More and more people are leaving their homes in search of a better life for themselves and their families, or to escape unrest, oppression and persecution. The United Nations estimates that some 244 million people around the world no longer live in the country of their birth.

This shows that the number of migrants has risen sharply from around 153 million people in 1990 — and the figure could soon be even higher. A survey conducted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 160 different countries indicates that around 23 million people are currently preparing to migrate.

Read more: The Migration Dilemma — 'We were treated like animals'

East Africa: Traveling by night

There is a widespread misconception that the majority of migrants are bound for Europe. This is not the case. According to the German aid organization Bread for the World, around 90 percent of all refugees live in developing countries, primarily in African states. The majority are internally displaced within their own country, or have fled just across the border. They don't have the money to travel any further.

A refugee from South Sudan is building a new future for her child after fleeing to Uganda

Many people seek shelter in Ethiopia, for example. It's ranked fifth in the list of countries worldwide that take in the most refugees. They come primarily from neighboring Somalia, which has been in a state of civil war since the early 1990s.

Watch video 03:38 Share Uganda sets example for progressive refugee policy Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2lgdw Uganda sets example for progressive refugee policy

According to the United Nations, almost 7 million people there are dependent on humanitarian aid, with 800,000 at risk of famine. More than 1 million Somalis have fled to Ethiopia, and to another neighbor, Kenya, which is now home to the biggest refugee camp in the world.

Another East African country, Uganda, has a generous policy with regard to refugees. This makes it very popular with people fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo or South Sudan, countries rocked by uprisings and civil war. Refugees arriving in Uganda are given a piece of land to cultivate. However, the journey from South Sudan is extremely dangerous. People usually travel by night for fear of running into soldiers. "Every night we pray we will reach Uganda alive," says one woman in a report published by the aid organization CARE in July.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda Liberal refugee policy Uganda has one of the world's most liberal refugee policies. About half a million people from war-torn countries within the region are looking for shelter here. They come from eastern Congo, South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Burundi. Up to 100 people arrive at the huge refugee camps in southwest Uganda every day.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda From Burundi via Rwanda to Uganda Currently, refugees mostly from Burundi are urgently looking for shelter in Uganda. In July 2015, Burundian Pierre Karimumujango fled to Rwanda with his wife and three children. "We lived in congested camps. It is hard to settle down there," he says. It is from there that they continued their journey to Uganda by bus.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda Owning their own piece of land "We had nothing when we arrived - apart from the clothes we were wearing," Karimumujango said. He was given kitchen utensils, water canisters, tents and groceries by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The Ugandan government allocated a piece of land to each family on which they could build a house and cultivate foodstuffs. The Burundian farmer planted cassava.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda Help from the outside The newcomers are given second-hand clothing, often donations from Europe. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees and several international non-governmental organizations help in providing for the refugees. Uganda is a poor country itself. Without support it would be utterly swamped by the asylum surge.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda A city just for refugees The Nakivale camp in the southwest of Uganda is the biggest in the country. More than 100,000 refugees live in an area of 180 square kilometres (69 square miles) - Nakivale is like a city. The land in the dry, almost uninhabited savanna belongs to the government which distributes it to the refugees. They burn clay to make bricks to build their own houses.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda A new life among compatriots In Nakivale the refugees live in "districts," according to their country of origin. Since the outbreak of the Burundian crisis in the past year, 22,000 Burundians fled to Uganda. In Nakivale they established "Little Bujumbura," named after the capital of their country. A lot of them come with all their belongings and savings in order to start a new life.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda A new employment market is created The center of Nakivale is like a small town: Here you find carpenters, workshops, tailors, hairdressers, shops and pharmacies. A lot of refugees try to pick up and carry on with the professions they formerly had in their home countries. Some of them bring goods and tools with them and create new jobs.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda Refugees as an economic factor A Burundian miller brought his flour mill to Uganda. 16-year old Michel Tweramehezu from Burundi is happy to have found a job in the camp. "There is not much to do here," he says. The Ugandan government sees the refugees as an economic asset, a work permit is not required. All they need to do is take part in economic activity.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda East African superpower politics Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni likes to present himself as the grandfather of the region and pursues a brand of superpower politics in which refugees play a major role. Opposition activists and rebels from neighboring countries are among those fleeing to Uganda which is well aware of the political dimensions attached to its refugee policy.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda Sports against hatred Within the camps, the regional conflicts continue: Rwandan Hutus and Tutsis in Nakivale still live in different districts. Frictions often occur, that´s when the camp police have to intervene and mediate. Sport is a good way to reconcile the parties. Breakdance competitions, a youth center and a radio station can help reduce the potential for violence.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda Shortage of nearly everything Olive Nyirandambyza fled from her village in eastern Congo in 2007. Five of the 38-year-old's seven children were born in Nakivale. She receives 50 kilograms (110 lbs) of corn monthly from the United Nations World Food Programme. "It´s often not enough, so my husband has to go to the city to work for the Ugandans," she says. She lacks soap, sanitary products and medicine.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda Only basic schooling in the camps The majority of the inhabitants of Nakivale are children of school age. There are six state-run elementary schools in the camp which are free of charge. There are no more advanced schools, secondary students have to walk long distances to the next village. The school there is a private one and most of the refugee families cannot afford the fees.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda Cattle as source of capital Some refugees - for example Banyamulenge from eastern Congo or Tutsi from Rwanda or Burundi - bring their cattle herds with them to the camp. In Uganda´s fertile grassland around Nakivale they find enough to eat. For many families the cattle herds act as living bank accounts. To pay school fees, cows are sold at the cattle market in Nakivale.

