Asylum and Migration

All in the same boat: The challenges of mixed migration

Refugees and migrants often use the same routes and modes of transport, but they have different protection needs.

Factors that have contributed to the increase in the scale of international migration include globalization and growing disparities in living conditions, both within and between countries. Among the people on the move today, many are seeking employment or educational opportunities, others want to reunite with family members and some are fleeing persecution, conflict or blind violence in their countries.

While refugees and asylum-seekers account for only a small proportion of the global movement of people, they frequently travel alongside migrants. Many of these movements are irregular. They often take place without documentation, using unauthorized border crossing points or involving smugglers.

We recognize that border controls are essential for combatting international crime, including smuggling and trafficking, but UNHCR stresses the need for practical protection safeguards to ensure that such measures are not applied in an indiscriminate or disproportionate manner and do not lead to refugees being returned to countries where their life or liberty would be at risk.

UNHCR works with governments around the world to help them respond to some of these challenges in a coherent and practical way.