salon.com: Those who oppose admitting more refugees in Western countries often ask why other countries aren’t taking them. The reality is they are.
In fact, the five wealthiest countries — which make up half the global economy — are hosting less than 5 percent of the world’s refugees, while 86 percent of refugees are in poorer developing countries that are often struggling to meet the needs of their own people.
These are the findings of a new report by Oxfam, titled “Too small a welcome from the world’s wealthy.”
Together, the U.S., China, Japan, the U.K. and Germany are hosting less than 1 million refugees. These five richest countries have taken 938,231 people, or 4.8 percent of the world’s 19.5 million refugees, even though they boast just over one-half of the cumulative global GDP.
The five countries that have taken the most refugees, on the other hand, are all developing nations. Together, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Pakistan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories host a staggering 50 percent of the world’s refugees, even though they make up less than 1.5 percent of the world’s economy.
Japan has taken by far the least, with China and the U.S. following behind. The tiny nations of Jordan and Lebanon have taken by far the most, with one refugee for every roughly three or four people in their countries.
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