Urban refugee

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An urban refugee is a refugee who decided or was obliged to settle in an urban area rather than in a refugee camp in the country or territory where the person fled to. More than 60% of the world's refugee population and 80% of internally displaced persons (IDP) under UNHCR mandate live in urban environments. [1] In 2009, their number was around 5.5 million people. "Urban refugee" is not a recognized legal term in the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. However, the UNHCR has adopted a 'Policy on Refugee Protection and Solutions in Urban Areas' in 2009. [2]

Contents

Urban refugees are among the most vulnerable groups in low income countries. According to UNHCR, the urban refugee population worldwide is very diverse, comprising a large number of women, children, and older people who have particular protection challenges. The urban refugee population face specific protecting needs attendant to urban environments: they may lack access to services, health, education and are often confronted to xenophobic attitudes in their country of asylum.

The overwhelming majority of refugees living in urban areas are to be found in the poorest and more conflict-affected regions of the world. Africa and Asia concentrate the highest number of urban refugee populations. Some war-affected countries host a huge number of both urban internally displaced people and refugees in capital cities (such as Kampala or Khartoum). Urban displaced people also live in the main cities of their country of origin: after protracted exile, many returnees prefer settling back as IDPs in cities and towns of their own country upon return.

Since around 2017, the UNHCR prioritizes urban refugees for resettlement over those refugees living in refugee camps. In Kenya, for example, only refugees living in Nairobi are submitted for resettlement places, and not those refugees living in the refugee camp site of Kakuma or Dadaab. However, Kenya's national refugee policy requires all refugees to live in camps, though this requirement is not strongly enforced. [3]

Reasons for living in urban areas

Reasons for living in urban settings rather than in refugee camps could be specific medical care needs that cannot be provided for in camps, poor and uncertain conditions in camps, [4] or higher than average educational achievements and aspirations, as camps do not provide many higher education opportunities. There is insufficient physical and material security in some camps. Certain groups of refugees, such as LGBTI refugees and women at high risk of gender-based violence, especially cannot be sufficiently protected from other refugees in the camps. [5] Or it could simply be the fact that the state or territory where refugees fled to does not run refugee camps (e.g. Syria or Egypt). Some refugees leave camps in search of better economic opportunities in urban centres and to avoid being dependent on aid rations. [6] Some even move back and forth between urban centres and refugee camps to get the best of both.

A disadvantage is that the UNHCR and other aid agencies cannot legally protect and support refugees dispersed in urban settings as much as in camps.

Notable urban refugee settlements

Urban refugees by country and population size

Populations of UNHCR refugees in urban areas between 2014 and 2006
CountryUrban area2014 [7] 2013 [13] 2012 [14] 2011 [15] 2010 [16] 2009 [17] 2008 [18] 2007 [19] 2006 [20]
Angola Luanda 12,30012,32311,31511,09615,89514,9902,638
Argentina Buenos Aires 4,3104,025
Armenia Yerevan 16,81812,7297,3853,6794,0871,6821,8611,79851,330
Azerbaijan Baku 203,906195,824189,9661,7933,9812,170186,909166,489164,650
Brazil Rio de Janeiro 1,7951,8992,2622,1062,103
Brazil Sao Paulo 5,5273,2892,5301,9981,795
Burkina Faso Ouagadougou 1,5971,7341,2111,0651,0581,1611,1331,267
Burundi Bujumbura 22,78922,66221,90123,48521,25312,2279,30712,7739,986
Congo Brazzaville 12,2938,0897,0196,5478,5498,7037,1858,6303,493
Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan 1,5851,8101,6994,5463,7383,5833,585483,931485,466
Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa 2,32510,38110,44715,84015,83815,81625,57125,60528,451
Egypt Alexandria 28,50529,7853,514
Egypt Cairo 51,12642,44815,546101,40598,602107,913112,605112,515104,467
Egypt Giza 16,97614,6485,1016,0025,131
Ethiopia Addis Ababa 6,0424,8134,3462,6402,8221,8021,5261,014
Gabon Libreville 1,3942,1672,3085,1534,5274,3384,3324,0893,939
Ghana Accra 2,7972,5603,9564,3441,0407401,2832,1515,865
India Delhi 30,93926,39622,05020,48418,56917,88115,04213,83512,241
Indonesia Jakarta 1,9611,5201,2682,567
Iraq Babylon 16,98636,14448,09256,00263,086
Iraq Baghdad 11,746263,485480,336489,496428,647707,23510,57513,02014,381
Thailand Bangkok 8,5984,1122,4232,0726,7026,9446,4666,4246,481
Turkey Ankara 1,3822,352
Uganda Kampala 72,01943,37969,47642,50037,82026,99418,3774,9924,646
Syria Damascus 456,22524,46152,24080,30549,647
Senegal Dakar 4,3133,8493,6913,8192,9123,5703,5953,4563,595
Libya Tripoli 36,86832,16913,61713,02511,11712,3224,754
Macedonia Skopje 1,2901,4681,6101,6722,3101,4741,6211,7011,790
Korea Seoul 3,4302,3731,7621,3641,2431,220
Morocco Rabat 1,3511,0721,0911,2351,457
Mexico Mexico City 1,3951,5671,3311,0731,6652,578
Sierra Leone Kenema 2,0271,9472,2561,6221,9882,303
Sudan Kassala 4,6144,8674,9064,9104,7896,0006,000
South Sudan Juba 6,0715,8195,255
Turkey Istanbul 13,7845,6742,9952,9792,0391,7372,8052,7722,305
Pakistan Islamabad 34,40835,22734,31635,56736,78732,15632,94035,041
Somalia Hargeisa 8,9429,2246,6943,7412,5631,546
Zimbabwe Harare 1,19815,2651,0991,0401,0541,2221,370
Sierra Leone Freetown 1,8242,2242,2341,8811,6862,821
Afghanistan Kabul 60,88155,491130,761147,037133,42613,47038,74030,67034,517
Niger Niamey 5,2588,0267,038
Kenya Nairobi 51,27050,40053,37352,47246,60746,31636,51535,08335,007
Gabon Moanda 1,0781,4671,5061,5621,6601,551
Mozambique Maputo 2,3682,3672,3802,3711,6931,5301,5241,5161,297
Togo Lomé 2,5301,8026,5883,2066606221,5821,4601,770
Nigeria Lagos 9641,7073,0975,1145,3014,9754,3853,4924,400
Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 190,621260,552101,83697,61892,85776,41945,99839,51146,356
Rwanda Kigali 2,3202,0511,9332,0612,0601,9622,4133,3246,775
Sudan Khartoum 72,01736,26031,96910,6619,78231,32518,241911,664
Venezuela Caracas 1,8461,6331,4351,148
Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City 7,2007,2007,2007,2007,2007,200
Yemen Aden 50,09250,98167,710140,53223,59613,93213,83414,13413,102
Yemen 'Amran 71,54841,91839,78040,45237,38730,000
Yemen Sana'a 92,74187,37882,36977,15651,03846,85324,42723,45421,136
Yemen Mukalla 9,3068,8108,6628,1075,7572,6462,6462,646692

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