Who is a Refugee? And what is the Commission doing to help?

Did you flee your country because of persecution, war or violence?

Do you fear for your life simply because of your race, religion, nationality, political opinions, sexuality or because you belong to a particular social group?

Have you left home and are afraid of returning?

If you answered ‘yes’ to all three questions, then you are refugee.

The term ‘refugee’ is more than a label. Being a refugee is a reality which more than 21 million people have to face every day. Being a refugee means abandoning your circle of friends, losing track of family members, and leaving your home for what may well be the final time. Being a refugee means leaving behind life as one knew it.

This is what happened to Zahed and Fatima. Both are from Syria and fled to Turkey as the violence of war intensified. Their homes in Kobane, north Syria, were destroyed. Zahed was a primary school teacher and Fatima was in her first year of university.

What is the European Commission doing to help?

Zahed (left), 34, and Fatima (right), 28, originally from Kobane, Syria, married after seeking refuge in southern Turkey. Zahed was a primary school teacher and Fatima was in her first year of university. Photo: Khaled Mostafa/CARE

As a leading global donor, the European Commission gave more than €1 billion — some 72% of its annual humanitarian aid budget in 2015 — to projects helping refugees and displaced people in over 30 countries. This support is channelled through organisations helping migrants, refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Some of the Commission’s main partners include UN Refugee Agency, IOM Asia-Pacific, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent family.

Humanitarian aid for refugees delivered by the European Commission:

1. Meets the most pressing needs of refugees such as food and healthcare;

2. Protects and supports refugees during their displacement and when returning to their place of origin;

3. Increases the self-reliance of refugees and reduces their dependency on assistance.

The Commission is currently responding to the needs of refugee populations such as Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan; Somali refugees in Kenya and Yemen; Congolese refugees in the Great Lake region; Colombian refugees in Ecuador and Venezuela; Myanmar refugees in Thailand and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

The Commission is also helping Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and Iraq; people like Zahed and Fatima.

Learn more about EU humanitarian aid here.