At the end of 2009, based on data received or estimated by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of Iranian refugees was 72,773 of which 15,097 were assisted by the UNHCR. According to the same source at the end of this year there were 43.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, including 10.4 million refugees who fall under UNHCR’s mandate, some 4.8 million Palestinian refugees under the responsibility of the U. N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and 27.1 million people displaced within their country as a result of armed conflict.
Iranian refugees (2000-2009)
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
86,286
|
92,398
|
137,948
|
132,491
|
115,149
|
98,722
|
102,483
|
68,397
|
69,061
|
72,773
|
Assisted by UNHCR |
26,218
|
26,063
|
22,704
|
21,934
|
12,122
|
15,783
|
14,353
|
14,120
|
13,851
|
15,097
|
During 2009, 15,890 first instance or appeal applications for asylum or refugee status were submitted by Iranians to Governments or UNHCR offices. During the same year, first instance or appeal applications submitted by all nationalities in 159 countries amounted to 922,500.
Applications filed by Iranians in Industrialized Countries (1982-2009)
Total: 450,874
In 2009, the five destination countries that received the largest numbers of new applications from Iranians were the United Kingdom (2,130), Turkey (1,198), Iraq (1,181), Germany(1,170), and Sweden (1,144). Sevencountries receiving most of the new asylum applications from all nationalities were South Africa (222,000), United States (47,900), France (42,100), Malaysia-UNHCR (40,000), Equador (35,500), Canada (34,000), and United Kingdom (29,800).
Twelve main destination countries of new asylum applications from Iran (1999-2009)
United Kingdom, Turkey/UNHCR, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Slovenia, USA, Norway, Cyprus, and Canada. Norway
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
TOTAL
|
UK
|
5,610
|
3,415
|
2,685
|
3,495
|
3,975
|
3,480
|
2,675
|
2,510
|
2,585
|
2,130
|
32,560
|
TUR
|
3,860
|
3,385
|
2,505
|
3,092
|
2,029
|
1,716
|
2,297
|
1,687
|
2,116
|
1,198
|
23,885
|
GFR
|
4,878
|
3,455
|
2,642
|
2,053
|
1,369
|
916
|
609
|
616
|
815
|
1,170
|
18,523
|
BEL
|
3,183
|
1,164
|
743
|
1,153
|
512
|
497
|
631
|
411
|
614
|
732
|
9,640
|
NLD
|
2,543
|
1,519
|
663
|
555
|
450
|
557
|
921
|
187
|
322
|
502
|
8,219
|
SWE
|
739
|
780
|
762
|
787
|
660
|
582
|
494
|
485
|
799
|
1,144
|
7,232
|
AUS
|
2,559
|
734
|
760
|
981
|
347
|
306
|
274
|
248
|
250
|
340
|
6,779
|
SVN
|
5,924
|
272
|
61
|
88
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
6,351
|
USA
|
870
|
944
|
880
|
654
|
421
|
337
|
388
|
303
|
334
|
344
|
5,475
|
NOR
|
327
|
412
|
450
|
621
|
394
|
279
|
218
|
222
|
720
|
574
|
4,217
|
CYP
|
214
|
687
|
388
|
465
|
668
|
569
|
305
|
475
|
213
|
171
|
4,155
|
CAN
|
767
|
768
|
381
|
308
|
342
|
343
|
237
|
220
|
267
|
310
|
3,943
|
Five top destination countries of new asylum applications from Iran (2000-2009)
United Kingdom, Turkey/UNHCR, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands
Of 13,752 decisions taken on Iranian asylum applications in 2009, including cases from previous years, some 4,674 resulted in refugee status, 755 decisions resulted in humanitarian status, 7,364 cases were rejected, and 2,427 cases were closed on other grounds. When cases closed on other non-substantive grounds are excluded, the global Convention recognition percentage for Iranian asylum applicants during 2009 amounted to 36.5%, whereas the total recognition percentage, including grants of humanitarian status, amounted to 44.2%.
