Former German chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday won the United Nations refugee agency’s prestigious Nansen award for her “leadership, courage and compassion” in ensuring the protection of hundreds of thousands of desperate people at the height of the Syria crisis, the agency said in a statement.
“Dr. Angela Merkel is the 2022 Nansen Award global laureate for her political courage, compassion and decisive action as Federal Chancellor of Germany to protect people forced to flee,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said.
“Under then Federal Chancellor Merkel’s leadership, Germany welcomed more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016 – at the height of the conflict in Syria and amid deadly violence in other places,” it said. As well as protecting people forced to flee war, persecution and human rights abuses, the former Chancellor was the driving force behind Germany’s collective efforts to receive them and help them integrate into society, through education and training programmes, employment schemes and labour market integration. She was also key in expanding Germany’s resettlement programme, which helped protect tens of thousands of vulnerable refugees.
“By helping more than a million refugees to survive and rebuild, Dr. Angela Merkel displayed great moral and political courage,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said highlighting Merkel’s determination to protect asylum seekers and to stand up for human rights.
Congratulations to Angela Merkel, former Chancellor of Germany, recipient of the 2022 #NansenAward. It recognizes her moral and political courage in helping more than a million refugees rebuild their lives, and her leadership in strengthening Germany’s global humanitarian role. pic.twitter.com/5osOcNSWSS— Filippo Grandi (@FilippoGrandi) October 4, 2022
UNHCR also honoured four organizations and individuals from around the world “who have gone above and beyond to protect refugees and other people forced to flee.” The Nansen Award 2022 regional winner for Africa was given to The Mbera Fire Brigade, an all-volunteer firefighting group in Mauritania led by Ahmedou Ag Albohary. The award for the Americas went to Vicenta González, a women’s rights advocate and activist whose cacao cooperative in Costa Rica empowers local and asylum-seeking women. Meikswe Myanmar, a humanitarian organization that assists communities in need, including internally displaced people was announced as the regional winner for Asia and the Pacific and regional winner for the Middle East and North Africa was given to Dr. Nagham Hasan—a gynaecologist from Iraq who helps fellow Yazidi women who were forced into slavery by ISIS to recover from their trauma.
Named after the Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen, the award is given each year to an individual, group or organization who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect refugees, internally displaced or stateless people.
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