Last year was the worst year record the number of people who became refugees. The United Nations (U.N.) said that 2015, over 65.3 million people were forced to leave their home or country. This is an increase of five million from 59.5 million over the previous year. The 2015 figure is a 50 per cent increase five years ago. It also means that 1 every 113 people the planet is now a refugee, an asylum seeker or someone displaced their own country. The U.N. reported that: "Twenty-four people are displaced every minute." It added that two-thirds the forcibly displaced are refugees their own country." The figures come the "Global Trends" report marking World Refugee Day June the 20th.
The U.N. said the biggest reason the record number refugees in 2015 is war. Fighting Syria, Afghanistan, Burundi and South Sudan has created the largest number refugees. Half them are children. The U.N. said more than 98,000 asylum requests 2015 were made by unaccompanied children. This is the highest number ever seen. The U.N. added that: "Ninety per cent the forcibly displaced are [from] poor or middle income countries." Many of them are escaping wars only to face big problems borders. These include walls and fences in Europe, tougher laws immigration and xenophobia. The U.N. said the only way to overcome the problem is, "political action to stop conflicts".
