Last year was a record for refugee numbers. The United Nations (U.N.) said 65.3 million people were forced to leave their home or country, up by five million from 2014. The 2015 figure is 50 per cent higher than five years ago. One in every 113 people in the world is now a refugee. Twenty-four people are displaced every minute. Two-thirds of the forcibly displaced are refugees in their own country. It was World Refugee Day on June the 20th.
The biggest reason for the record number of refugees is war, especially in Syria, Afghanistan, Burundi and South Sudan. Over 98,000 asylum requests in 2015 were from unaccompanied children. This is the highest number ever. Ninety per cent of refugees are from poorer countries. Refugees have big problems at borders. These include fences in Europe, immigration laws, and hate. The U.N. said the answer is, "political action to stop conflicts".
