Head Of Global Migration Agency Calls For More Support To Refugee-Hosting Countries

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd June, 2021) Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and other countries that receive Syrian refugees should get more support, Director General of International Organization for Migration (IOM) Antonio Vitorino said.

"We need more solidarity and responsibility sharing with countries hosting large numbers of refugees and migrants in need of support, which are themselves often developing countries," he said in an interview with Anadolu Agency.

Vitorino also underlined that IOM, an organization of United Nations family, will continue to provide assistance to Turkey in its efforts and activities for hosting refugees.

Besides, he called on the European Union to take measures in order to end pushbacks of asylum seekers and violations of human rights against migrants.

Millions of Syrians have fled their homes after the war in Syria began in 2011. There are 6.6 million Syrian refugees worldwide, of whom 5.6 million hosted in neighboring countries. Turkey hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees with more than 3.6 million. Other countries in the region hosting the large number of Syrian refugees are Lebanon (855,000), Jordan (666,000), Iraq (247,000) and Egypt (132,000). Germany also received over 788,000 Syrians.