Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:
Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries
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2. FORCED MIGRATION IN AND FROM OIC COUNTRIES
Nearly two thirds of all forced migrants (including refugees, asylum seekers and IDPs)
originate from OIC member states (36 million people),1 and OIC countries are host to over half
(55 percent) of refugees and asylum seekers worldwide.2 The top four countries of asylum
globally are OIC members (see Table 1), and alone host nearly one third of all refugees and
asylum seekers. OIC countries thus play an especially crucial role in providing protection for
refugees and asylum seekers. However, providing forced migrants with reliable protection
and durable solutions has been difficult in practice. As the number of displaced persons
globally has reached levels not seen in over 50 years, OIC countries are under pressure to
develop stronger protection frameworks to meaningfully address this growing challenge.
This chapter outlines the general trends in forced migration from OIC countries and provides
an overview of forced migrant populations residing in or travelling through OIC countries,
with a focus on recent and ongoing displacement situations. The chapter also surveys the
implementation of national, regional, and international legislation designed to address
migration and protection issues in OIC member states, offering preliminary observations as to
their effectiveness.
2.1. Forced Migration in OIC Countries: An Overview
OIC countries (spanning Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and South America) experience
significant and diverse flows of refugees and asylum seekers, with many serving
simultaneously as countries of origin, transit, and destination. Often these movements happen
close to home, with conflicts or persecution driving refugees and asylum seekers to look for
protection in neighboring OIC countries. In Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan -all among the top
ten refugee-hosting countries globally- refugees from neighboring Syria make up 71 percent of
the total refugee population, excluding Palestinians.3 Likewise, Pakistan and Iran together host
2.5 million registered refugees who have fled instability in neighboring Afghanistan, in
addition to an estimated 1 million unregistered Afghan forced migrants in Pakistan.4
1 For the purposes of this project, forced migrants are defined as refugees, those found in ‘refugee-like’ situations, IDPs, and
asylum seekers whose applications for refugee status are pending. It does not include the UN figures for stateless persons,
returned refugees, or other persons of concern. As such, the total number of forced migrants worldwide referred to in this
work stands at 56.8 million as of end-2015.
2 Author’s calculation from UNHCR, “Population Statistics,” accessed July 25, 2016,
.
3 Author’s calculation from UNHCR, “Population Statistics”
4 In both Pakistan and Iran, over 95 percent of refugees are Afghans. European Resettlement Network, “Afghan Refugees in
Iran & Pakistan,” accessed June 8, 2016, Author’s
calculation of UNHCR, “Population Statistics,” accessed August 29, 2016,