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Europe Resettlement 2016

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World
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UNHCR
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Overview

In 2016, 18,175 refugees were resettled1 to 20 countries in Europe2, a 63% increase compared to 2015.

Between 2000 and 2016, Europe’s proportion of resettlement globally has increased from approximately 5% to more than 10%. However, in Europe as a whole in 2016, only 25 refugees were resettled per million inhabitants.3 In contrast, the United States of America, Canada and Australia combined resettled 445 refugees per million inhabitants, 18 times higher than Europe (these three countries also accounted for 90% of resettlement globally in 2016).

The vast majority of refugees resettled in Europe in 2016 are from Syria (14,705 or 81%), followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Somalia (850 or 5%, 485 or 3%, 405 or 2%, 390 or 2% respectively). In total, 93% of refugees resettled in Europe in 2016 originate from one of these five countries. Contrary to the protracted refugee situations noted above, the resettlement of Syrians only commenced in 2013, increasing significantly in scale in 2016.

The countries in Europe admitting the most refugees via resettlement in 2016 were the UK, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy and Finland (5,180 or 29%, 3,290 or 18%, 1,890 or 10%, 1,420 or 8%, 1,240 or 7%, 1,045 or 6% and 945 or 5% respectively) and in total comprise 83% of the resettlement admissions to Europe.

Half of those individuals resettled in Europe in 2016 were children,4 with the remainder predominately young adults (less than 35 years old). Just over half (51%) of those resettled are male.4 The demographics of all commonly resettled nationalities remain very similar, with two exceptions: a slightly greater percentage of adult Eritreans (62%), and a slightly greater percentage of female Afghans (60%), were resettled.