Chapter 5 Figure 23 | Refugee returns | 2010 – 2019 Afghanistan 875,800 Syria 593,700 286,700 Côte d'Ivoire Iraq 257,200 DRC 255,500 Somalia 242,600 South Sudan 241,700 Central African Rep. 227,700 Sudan 199,100 Burundi 189,800 Resettlement Resettlement is a critical tool for the protection of the most vulnerable refugees. It is also a tangible mechanism for responsibility-sharing and a demonstration of solidarity, allowing States to help share each other’s burdens and reduce the impact of large refugee populations on host countries. Over the last decade, over one million refugees were resettled by States with or without UNHCR’s assistance. During this period, the number of States providing resettlement places increased from 24 in 2010 to a high of 35 in 2016 and 2017, only to drop again to 29 in both 2018 and 2019. Over the last decade, the number of refugees in need of resettlement has increased dramatically. UNHCR estimates than more than 1.4 million refugees need to be resettled,60 an 80 per cent increase since 2011 (see Figure 24). At the end of this tumultuous decade, there was only one resettlement spot available for every 20 vulnerable refugees in need. While the number of refugees increased over time, the number of resettlement places offered by States remained well below 100,000 between 2011 and 2013. It increased gradually to a peak of 163,000 UNHCR resettlement submissions in 2016 to drop to almost half of that at about 81,000 in both 2018 and 2019. Resettlement is used to assist refugees in countries that cannot provide them with appropriate protection and support. Of all cases submitted by UNHCR in 2019, 76 per cent were for survivors of torture and/or violence, people with legal and physical protection needs, and particularly vulnerable women and girls. Just over half (52%) of all resettlement submissions concerned children. Figure 24 | Gap between resettlement needs and UNHCR's annual submissions 1.50 (Millions) 1.25 1.00 0.75 0.50 0.25 0.00 2011 2012 2013 2014* 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 * 2014 excludes resettlement needs of Syrian refugees due to the fluid and rapidly evolving situation at the time of estimating global needs. Resettlement needs UNHCR resettlement submissions 60 https://www.unhcr.org/protection/resettlement/5d1384047/projected-global-resettlement-needs-2020.html UNHCR > GLOBAL TRENDS 2019 51