World Refugee Survey 2002: Number of World's Uprooted Grows

Refugees worldwide suffered the repercussions of the tragic events of September 11, says the World Refugee Survey 2002, published today by the U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR). The United States, preoccupied by security concerns in the wake of the attacks on New York and Washington, temporarily shut down the refugee resettlement program on October 1. As a result, the United States admitted fewer refugees in 2001 than in any year since 1987. Thousands of refugees in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and elsewhere who expected to go to the United States became stuck where they were, often in places where they were at risk. "At a time when freedom is under attack, the world is turning its back on people fleeing war, persecution, and terror in search of freedom," said USCR executive director Lavinia Limón. "This indifference towards refugees undermines our stated values."