The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates 108.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2022, of which approximately 30 million were refugees.
UNHCR defines a refugee as someone who:
"…owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it"
Some 5.9 million Palestinian refugees are included in the UNHCR count, although their welfare is overseen by a different UN agency, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA defines Palestine refugees as:
“…persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict…The descendants of Palestine refugee males, including adopted children, are also eligible for registration.”
Both agencies have similar mandates: UNHCR provides “life saving assistance including shelter, food, water and medical care for people forced to flee conflict and persecution” and seeks “permanent solutions for the problem of refugees”; UNRWA provides “assistance and protection to Palestine refugees pending a just and lasting solution to their plight”. Despite similar mandates, UNRWA employs far more staff per refugee than UNHCR. Specifically, the UNRWA employs over 30,000 people to assist 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, while the UNHCR employs less than 21,000 people to assist 30 million refugees in over a hundred countries and territories. That’s a seven-to-one difference in staffing levels per refugee. Why the difference? I’m guessing politics has a lot to do with it.
The mandates may be similar but they’re not the same. Note that the UNHCR’s mandate includes seeking permanent solutions for the problem of refugees, while the UNRWA provides assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees but is not involved in finding a solution to their plight. Rather, the UNRWA states it is the “responsibility of the international community” to assist the Palestinians in finding the solution, and a “just” one at that. Sounds like a recipe for endless disagreement, conflict and rage.
This is not to say that the UNHCR is perfect; it hasn’t been able to achieve permanent solutions for all refugees under its aegis. But the UNHCR doesn’t insist that solutions be just, only that they end refugee displacement. As explained on their website:
“A solution marks the end of the refugee and displacement situation. It is when an individual is able to safely return to their home or they are granted a new nationality. With a permanent home, they and their family can finally leave uncertainty behind and begin to rebuild their lives in peace, dignity and with renewed hope for the future.”
Holding out for a just outcome can get in the way of achieving a good outcome. Rebuilding lives in peace, dignity and with renewed hope sounds like a good outcome for refugees. But is it just?