Table 1 Refugee populations by UNHCR regions | 2015 UNHCR regions - Central Africa and Great Lakes - East and Horn of Africa - Southern Africa Refugees Start-2015 People in refugeelike situations Refugees End-2015 People in refugeelike situations Total refugees 625,000 37,600 2,568,000 177,700 Change (total) Total refugees Absolute 662,600 1,173,400 15,900 1,189,300 526,700 79 33,400 2,601,400 2,739,400 - 2,739,400 138,000 5 - 177,700 189,800 - 189,800 12,100 7 % - West Africa 243,300 - 243,300 295,000 - 295,000 51,700 21 Total Africa* 3,614,000 71,000 3,685,000 4,397,600 15,900 4,413,500 728,500 20 Americas 509,300 259,700 769,000 496,400 250,400 746,800 -22,200 -3 Asia and Pacific 3,615,200 280,100 3,895,300 3,551,900 278,300 3,830,200 -65,100 -2 Europe 3,057,000 18,200 3,075,200 4,362,600 28,800 4,391,400 1,316,200 43 2,898,500 13,694,000 65,400 694,400 2,963,900 14,388,400 2,675,400 15,483,900 64,100 637,500 2,739,500 16,121,400 -224,400 1,733,000 -8 12 Middle East and North Africa Total * Excluding North Africa. reception, protection, and assistance of refugees. The majority of refugees in high-income countries would not receive direct UNHCR assistance, as the required support is provided by the host governments. With 4.4 million individuals, the sub-Saharan Africa region hosted the largest number of refugees Table 1 . Refugees originating from five countries (Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and the Central African Republic) accounted for 3.5 million (80%) of the total refugee population residing in this region by the end of 2015 (see Annex Table 28 for list of countries by UNHCR region). UNHCR’s Europe region hosted the secondlargest number of refugees, with slightly less than Africa at just below 4.4 million, an increase of 1.3 million (41%) from the previous year. In 2015, the majority (58%) of refugees in Europe resided in Turkey (2.5 million), mostly from the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq. Other countries in Europe hosting large numbers of refugees included Germany (316,100), the Russian Federation (314,500), France (273,100), Sweden (169,500), the United Kingdom (123,100), and Italy (118,000). The Asia and Pacific region hosted 3.8 million refugees at the end of 2015, representing a slight decline from the previous year. Meanwhile, the Middle East and North Africa region continued to generate largescale movements of refugees. In 2015, this region hosted about 2.7 million refugees, while border management, the application of visa and new admission requirements, as well as other restrictive policies in host countries have adversely affected access to safety in various parts of the region. The Americas region hosted 746,800 refugees by the end of 2015. 14 UNHCR Global Trends 2015 Newly Displaced Refugees During 2015, 1.8 million people were forced to flee their countries and become refugees, compared to 2.9 million in 2014, a year of particularly significant displacement. Turkey registered the largest number of new refugees, including 946,800 from the Syrian Arab Republic who were granted temporary protection. With 149,600 arrivals on its territory in 2015, the Russian Federation hosted the second-largest number of newly displaced refugees, all of whom came from Ukraine and were granted temporary protection during 2015. With the outbreak of violence in Burundi in April, nearly 123,400 individuals fled to the United Republic of Tanzania, which, as a result, hosted the third-largest number of new refugees. Other countries that received large numbers of refugees during 2015 included Sudan (79,200), Ethiopia (74,600), Rwanda (72,800), Cameroon (65,500), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (62,400), and Uganda (54,000). Slightly more than 1 million individual Syrians were forced to flee their country during 2015, constituting the largest number of new refugees. Syrians mainly sought refuge in neighbouring countries, with significant numbers fleeing to Lebanon (45,300) and Jordan (39,400) in addition to Turkey. Refugees originating from the Syrian Arab Republic are typically granted temporary protection by neighbouring countries; some of these had left Syria prior to 2015 but registered as refugees only in 2015. The outbreak of conflict in Burundi forced 221,600 individuals to flee their country during 2015, becoming the second most common country of origin for new refugees. With 162,100 people fleeing in 2015,