Widespread bribery and corruption haunt UNHCR, report finds

A seven-month investigation conducted by NBC News found harrowing tales of corruption among resettlement workers for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

In interviews with more than 50 refugees registered with the UNHCR in Kenya, Uganda, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Libya, NBC News discovered that staffers and officials demand bribes from refugees seeking resettlement "for everything from medical referrals to food rations to contacting police." Some of the bribes can cost up to $5,000 per family.

Those refugees who cannot afford to pay bribes said that the resettlement workers will then sell their case files to other families with more wealth.

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NBC News also interviewed current and former UNHCR employees, aid workers, and two former United Nations investigators who said that bribery and corruption occur in many UNHCR services, but are especially "unavoidable" when it comes to resettlement.

Most of the sources said the UNHCR either ignores or "whitewashes" the workers who demand bribes, often simply relocating them, though some have faced internal punishment. Meanwhile, three former UNHCR staff members said their employment contracts were terminated after they spoke out about fraud. A spokesperson for UNHCR said the organization denies allegations of widespread corruption. Read more at NBC News.