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Statistical Data On Iranian Refugees ¹ and asylum seekers²

(last updated September 2012)

At the end of 2011, based on data received or estimated by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of Iranian refugees was 72,347 of which 12,031 were assisted by the UNHCR mostly in Iraq (8,229). According to the same source at the end of this year there were 42.5 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 26.4 million people displaced within their country as a result of armed conflict.

During 2011, 24,812 applications (first instance, appeal, etc) for asylum or refugee status were submitted by Iranians to Governments or UNHCR offices. During the same year, applications submitted by all nationalities in 166 countries amounted to 895,000.

Applications filed by Iranians in Industrialized Countries (1982-2011)

Total: 484,245

In 2011, the six destination countries that received the largest numbers of new applications from Iranians were Turkey (3,411),Germany (3,352), the United Kingdom (3,045), Australia (2,156), Sweden (1,118), and the Netherlands (929). Nine countries receiving most of the new asylum applications from all nationalities were South Africa (107,000), United States (76,000), France (52,100), Germany (45,700), Italy (34,100), Sweden (29,600), Belgium (26,000), UK (25,500), and Canada (25,000).

Of 23,261 decisions taken on Iranian asylum applications in 2011, including cases from previous years, some10,025 resulted in refugee status, 972 decisions resulted in humanitarian status, 8,912 cases were rejected, and 3,353 cases were closed on other grounds. When cases closed on other non-substantive grounds are excluded, the global refugee recognition percentage for Iranian asylum applicants during 2011 amounted to 50.4%, whereas the total recognition percentage, including grants of humanitarian status, amounted to 55.2%.

In total, the global refugee recognition rate for all nationalities in 2011 amounted to 30%. When asylum-seekers allowed to remain on humanitarian grounds are included, the recognition rate was 38%.

Total recognition percentages (2001-2011) (refugee status/refugee & humanitarian status)

Some examples of first instance total recognition rates (refugee & humanitarian) for Iranian applications in 2011 were: Australia (58%), Austria (74%), Canada (88%),France (67%), Germany (56%), Netherlands (47%), Sweden (37%), Turkey-UNHCR (95%), UK (49%), and USA-INS (97%).

First instance recognition percentages (refugee & humanitarian) in 10 main destination countries of new asylum seekers from Iran (2001-2011)

During 2011, a total of 79,800 refugees were admitted by 22 resettlement countries, including the United States of America (51,500), Canada (12,900), Australia (9,200), Sweden (1,900), and Norway (1,300). Some 62,000 who were resettled with UNHCR’s assistance were mostly from Bhutan (18,100), Myanmar (17,900), Iraq (8,900), and Somalia (4,800).

In 2011, 1,931 Iranians were resettled including from Turkey (1,815) and Iraq (26) 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. xx,543 Iranians were admitted to the U.S. as refugees in FY 2011.

UNHCR assisted resettlement of Iranian refugees (2001-2011)

Iranians resettled in the United States (FY 1983-2011)

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