Cost Of Refugees
The amount of government spending allocated to support the reception and integration of people seeking international protection differs greatly between countries. This can be difficult to evaluate due to the distribution of funding across different parts of central government and government levels.
UNITED KINGDOM
As the chart below shows, from 2014 onwards the UK began to report increasingly large amounts of spending on refugees as aid, reaching £3,686 million in 2022.
European Union
the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) has seen a marked increase in the amount of funding available: for 2021-2027, the fund amounts to €9.9 billion, compared to €3.137 billion over the previous 2014-2020 period.
The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), with a total budget of €99.3 billion for the 2021-2027 period, is the EU’s main instrument for in building a more social and inclusive Europe. It is a key source of financing for investment in medium- and long-term integration initiatives created to support employment and contribute to a fair and socially inclusive society.
| Country (Year) | Asylum Seekers Received | Amount Spent (€ Billion) | % of GDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany (2015) | 900,000 | 16 | 0.50% |
| Sweden (2015) | 163,000 | 6 | 1.35% |
THE UNITED STATES
The 2018 figures show that resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S. costs The US Government approximately $1.8 billion a year [15]. However, in fiscal year 2021, the United States spent approximately $3.4 billion on refugee and asylee assistance programs, which includes funding for resettlement, cash and medical assistance, job training, and other support services. This figure does not include the costs of processing and screening refugees, which are primarily handled by the Department of Homeland Security.
UNHCR
UNHCR seeks positive changes in the lives of forcibly displaced and stateless people globally. Their situation can be described under four headings, relating to how they are protected, assisted and empowered, and the eventual resolution of their situation. These are known as the “Impact Areas” within UNHCR’s global results framework.
The original approved budget of $8.994 billion in 2022 was supplemented by budgets for the Ukraine crisis ($1.247 billion), the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan ($233.9 million) and the Cameroon crisis ($59.6 million), taking the total budget to $10.534 billion by mid-year. more than nine months into the year – global needs for 2022 were less than half funded, with a shortfall of $5.367 billion.
