-President Joe Biden delivers remarks about student protests over the war in Gaza, from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Washington. Filippo Grandi, the head of the U.N. refugee agency says he understands that the Biden administration enacted new restrictions on asylum-seekers entering the United States, but cautioned that some aspects of the executive order may violate refugee protection required in international law. ((AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
GENEVA (AP) — The head of the U.N. refugee agency, Filippo Grandi, expressed understanding of the Biden administration's new restrictions on asylum-seekers entering the U.S., but warned that parts of the executive order might breach international refugee protection laws.
Speaking with The Associated Press, Grandi discussed his agency's annual “Global Trends” report for 2023, which revealed that forced displacement affected 120 million people in 2023, an increase of 6 million from the previous year. This figure is comparable to the population of Japan.
The report highlighted that three-quarters of those displaced, whether refugees or internally displaced individuals, resided in low or middle-income countries. Grandi emphasized that this showed migrant and refugee issues extend beyond wealthy nations.
Grandi noted that crises in Africa, particularly in Sudan, have been largely ignored. By the end of last year, 10.8 million people had been displaced in Sudan following conflict between rival military factions in April. While global attention has been on Gaza and Ukraine, the Sudanese refugee situation remains underreported.
The United States, Grandi noted, faces significant challenges regarding refugees, particularly with the influx at the U.S.-Mexico border. He criticized the Biden administration's planned restrictions on asylum-seekers as potentially violating international humanitarian law, suggesting these measures might be politically motivated ahead of the upcoming national elections in November.
However, Grandi praised the Biden administration's goal to resettle 125,000 refugees in the U.S., calling it “a very shining example of U.S. generosity.”
The UNHCR report also addressed the hardships of refugees and internally displaced people in conflict zones like Congo and Myanmar. Additionally, it pointed out that Syria continues to be the world's largest displacement crisis, with nearly 14 million people forced to leave their homes both within and outside the country.
