Global refugee numbers drop by 3% in 2025 — UN report

Global forced displacement saw a notable decline in 2025, with the total number of refugees decreasing by 3% to 41.6 million, according to the UN Refugee Agency's (UNCHR) Global Trends Report. This marks the first reduction in forced displacement figures in a decade, although the overall numbers remain critically high.

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The report showed that returns are also gathering pace; 14.7 million displaced people returned to their areas or countries of origin in 2025, with a sharp increase in Afghanistan, Sudan and Syria.

The report highlighted a significant increase in returns, with 14.7 million displaced individuals returning to their areas or countries of origin in 2025. This figure represents the second-highest number of refugee returns since records began 60 years ago. Returns saw a sharp increase in countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan, and Syria. However, the UNCHR noted that many of these returns occurred under pressure and in precarious conditions.

Despite the positive trend in returns, the report also flagged a substantial drop in resettlement efforts. Arrivals through resettlement or sponsorship programs fell by more than half compared to the previous year, reaching just 81,800 in 2025. This indicates a widening gap between the available resettlement opportunities and the pressing needs of refugees.

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70 per cent of refugees trapped in exile for years and many living below the poverty line.

More than 70% of refugees originated from Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela. The primary host countries identified in the report were Colombia, Germany, and Türkiye. UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, stressed the importance of asylum and protection, stating, "We cannot accept a future in which millions of refugees remain trapped for years or decades without realistic prospects of rebuilding their lives."

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Asylum and protection are lifesaving and not up for debate.

Grandi urged the international community to support a new initiative aimed at lifting millions out of long-term displacement and reducing their reliance on humanitarian aid. The initiative sets a clear goal: to reduce by more than half, over the next decade, the number of refugees in long-term displacement who depend on humanitarian assistance, thereby improving prospects for millions worldwide.

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We cannot accept a future in which millions of refugees remain trapped for years or decades without realistic prospects of rebuilding their lives.