Refugees 'victims not terrorists'

Millions of Sudanese have fled fighting near their homes

New United Nations refugee agency head Antonio Guterres has said refugees are victims of terror not terrorists.

Marking World Refugee Day with a visit to camps in northern Uganda, Mr Guterres appealed for a new approach to refugees and asylum-seekers.

He said rich nations were confusing the issue with the problems of illegal immigration and terrorism.

He said Uganda, which hosts some 250,000 people was an example to rich nations of extraordinary generosity.

"In refugees we are speaking of people fleeing persecution," he told BBC News.

Refugees from Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo have been given land and integrated into communities, something which Mr Guterres said was difficult to find anywhere else in the world.

"I think we should learn from that and I think we should be generous towards them and I hope we will cherish the institution of asylum," he said.

The UNHCR provides assistance to more than 19m people who are displaced worldwide.

Vulnerable

The theme of this year's day is courage and Mr Guterres, is going to northern Uganda to see the courage needed to survive there as a refugee.

2004 figures in detail 19.2m 'people of concern' include refugees, asylum-seekers and others Number of refugees fell 4% to 9.2m in 2004 Sudanese accounted for largest refugee increase in 2004, with 125,000 Afghans remain biggest refugee group at 2.1m Top countries of asylum were Iran and Pakistan

More than 200,000 people, who fled the civil war in neighbouring Sudan, live in sprawling settlements waiting to return home after two decades in exile.

Up to two million Ugandans are also internally displaced in the same area.

They are trying to escape brutal attack by the rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army.

Many live in appalling conditions.

Children are left vulnerable to disease and to abduction by the LRA.

Across the world, the UNHCR says that for those fleeing war and persecution finding a safe haven is becoming increasingly difficult.

Many industrialised nations have imposed stricter controls on asylum-seekers and developing countries, which host most of the world's refugees, are often overburdened.

The UN is also concerned at the recent trend among some countries to ignore the UN convention on refugees.

Last week, as Mr Guterres took up his new job, Burundi was accused of forcibly repatriating some 5,000 Rwandan asylum-seekers.