Eleven million people were uprooted by violence last year, most propelled by conflict in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and Afghanistan. Conflict and poverty have also pushed thousands out of parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. A look at the response to what has become the worst migration crisis since World War II, according to the United Nations.

Syria & Iraq

Syria’s neighbours have been making it harder for migrants to cross into their territories.

Taxing the neighbours

Years of violence in Iraq and Syria have stretched the capacities of neighbouring countries to accommodate the displaced. In Jordan, unemployment has almost doubled since 2011 in areas with high concentrations of refugees, according to a recent International Labour Organisation study.

Lebanon began to require visas from Syrians in January. Refugees now make up about 20 per cent of Lebanon’s population. In March, Turkey announced it would close the two remaining border gates with Syria.

Mediterranean

The European Union wants to stop smugglers near the African coast. European governments are divided over the fates of those who reach shore.

How to respond

In May, European leaders said they would form a naval force based in Italy to combat people-smuggling. Last week, the European Commission appealed to the bloc’s member states to accept quotas of migrants to relieve the burden on states like Italy and Greece, which are the main landing points for them. Poverty and war in places like Libya, South Sudan and Nigeria are driving migrants to make the journey across the Mediterranean Sea.