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Refugees

Economic hardship, armed conflict or climate change force millions of people to flee their homes every year. There were 123 million forcibly displaced people worldwide in 2024.

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All Content on this topic

A photo of a plane transporting detainees as seen departing from behind razorwire

A photo of a plane transporting detainees as seen departing from behind razorwire

Austria deports first Syrian since start of civil war

The move comes as Austria and neighboring Germany seek to deport criminals to the war-torn nation and to Afghanistan.

Teaser Berlin Briefing NEU

Teaser Berlin Briefing NEU

Why is Poland introducing controls on its border with Germany?

Poland will impose temporary border checks with Germany in response to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's tougher migration stance, which has led Germany to conduct regular border checks. Germany is now countering criticism from neighboring countries. Journalist David McQuaid joins DW’s political team to discuss the political tensions, motivations, risks, and implications for European unity.

Members of the US Marine Corps install concertina wire along the US-Mexico border

Members of the US Marine Corps install concertina wire along the US-Mexico border

Federal court blocks Trump's effort to deny asylum at border

A federal court found the US president cannot categorically deny asylum to migrants who cross the US-Mexico border.

DW AfricaLink

DW AfricaLink

Malawi’s largest refugee camp could close

Josey Mahachi talks to Jessie Chingoma, a gender and labor activist, and DW correspondent George Mhango in Blantyre.

A document for asylum seekers in Germany

A document for asylum seekers in Germany

Germany: Asylum-seeker numbers on the rise in 2024

The number of people seeking refuge in Germany rose in 2024 in comparison to the previous year, official data show.

Rohingya girl peaks around a corner in Delhi, India

Rohingya girl peaks around a corner in Delhi, India

Rohingya refugees in India live in fear of deportation

The Rohingya fled a genocidal crackdown in Myanmar a decade ago. Now, many face persecution in India.

refugee families arriving in Germany in 2024

refugee families arriving in Germany in 2024

Germany suspends refugees' family reunification

Parliament has voted to stop family members of individuals with subsidiary protection status from moving to Germany.

A young Ethiopian man looks into the camera, a stern expression on his face

A young Ethiopian man looks into the camera, a stern expression on his face

Homeless World Cup: Finding a place, in football and life

Mikiale Tsegay has dedicated his life to becoming a professional footballer. But he is homeless in London.

Children in a classroom in Nana Kéniéba

Children in a classroom in Nana Kéniéba

Why the Sahel crisis is a war on children's education

The Sahel region is facing a crisis. Schools have been forced to close, leaving children without access to education.

Iranians leave Turkey through the Razi-Kapiköy border crossing, pulling suitcases behind them

Iranians leave Turkey through the Razi-Kapiköy border crossing, pulling suitcases behind them

Iranians flee to Turkey as conflict deepens

With Iranian airspace now closed, the Kapikoy crossing into Turkey has become one of the few remaining routes to exit.

A view of people waiting at the Kapikoy border crossing between Turkey and Iran

A view of people waiting at the Kapikoy border crossing between Turkey and Iran

Turkey concerned over wider fallout from Israel-Iran war

Turkey faces growing pressure as more Iranians flee the war and mounting regional instability. DW reports from Turkey.

A little girl in a red dress walks past a tent with the inscription “UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency”.

A little girl in a red dress walks past a tent with the inscription “UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency”.

World Refugee Day: Honoring those who had to flee

The UN's World Refugee Day on June 20 honors the courage of people who have been forced to flee their homes.

DW AfricaLink

DW AfricaLink

How Ghana is assisting refugees to become self sufficient

Eddy Micah Jr. talks to Tetteh Padi, Executive Secretary of the Ghana Refugee Board, and DW's Adwoa Domena in Accra.

A woman carries some of her possecions and a mall child while another child stands next to her.

A woman carries some of her possecions and a mall child while another child stands next to her.

World Refugee Day: 9 charts that explain displacement

Nine charts show the origins and destinations of the 123 million people who've been forcibly displaced worldwide.

Syrian woman sits with a child on her lap in a refugee camp in Lebanon

Syrian woman sits with a child on her lap in a refugee camp in Lebanon

Syrian refugees face tough decision on returning home

Over a million Syrians have started to return home, but for many it remains a difficult decision.

Russian activist Xenia Eliseeva, standing in front of a blue and cloth or flag hung on a fence

Russian activist Xenia Eliseeva, standing in front of a blue and cloth or flag hung on a fence

Russian activist in Bulgaria: 'I am learning how to be free'

Activist Xenia Eliseeva fled Russia in 2021. Now, her request for political asylum in Bulgaria has been rejected.

