UN Secretary-General: The Number of Refugees Worldwide is Unprecedented Since the Korean War

Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, stated on Wednesday, March 5, that the number of refugees worldwide has never been this high and called on the international community to improve methods of humanitarian aid and support for development in poor countries. According to the Associated Press, during a visit to a camp for refugees near the city of Goma in northeastern Congo, he expressed hope to meet with the President of Congo during this trip. He mentioned, "Currently, the number of refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide has reached 60 million, which is unprecedented since the end of the Korean War." The UN Secretary-General added that visiting camps like this reminds him of his own experience as a refugee: "When I was a refugee at the age of six in 1950 in Korea." He said that during that time, the United Nations was a symbol of hope, providing security, textbooks, drinking water, food, and medicine. The chaotic regions of eastern Congo are home to several armed rebel groups competing for control over the area's natural resources. Ban Ki-moon added that the main goal of the upcoming international humanitarian aid conference scheduled for May in Turkey is to ensure that no one is forgotten in global development. Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Hungarian government plans to hold a referendum on the EU's mandatory quota plan for distributing refugees. Hungary's government has opposed this EU plan from the beginning. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has made strong statements against migrants and refugees since the onset of the migration crisis in Europe and has become one of Europe's hardline politicians due to the construction of a fence at the southern borders to prevent the entry of migrants. Now several other countries in the Balkans have also adopted policies of building fences and closing their borders. Orbán stated that this referendum would be an important measure for democracy in Europe. He has previously said that the quota plan for distributing refugees would disrupt the demographic, cultural, and religious fabric of European countries. The President of Hungary said on Wednesday at a press conference, "No one has asked the people of Europe whether they support or oppose this mandatory quota. In response to public opinion, the government has decided to conduct this survey. We believe that implementing the quota plan for resettling migrants in European countries without public support is an abuse of power." Orbán did not specify when the referendum would take place but acknowledged that he understands the potential consequences, especially if the people of Hungary vote negatively. He added, "We must consider the potential impacts on European policies, but these considerations are secondary. For us, holding this referendum is an urgent, fundamental, and unavoidable necessity in Hungarian politics. Can anyone other than the people of Hungary decide who we should live alongside?" Peter Krekó from the Political Capital research center believes that Viktor Orbán is in a position of power regarding the migration issue in Europe because it allows him to speak as a defender of the nation. He is trying to keep the migration issue hot until 2018 and the next Hungarian elections. According to this expert, holding a referendum on migration in Hungary could marginalize other important issues such as education or public health and is also a preemptive political move that Viktor Orbán could use if the Hungarian government is condemned by the European court for rejecting the refugee quota distribution.