Global refugee numbers breach 100 million mark

FOR the first time since World War II, the global number of refugees has breached the 100 million mark because of violence and wars, Catholic Bishop Conference (CBC)
General-Secretary Fr Giorgio Licini says.
“In Papua New Guinea (PNG), there are 12,000 refugees from West Papua and 104 left from the now closed Manus detention centre,” he said.
“With the conflict in Ukraine displacing some 14 million people, the number of refugees and asylum seekers in PNG seem small but there is the risk of an increase.”
Speaking in commemorating World Refugee Day on June 21, Giorgio said: “We are reminded on this day that refugees live amongst us.
“We know they arrived in different ways, some were children and are now adults and have grandchildren of their own in PNG.
Caritas PNG director Mavis Tito said: “We need not look far to find refugees in our country (referring to West Papua refugees).
“We have them in our midst in the nation’s capital, East and West Sepik and in Western.
“Three of their main challenges are processing their status so that they have an identity, their need and lack of documentation or passport that allows them to move around the country and the lack of access to land to live and sustain themselves.”