In total, the global refugee recognition rate for all nationalities in 2009 amounted to 38%. When asylum-seekers allowed to remain on humanitarian grounds are included, the recognition rate was 47%.
Total recognition percentages (2000-2009) (refugee status/refugee& humanitarian status)
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
|
34/41
|
29/34
|
28/33
|
27/30
|
23/27
|
21/28
|
30/37
|
33/41
|
36/44
|
37/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some examples of first instance total recognition rates (refugee & humanitarian) for Iranian applications in 2009 were: Australia (91%), Austria (63%), Canada (90%),France (43%), Germany (52%), Netherlands (45%), Sweden (23%), Turkey-UNHCR (84%), UK (20%), and USA-INS (98%).
First instance recognition percentages (refugee & humanitarian) in 10 main destination countries from Iran (2000-2009)
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
UK
|
29
|
17
|
n/a
|
9
|
9
|
14
|
17
|
24
|
27
|
20
|
TUR/U*
|
(57)63
|
(70)70
|
(72)n/a
|
(79)84
|
(75)53
|
(67)78
|
(90)82
|
(88)91
|
(n/a)85
|
(n/a)84
|
GFR
|
21
|
21
|
19
|
11
|
12
|
17
|
18
|
27
|
29
|
52
|
BEL
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
9
|
20
|
24
|
14
|
15
|
31
|
NLD
|
71
|
8
|
8
|
25
|
34
|
41
|
33
|
46
|
44
|
45
|
SWE
|
9
|
37
|
15
|
10
|
7
|
16
|
29
|
30
|
24
|
23
|
AUS
|
15
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
62
|
79
|
87
|
78
|
89
|
73
|
63
|
SVN
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
USA
|
66
|
71
|
n/a
|
48
|
54
|
49
|
55
|
63
|
74
|
98
|
NOR
|
18
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
25
|
n/a
|
20
|
19
|
26
|
38
|
12
|
CYP
|
18
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
1
|
n/a
|
12
|
12
|
0
|
7
|
6
|
CAN
|
70
|
70
|
66
|
67
|
68
|
84
|
84
|
84
|
92
|
90
|
* Figures in parenthesis are from UNHCR-Turkey and right-side figures are from the Statistical Unit of UNHCR Head Quarters. |
During 2009, a total of 112,400 refugees were admitted by 19 resettlement countries, including the United States of America (79,900), Australia (11,100), Canada (12,500), and Australia (11,100). Some 84,000 who were resettled with UNHCR’s assistance were mostly from Myanmar (24,800), Iraq (23,000), Bhutan (17,500), and Somalia (5,500), Eritrea (2,500), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2,500).
In 2009, 1,696 Iranians were resettled from Turkey (1,575) and Iraq (35) in various countries with UNHCR’s assistance. In addition to Iranians referred to the United States by the UNHCR in Turkey, the United States also resettled Iranian religious minorities as persons of special concern who applied directly to the U.S. program for refugee processing in Austria. 5,381 Iranians were admitted to the U.S. as refugees in FY 2009.
UNHCR assisted resettlement of Iranian refugees (2000-2009)
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
total
|
2,380
|
3,073
|
3,502
|
2,831
|
2673
|
2191
|
1223
|
1501
|
1688
|
1,285
|
Turkey
|
1,980
|
2,206
|
2,349
|
2560
|
2032
|
1,083
|
1421
|
1,546
|
1,190
|
1,575
|
Iraq
|
413
|
752
|
314
|
|
47
|
22
|
-
|
-
|
95
|
35
|
Pakistan
|
386
|
579
|
378
|
66
|
39
|
54
|
15
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
other
|
101
|
166
|
102
|
74
|
58
|
103
|
80
|
142
|
-
|
86
|
Iranians resettled in the United States (1983-2009)
83-98
|
1999
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
42,957
|
1,737
|
5,099
|
6,581
|
1,525
|
2,471
|
1,787
|
1,856
|
2,792
|
5,481
|
5,270
|
5,381
|
|