Repatriating refugees

Though the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continues to insist on resettlement, most countries have limited their entry quotas to those with special needs. In Europe, the Dublin and Schengen agreements as well as the Maastricht Treaty have given rise to "Fortress Europe". This hardened attitude in Europe as well as in other regions of the World has left repatriation as the only realistic option for the majority of the world's refugees.

In 1993, UNHCR repatriation activities resulted in the successful completion of the task in Cambodia, Nicaragua and Suriname. Three million refugees have repatriated in the past two years (1993 estimate), including 2.5 million Afghans of which 1.9 million were assisted by UNHCR.

In 1993, the World Health Organization (WHO) helped in the repatriation of Cambodian refugees. In the same year, the International Organization for Migration's various activities in Mozambique included among others the transport and logistics for returning refugees from abroad.