Sudanese refugees gather at a World Food Program distribution center in Adre, a town in Chad on the border

Sudanese refugees gather at a World Food Program distribution center in Adre, a town in Chad on the border

UNHCR reports record displacement in West and Central Africa

The UN Refugee Agency blames migration trends and conflict for creating a "perfect storm" of mass displacement.

Three Afghan refugees squatting on the floor in a room

Three Afghan refugees squatting on the floor in a room

US travel ban brings more despair to Afghans in Pakistan

A US travel ban on one side and Pakistani pressure on the other leaves Afghan refugees in limbo and in despair.

Afghanistan refugees at a border crossing from Iran, file photo 2024

Afghanistan refugees at a border crossing from Iran, file photo 2024

Israeli strikes mean new peril for Afghan refugees in Iran

Afghan refugees in Iran are in danger once again — stuck in a country that is no longer safe with no way to return home.

Afghan refugee women sewing clothes in India

Afghan refugee women sewing clothes in India

Afghan seamstresses in India: Sewing a brighter future

In India, refugee Afghan women turn textile scraps into art. It’s a step towards independence and a new future.

Resistance and transformation: Courage to change — Global Us

South Korea's women's movement fights the patriarchy - and munching worms inspire solutions to plastic waste.

A dad hugs his daughter

A dad hugs his daughter

Afghan refugee family faces migration reality in Germany

DW accompanies one Afghan family on the day of an appointment with immigration authorities. Is it good news?

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UNHCR report: 123 million people displaced worldwide

DW spoke to the UNHCR's Katharina Thote about the reasons for the record numbers of forcibly displaced worldwide.

Tents in a sandy area in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza on May 29, 2025

Tents in a sandy area in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza on May 29, 2025

Number of forcibly displaced 'untenably high' — UN

The number of people displaced by war, violence and persecution has almost doubled in the past decade, the UN says.

A young boy holds up a picture of his missing father on a phone

A young boy holds up a picture of his missing father on a phone

Bangladesh: Could the UN help the Rohingya return home?

Rohingya refugees staying in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh want to return to Myanmar with the UN's help.

Picture of two children on a truck during deportation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, 2025

Picture of two children on a truck during deportation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, 2025

Fear among Afghan refugees as Pakistan steps up deportations

The government plans to forcibly deport 3 million Afghans, including human rights activists and Taliban opponents.

View of a young girl sitting in front of a shelter in the Cameroonian village of Kerawa

View of a young girl sitting in front of a shelter in the Cameroonian village of Kerawa

Cameroon: The world's most neglected refugee crisis

The Norwegian Refugee Council highlights the disparity between the political attention and the gravity of the situation.

DW AfricaLink

DW AfricaLink

Why Cameroon tops displacement crisis list

Josey Mahachi talks to victims’ advocate Thelma Ayafor and DW Cameroon correspondent, Moki Kindzeka.

DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

Inside Europe 5 June 2025

Political earthquakes in Poland and the Netherlands, France’s crypto entrepreneur kidnappings, Russia doubles down on traditional gender roles, Ian Urbina feels the pull of the ocean, a haven for migrants near Rome’s central station, and the uplifting story of the Spanish Refugee National Football Team.

A view of two Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages in a street

A view of two Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages in a street

UNICEF: Gaza aid distribution 'a veneer' for displacement

The new system of aid distribution is about forcing a population to move to the south, says UNICEF spokesperson Elder.

Alexander Dobrindt, man speaking into microphones, flanked by police officers

Alexander Dobrindt, man speaking into microphones, flanked by police officers

German Cabinet approves stricter asylum measures

The German government has proposed several new measures as it pushes on with plans to further curb irregular migration.

Police control cars at the German-Polish border in Mecklenburg - Vorpommern

Police control cars at the German-Polish border in Mecklenburg - Vorpommern

German court rules turning away asylum seekers unlawful

A court ruled that Germany must go through the EU's Dublin procedure when turning back asylum seekers at the border.

Many men in winter jackets crowded close together, looking down over the blue-painted side of a ship. The photo was taken in Chania, Crete, in November 2022.

Many men in winter jackets crowded close together, looking down over the blue-painted side of a ship. The photo was taken in Chania, Crete, in November 2022.

German-Greek relations face crisis over refugee policy

Athens wants more EU support with border control and a migration agreement with Libya, not for migrants to be returned.

