In 2025, half a million more refugees will need urgent assistance, according to a new report from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This brings the total number of refugees in urgent need of resettlement to over 2.9 million. The increase of half a million compared to 2024 is due to factors such as prolonged refugee crises, new conflicts, and climate change. Annika Sandlund, head of UNHCR’s Nordic and Baltic office, states that Syrian refugees continue to constitute the largest group in need of assistance. For the ninth year in a row, they top the list of quota refugees, with around 933,000 people. Refugees from Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Rohingya refugees from Myanmar follow. Sandlund points out that there was a positive development last year, with 96,311 refugees resettled in a new country, the highest number of resettlements in recent times.
For the past four years, Denmark has been accepting 200 quota refugees annually, prioritizing women and children in the last two years. According to the current government platform, funds have been allocated to welcome up to 500 quota refugees. The leader of the Socialist People’s Party (SF), Pia Olsen Dyhr, criticized the government’s current quota of 200 refugees on DR’s “The Evening of Democracy” and called for fulfilling the promised 500 quota. Sandlund also emphasizes the need to increase the number of quota refugees, which would protect the most vulnerable, show global solidarity, and ensure that countries can continue to keep their borders open to refugees.
The decision on the number of quota refugees Denmark will accept lies with the Minister for Immigration and Integration. Last year, Denmark received refugees from Rwanda, Eritrea, and Afghanistan. Historically, Denmark has welcomed around 500 quota refugees per year, but between 2016 and 2019, the country refused to accept any.