Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:
Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries
22
Tables 1 and 2: Top hosting and origin countries for refugees and asylum seekers globally,
end 2015
Host country
Refugee and asylum
seeker population
Turkey 2,753,760
Pakistan 1,657,604
South Africa 1,217,708
Lebanon 1,082,993
Iran 979,479
Ethiopia 705,338
Germany 736,740
Jordan 689,053
Kenya 593,881
United States of
America
559,370
Source: UNHCR, Table 1, Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2015, accessed on July 6, 2016,
Notes: These figures represent population numbers as of December 31, 2015. OIC countries are highlighted.
Persons in refugee-like situations are included in the calculation of refugee populations.
The top three refugee producing countries—Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia—are also OIC
members and together account for nearly half of worldwide flows of refugees and asylum
seekers.5 The majority of refugees and asylum seekers from OIC member states reside in other
OIC countries: 74 percent have registered as refugees in a fellow OIC country.6 For example,
86 percent of the 4.9 million Syrian refugees have sought protection in neighboring Turkey,
Jordan, or Lebanon.7
These same countries may also sit along major transit routes for refugees and asylum seekers
moving on to other destinations. In North Africa, for example, refugees from Somalia and
Nigeria may transit through Sudan, Libya, or Morocco on their way to Europe. Forced migrants
from throughout South Asia, including Afghans and Iranians, have used Malaysia and
Indonesia as transit points to reach Australia by sea or other destinations by air.
Slightly over two thirds of forced migrants from OIC countries (24 million) have, however,
remained within the borders of their home country, though some may eventually seek safety
in another country.8 Four of the five largest IDP populations are currently found in the OIC
region (see Table 3), many of which are also major hosts to refugee populations (such as Iraq).
5 UNHCR, 2015 Mid-Year Trends
6 UNHCR, “Population Statistics”
7 UNHCR, “Population Statistics”
8 UNHCR, Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2015 (Geneva: UNHCR, 2016),
Country of Origin
Refugee and asylum
seeker population
Syria 5,118,429
Afghanistan 2,925,146
Somalia 1,179,824
South Sudan 782,934
Sudan 673,872
Dem. Rep. of the
Congo
617,917
Myanmar 512,466
Iraq 501,273
Central African
Republic 481,772
Eritrea 474,788