Refugees: A new existence in Uganda Home is gone for ever Ndahayo Ruwogwa believes that he will die in Uganda. The 69- year-old lost his right arm during the war in his home country of eastern Congo. He has been living in Nakivale for the last 13 years with his family of 13. "At least it's peaceful here in Uganda. We got a chance for a new life," he says. "My home country is still at war. We will probably never be able to go back there." Author: Simone Schlindwein/ijo



Central America: Death waits on the riverbank

Migration on the American continent has been in the spotlight again since US President Donald Trump began calling for a wall to be built along the length of the US-Mexico border. It's not clear how many people actually cross the border every year. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that there are around 11 million migrants living in the US without a residency permit. About half of them are from Mexico.

A young man shaves at a hostel in Mexico. Despite the dangers, many are still making the journey to the US

Many people from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras use Mexico as a transit country. Until 2010 it was primarily young men migrating northwards, but Amnesty International reports that whole families are now on the move, escaping violence by criminal gangs in their home countries.

If they cannot pay traffickers to get them across Mexico, they soon become easy prey for organized criminals. Cartels patrol the riverbanks near the border and attack without mercy, killing refugees to warn off others. It's not known how many have been murdered in this way, but there have been repeated discoveries of mass graves indicating that this was how the victims died.

The International Organization for Migration reports that in 2017 more than 340 people died in the vicinity of the border. Many were killed by gangs; others drowned, probably while attempting to cross a river. Others still were bitten by snakes or scorpions, or died of thirst in the scorching heat. In many cases the cause of death remains unclear. Human remains are often found, for example in the barren mountains in the south of the US state of Arizona.

Central American immigrants turn to Mexico No longer first choice In a migrant shelter in the southern Mexican city of Tenosique, near the Guatemalan border, a refugee from Honduras says he originally planned to move to the United States with his family. Trump's election has changed everything. "I wanted to go to the United States with my family, but we've seen that the new government there has made things harder."

Central American immigrants turn to Mexico Lingering in Mexico Concepcion Bautista from Guatemala cradles her newborn son in the same migrant shelter. She says she plans to head for the United States, but will linger in Mexico to see how US President Donald Trump's immigration policies play out. Her goal is to reunite with her family up north...

Central American immigrants turn to Mexico A mere transit country? …but for the time being, she believes applying for asylum in Mexico is a smarter move. Mexican asylum data and testimony from migrants in Tenosique suggest that although fewer Central Americans are trying to enter the US, plenty are still fleeing their poor, violent home countries, with many deciding to stay longer in Mexico, which has traditionally been a transit country.

Central American immigrants turn to Mexico Tough immigration policies The Trump administration has pointed out a sharp decline in immigrant detentions in the first few months of this year as a vindication for the president's tough immigration policies. The measures are already having another effect. In California, where farmers usually rely on workers from Mexico to bring in the harvest, many Mexicans are staying away, preferring to find work in their own country.

Central American immigrants turn to Mexico Asylum applications on the rise Migrants from Central America play football in the migrant shelter in Tenosique. The number of people applying for asylum in Mexico has soared by more than 150 percent since Trump was elected president. These days, Mexican immigrants would rather set up in Canada than the United States.

Central American immigrants turn to Mexico Human smugglers up the price One man from Guatemala says the prices charged by people smugglers have risen sharply since Trump took office, now hovering around $10,000 (9,100 euros), up from about $6,000 a few years ago. Migrants sit below a mural in Mexico with the words: "Our demand is minimal: justice."

Central American immigrants turn to Mexico A new home With Mexico's immigration authorities controlling migration more assiduously, Central Americans were forced to take more isolated, dangerous routes where the chances of being mugged were higher. "We've gone north several times, but every time it's got harder," says one man, who was deported from the United States in December. "Now, it's better if we travel alone, along new routes." Author: Nadine Berghausen



Southeast Asia: Helpless at sea

It's not only the Mediterranean that refugees are attempting to cross in rickety boats. This is also a problem in Southeast Asia. More and more people are trying to flee Myanmar and Bangladesh for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Most are Rohingya, a Muslim minority that is persecuted, tortured and repressed in majority-Buddhist Myanmar.

Since mid-2017, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh. In many instances they were stranded at sea for weeks, because the surrounding states, while prepared to provide the refugees with fuel, water and food, have refused to take them in.

Rohingya refugees ride on a boat to get to a refugee camp in Bangladesh

These days, human traffickers have also started to take an interest in the refugee route across the Bay of Bengal. Every year, tens of thousands of refugees resort to asking them for help. According to the German charity Stiftung Asienhaus, the traffickers are particularly brutal. They are said to have held refugees captive in the jungle and demanded ransom money, or tortured them on board the boats. Anyone asking for water or food during the crossing was reportedly beaten.

And the crossing can end in death. More than 200 mass graves were found near a camp on the border between Thailand and Malaysia. For the Rohingya, though, staying is not an option. The aid organization Doctors Without Borders recently announced that in one month alone, between the end of August and the end of September, around 6,700 members of the minority group were killed in Myanmar, including large numbers of children.