugees per capita.

However, since 2019, the situation in Lebanon has worsened, with Covid, civil protests, the economic crisis, the August 2020 Beirut bombing and the Gaza conflict adding to the challenges. According to the World Bank, Lebanon's economic crisis is one of the worst of this century. Refugees are increasingly being blamed for the country's problems, which is why it is extremely difficult for Syrian refugees to maintain a legal residence in Lebanon, about 90% of forced migrants live below the poverty line.

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5th place – Armenia

- The number of refugees in relation to the population: 8.7%.

In September 2023, the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is located inside Azerbaijan, was attacked by the Azerbaijani army. The enclave has been supported by Armenia since the independence of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the 1990s. After the attack, almost the entire Armenian population of over 140,000 fled to Armenia.

Currently, Armenia has already managed to integrate several hundred thousand people from the previous wave of refugees. However, despite this, there are serious challenges in finding new homes for such a large number of refugees who arrived almost overnight.

4th place - Nauru

- The number of refugees in relation to the population: 9%.

The small island nation received a large number of refugees who tried to escape by boat to Australia, but the Australian authorities did not let them go.

And although Australia's practice of deporting refugees has been strongly condemned, it was the source of inspiration for Great Britain's decision to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

3rd place – Montenegro

- The number of refugees in relation to the population: 10.7%.

Montenegro is the youngest state in Europe, which gained independence in 2006. The state is not a member of the European Union, and therefore is not part of the EU's support mechanism for the reception of refugees. Despite this, in recent years, Montenegro has taken in more refugees against its population than any other European country. Most of the refugees in Montenegro are Ukrainians.

2nd place - Curacao

- The number of refugees in relation to the population: 14.4%.

Curaçao is a former Dutch colony in the Caribbean Sea. This small island nation has received a large number of refugees, following the crisis in neighboring Venezuela. The living conditions of Venezuelan refugees and migrants here are just as difficult.

Curaçao is an autonomous entity, which means it is not subject to EU asylum policy and refugee law. Curaçao has also refused to adhere to the UN Refugee Convention, meaning that refugees in Curaçao have little legal protection.

1st place - Aruba

- The number of refugees in relation to the population: 16.1%.

Aruba is a former Dutch colony located in the Caribbean Sea. The population of the country is slightly more than 100 thousand people. The crisis in neighboring Venezuela has forced about 17,000 people to seek refuge in Aruba.

Even more people tried to reach Aruba, but were turned back. Arubans have the right to obtain a Dutch passport, and authorities in both Aruba and the Netherlands fear that this will attract large numbers of refugees and migrants if they do not pursue strict asylum policies.

Due to the fear of deportation and the fact that registered asylum seekers are not allowed to work in Aruba, most refugees and migrants live in hiding from the authorities and make a living informally. As a result, it is difficult to determine exactly how many people fled to the island.

We will remind you! Every year, millions of people in different parts of the world plan to migrate abroad. However, the presence of high demand always attracts fraudsters, of which any expat can become a victim. We have already talked about the most popular fraudulent schemes for obtaining a visa in 2024 and what measures the authorities are taking to combat them.

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Igor Usyk - Head of Migration department at VisitWorld

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