Syrian refugees have lived through almost 10 years of displacement, a situation which is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. At this uncertain juncture, with economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever there is a critical need for supporting livelihoods and enhancing prospects for durable solutions in both Jordan and Lebanon.

From years of experience working with refugees and asylum-seekers globally, we know that when given opportunity to thrive, forcibly displaced persons contribute to their host communities and boost local economies. However, third-country nationals living in the European Union face very specific challenges and barriers to integration stemming from their vulnerabilities as refugee populations, as well as structural issues and divergent asylum policies at the EU and national levels. As the EU transitions into a new mandate for the European Commission and Parliament, the International Rescue Committee outlines a set of recommendations for a renewed and improved EU Action Plan on Integration. We argue that only by supporting the transition of refugees and asylum-seekers into their new communities, the EU has a chance to prove its role as a credible champion of protection and inclusion.

Mid-December 2022, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) published its annual Emergency Watchlist, identifying the 20 countries in the world most at risk to face a severe humanitarian crisis or a deterioration of an ongoing humanitarian crisis in 2023. Once again, our unique methodology based on 67 indicators and discussions with key stakeholders in the region, concluded that the situations in 5 West African countries are of high concern. Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria are all countries where conflict, climate change, and economic turmoil impact the lives of millions of people and limits their access to quality health, education, and protection services, food, and sometimes, even to benefit from humanitarian assistance. These countries need the world’s attention to help displaced and host populations survive, recover, and rebuild their lives. This report aims to dive into these contexts and unpack the accelerators of the humanitarian crisis to then better identify the guardrails that decision makers need to rebuild so people can move from harm to home.