Trump shows Ramaphosa articles about violence in South Africa

Trump shows Ramaphosa articles about violence in South Africa

Fact check: Trump's South Africa 'genocide' claim is wrong

Fake news in the White House: Footage that is supposed to prove the “mass murder” of white South Africans is from 2020.

German federal police officers shown from the back. They control vehicles coming into Germany from Poland at a border control station.

German federal police officers shown from the back. They control vehicles coming into Germany from Poland at a border control station.

Germany ramps up border checks

It's been a key campaign promise of newly elected Chancellor Merz. But how do locals feel about the move?

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024.

Lebanon hosts security talks on Palestinian refugee camps

Palestinian Authority president is in Beirut to discuss security in militia-run camps housing some 490,000 Palestinians.

US-President Donald Trump (portrait, left) and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (portrait, right)

US-President Donald Trump (portrait, left) and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (portrait, right)

High stakes for South Africa's Ramaphosa's Trump meeting

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet his US counterpart on Wednesday. Can they reset strained relations?

New border controls at German-Polish border

New border controls at German-Polish border

Germany: Report slams Merz's immigration policies

A report examining global migration appeals to Germany's new government to reject tougher border controls.

German federal police officers control vehicles coming into Germany from Austria at the border control station Kiefersfelden

German federal police officers control vehicles coming into Germany from Austria at the border control station Kiefersfelden

Germany expands border patrols as part of immigration plan

The new Merz government has made tougher border controls a key part of its immigration agenda.

A white man with a young child clutching an American flag in his arms

A white man with a young child clutching an American flag in his arms

US Episcopal Church calls out Trump on double standards

An influential US church has refused a government request to help resettle a group of white South Africans.

Two people at a ship-building site. One is observing and listening, while the other one is explaning something

Two people at a ship-building site. One is observing and listening, while the other one is explaning something

The German initative helping refugees start their careers

Every year, thousands of underage refugees arrive in the EU. An NGO in Bonn is helping them find apprenticeships.

The Magazine for Africa's Youth — The 77 Percent

This week we look at how African musicians are impacting the global music scene.

White South Africans carry US flags and balloons upon their arrival in Washington

White South Africans carry US flags and balloons upon their arrival in Washington

White South Africans arrive as refugees in the United States

While US President Trump limits immigration, he makes an exception for white South Africans. Why are they welcome?

A group of white South African 'refugees' hold flags after arriving in the United States

A group of white South African 'refugees' hold flags after arriving in the United States

US welcomes first white South African 'refugees'

The Trump administration is supporting white South Africans to move to the US, claiming they are being persecuted.

German federal police check cars coming from Poland at the border in Frankfurt (Oder).

German federal police check cars coming from Poland at the border in Frankfurt (Oder).

German Chancellor Merz rejects criticism of border controls

Under a crackdown on irregular migration, Germany’s government is extending measures to tighten border security.

German federal police officers watch vehicles and traffic coming into Germany from Poland at a border control station on a bridge between the two countries in Guben, eastern Germany, on May 9, 2025

German federal police officers watch vehicles and traffic coming into Germany from Poland at a border control station on a bridge between the two countries in Guben, eastern Germany, on May 9, 2025

Germany tightens border protections: Facts and figures

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has ordered asylum seekers to be turned away at the border.

US President Donald Trump sits at a desk in the Oval Office and signs an executive order.

US President Donald Trump sits at a desk in the Oval Office and signs an executive order.

White South Africans leave for US under Trump refugee plan

The first white South Africans granted refugee status under a Trump initiative have departed for the United States.

German federal police officers control vehicles coming into Germany from Poland at a border control station between the two counties in Guben, eastern Germany, on May 9, 2025

German federal police officers control vehicles coming into Germany from Poland at a border control station between the two counties in Guben, eastern Germany, on May 9, 2025

Germany turns first asylum seekers away at border — report

Nineteen people who applied for asylum since German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office have been turned away.

Musician Claude Kiambe dressed in white, with short hair, strumming a guitar in a large room. Audio equipment is in the background, he is standing next to a microphone

Musician Claude Kiambe dressed in white, with short hair, strumming a guitar in a large room. Audio equipment is in the background, he is standing next to a microphone

Former refugee hoping to win 2025 Eurovision Song Contest

As a child, Claude Kiambe fled Congo to the Netherlands with his family. Now, he's entered the Eurovision Song Contest.

DW Euromaxx (Sendungslogo Composite)

DW Euromaxx (Sendungslogo Composite)

Euromaxx — Lifestyle Europe

ESC candidate Claude Kiambe, beekeeping in Paris and the specifics of Viennese coffeehouse culture.