Politics UNIT 3 AOS2

How many people were forcibly displaced worldwide by the end of 2024

123.2 million people (UNHCR 2025)

What percentage of displaced people are hosted in middle to low income countries

73% (UNHCR 2025)

What percentage of displaced people are hosted in neighbouring countries

67% (UNHCR 2025)

How many people have fled armed conflict worldwide in 2022

6.5 million (2022 UNHCR Global Trends report)

How many people have fled Venezuela due to poverty

6.1 million people have fled externally

What was the rate of inflation in 2018 in Venezuela

130 000%

What percentage of households were living in poverty in Venezuela in 2019

96% of households

How many member states does the EU have

27 states with 450 million citizens

What are the EU countries with the highest refugee populations

Germany (2.7 million), Poland (1 million), France (750,000) (Asylum Information Database)

How many refugees left Ukraine in the first week of the invasion

1 million (Al Jazeera)

What countries closed their borders in the Syrian Crisis and why?

Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic. To maintain a Christian Europe

How many refugees did Germany take in 2016

1.2 million (International affairs)

How many Ukrainian refugees were in the EU in August of 2023

5.2 million (International Affairs)

How many refugees did Germany and Poland roughly each take

1 million (International Affairs, 2023)

What did Slovakia and Poalnd allow Ukranian refugees in without

Travel Documentation (Global Detention Project, 2022)

What is the area called where people can travel freely in Europe

Schengen Area

Why does the EU have a vested interest in teh Ukraine Crisis

Geopolitical and Cultural Closeness

How many people crosses EU borders illegally in 2023

380,000 (Frontex)

When was the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum finalised and put into effect

Finalised in 2024 and Put into effect in 2026

How quickly do asylum seekers need to be processed under the new pact

Within 12 weeks (including returning them home if nessacary)

What did German Chancellor Olaf Scholz call the pact

 a “historic indispensable step”

What did Hungary say in regards to the EU pact

vowed not to take irregular  migrants “regardless of any migration pact.”

Amnesty International warned that the EU Pact could lead to

a “surge in suffering”

Why do the Rohingya people leave Myanmar

1. Denail of citizenship

2. Persecution

3. Mass violence

How many Rohingya people have moved to Bangladesh

700,000

As of April 2025 how many Rohingya refugees were offically displaced from Myanmar

1,272,081

How much did teh UNHCR request to help the Rohingya people vs how much was funded

$383.1 million vs 30% being funded

How many Ukranian refugees are displaced globally

5.9 million (UNHCR)

When did Russia invade Ukraine

24th of Febuaray 2022

How many Ukranian refugees are displaced internally

3.7 million by the end of 2022 (UNHCR)

How many people in Ukraine have been cut off from the electrical grid by the end of 2022

12 million (UNHCR)

What did Putin call Ukraines attempt to join NATO

a “direct threat to Russia”

What was teh total finanical requirement to put the regional response plan into action

1.2 billion USD *(397 for protection of refugees and 296 million for basic needs)

What percentage of Ukranian refugees are employed in tehir host country

45% (RRP)

How much does Poalnd require to support refugees

392 million usd (Regional Response Plan)

How many refugees are enrolled in Polish Schools

170,000 (Regional Response Plan)

What did teh Regional Response Plan call the education status for refugees in the EU

“precarious”

What percent of working aged refugees are employed

69% normally in low-paying and low skill jobs (Regional Response Plan)

How many refugees are outside formal education systems in Poland

150,000 (Regional Response Plan)

What is teh Ukranie refugee population in Hungary

61,000 (Regional Response Plan)

One is what refugee families are at risk of poverty in Hungary

3

When was Hungary’s law that it was illegal to help asylum seekers found unlawful

May 2020

Germany is the what largest country to donate to UNHCR in 2025

3rd

How much did Germany donate to teh UNHCR in 2025

108 million

What does article 16a in the German Consitution allow

the right to asylum is enshrined in the constitution

Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated what about refugees

“the refugees are welcome here with us”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated what about Syrian refugees

there is “no upper limit”

How many migrants did Italy reciev in 2023

155,000

Current PM Meloni stated that in 2023 she would

“not allow Italy to become Europe's refugee camp.”

What did the 2023 ITalian decree effectively criminalize

search and rescue operations of NGOs as it was seen as a “pull factor”, as it requires NGO vessels to immediately proceed to a distant port after each rescue, delaying operations. Non compliance fines reach 50,000 pounds.

What are the challenges to resolving the Ukraine Conflict and MMOP

• Declining Global Interest

• Demographic Challenges ‘Resistance to diplomatic resolution

• Inability to resolve the causes of migration

• Difficulties enforcing IL

• Conflicting antional interests

What was CNNs coverage of teh Ukraine war prior and after Hama’s attack on Israel (2023)

8% vs less than 1%

Ukraine populations vs Russia

144 million for Russia, with Ukraine being roughly a quarter of that

What is teh EUs founding agreement

The Treaty of Lisbon (2009)

What is article 33 in the Refugee Convention

Non-Refoulment

When was the Refugee Convention signed

1951

What is article 78 of the Treaty of Lisbon

‘The union shall develop a common policy on asylum. Ensuring compliance with the principle of non-refoulement” (Article 33) and following international law on refugees

What is the treaty of lisbon

Signed in 2007, entering into force in 2009. Importantly Article 2 states that human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights as the foundational values of the EU.

What is the Dublin Agreement

Determines that a country where an asylum seeker first enters the EU is responsible for processing their asylum application and only allowing an application to be put in once in one place. Placing pressure on “frontline” states to deal with asylum seekers alone.

