Wealthy nations have shown a lack of leadership and are shirking their responsibility to the world's refugees, leaving poorer countries to do most of the provision, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
The "self-interest" of rich nations means the crisis facing many of the world's 21 million refugees is likely to get worse in the near term, Amnesty said in a report, "Tackling the global refugee crisis: From shirking to sharing responsibility."
"Wealthy countries have shown a complete absence of leadership and responsibility, leaving just 10 countries, which account for less than 2.5 per cent of world GDP, to take in 56 per cent of the world's refugees," it said.
Refugees in Greece, Iraq, the island of Nauru, and on the Syria-Jordan border are "in dire need of a home," while others in countries such as Kenya and Pakistan face "growing harassment from governments," it said.
Amnesty urged the international community to develop "a fair and practical solution to the crisis... to find a home for 10 per cent of the world's refugees every year."
"Just 10 of the world's 193 countries host more than half its refugees," said Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty.
"A small number of countries have been left to do far too much just because they are neighbours to a crisis," Shetty said.
"That situation is inherently unsustainable, exposing the millions fleeing war and persecution in countries like Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Iraq to intolerable misery and suffering."