What are teh different types of responses to asylum seekers

1. Resettlement (Refugees are moved to another country after having tehir application approved)

2. Local Intergration (States allowing asylum seekers and refugees entry into their states without necessarily verifying their claim of refugee status or offering any official resettlement scheme)

3. Repatriation (Any policy that prevents migrants from entering a state with an intention that they return to their place of origin)

How many refugees were offically resettled in 2023

96311 (0.2%)

What percent pf refugees were hosted in neighbouring states through local intergration

70%

How much did the EU withouthold of common funds to Hungary between 2021 and 2023 for eroding democratic principles

7 billion euros

How much did the EU withouthold of common funds to Poland between 2021 and 2023 for eroding democratic principles

36 billion euros

What did NSAs do in January of 2023

issued a joint statement condemning Italy’s decree to obstruct search and rescue

What did President of the European Commission Ursla von der Leyen state about the EU pact

“built on the outstanding work of so many” and helped to provide a “European solution” by bringing"them tailored solutions  on border management”

How much did the UNHCR budget decrease from 2025-2026

8.5 billion (UNHCR)

How much did teh EU donate to the UNHCR budget 2025

22 million

How many states orginally signed the 1951 Refugee Convention

145

Why is teh TPD activated

when the standard asylum system is struggling to cope with the demand, risking a negative impact on the efficient operation of the asylum system

When was teh TPD activated

March 2022

How many people were covered under the TP D in teh EU by the end of November 2025

4.3 million (Eurostat)

When was teh TPD extended to

March 2027 from March 2025

What does the TPD mean for people fleeing Ukraine

• Have a residence permit for 3 years 

• Guarantees access to the asylum procedure

• Have access to employment and banking services

• Have access to suitable accommodation 

• Access to social welfare services and medical care

• Access to education for children

What are the 3 aims of the EU Pact

1. Lowering the number of new arrivals 

2. Better dispersing migrants among member states (mandatory solidarity, quotas)

3. Return or resettle migrants to states outside the EU (third countries). Note this is also referred to as externalism

What did Denmark elad the charge on

“advancing negotiations on the proposals concerning amendment of the concept of a ‘safe third country’” where asylum seekers could be taken to be screened outside of the EU.

How much more does the Italy-Albania deal cost than Italy hosting its own refugees

7x

What legislation did the EU approve in Febuaray 2026

allowing member states to designate non-EU nations as “safe third countries” and transfer asylum seekers there

Key aspects of the new EU safe third countries rules

• EU states can now transfer asylum seekers to safe non-EU countries, even if they have no prior connection to them, provided a deal exists with the receiving country.

• Connection Requirement Eased: Applicants claims can be dismissed if they transited through another country on the way to the EU

• Safe Countries of Origin List: An EU-wide list was established, designating nations as "safe", allowing for citizens to be returned

What did the 2017 EU-Libya deal include

Libyan authorities received 42 million pounds as of 2022 from the EU and Italy to fund coast guard operations to actively find migrant vessels and return them to Libya.

What did the 2023 EU-Tunisa deal include

105 million from teh EU being allocated to anti-smuggling operations

What did the 2016 EU-Turkyie International Law include

Turkey would take any measures necessary to stop people travelling irregularly from Turkiye to the Greek Islands. In exchange Turkiye would receive 6 billion pounds to improve the humanitarian situation faced by refugees between 2016 and 2019, however most of this money went to NGOs rather than the Turkish government.

Number of migrants arriving from Turkyie 2015 vs 2020

2015= 861,000 while 2020 = less than 25,000, in Greece (UNHCR Data Portal)

Why did teh EU-Turyie deal erode

 as Turkey’s discussion to joining the EU stalled the Turkish government in Spring 2020 allowed asylum seekers to cross its borders into Greece. The Greek government claimed that “Turkey, instead of curbing migrant and refugee smuggling networks, has become a smuggler itself.” (New York Times, 2020).

How many peopel are considered economic migrants each year

281 million (International Organisation for Migration)

What percent of Portugals population which has graduated from University or Technical college lives abroad

40% of the 50,000 (Roundtable Portugal)

What did Executive director of Business Roundtable Portugal state about Portugals economic situation

“the country is unable to create conditions to retain and attract young talent.”

Portugal earnings for a single person without kids vs Netherlands

16,943 euros after tax in 2023 vs 45,429 (Eurostat)

What is Portugal doing to combat it’s brain drain

through a 100% tax decrease for under 35s earning under 28,000 euros a year during their first year of work. 

Stability vs change for MMOP

High refugee intake is the “status quo” (stability), decreased refugee intake represents change

How many refugees are from Ukraine vs Belarus in Poland

963,000 from Ukraine vs 8794 from Belarus (next largets group and also border Poland)

How many people are estimated to have died on the border between Poland and Belarus

more than 100

What law did Poland pass in 2025

Amendment to the Act on Granting Protection to Foreigners which suspended migrants right to apply for asylum if they are coming from Belarus for up to 60 days at a time

What did the previous PM of Poland (Morawiecki) say about teh asylum seekers coming from Belarus

“we are dealing with a new type of war, a war in which migrants are weapons”

What did PM Tusk say about the migration pact

‘Poland will not implement the Migration Pact in a way that would introduce additional quotas of immigrants in Poland,’

What did the UNHCR call the German response to migration

“unwavering and multifaceted”

What is teh aim of the refugee tertiary education scholarship

To get refugee tertairy education up to 15% by 2030

How much funding did Germany provide Syria vs Ukraine

111.2 Million (Syria) vs 76.35 Million (Ukraine)