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The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has issued a stark warning about the growing need for refugee resettlement, projecting that almost 2.4 million individuals will require new homes next year. This comes at a time when several countries have significantly reduced their resettlement quotas, creating a dire shortage of options for those who cannot safely return to their countries of origin and face risks in their current asylum locations.

Jackie Keegan, who leads UNHCR’s durable solutions and field protection support service, emphasized the urgency and achievability of expanding resettlement programs. She told journalists in Geneva that increasing quotas, engaging more countries, and accelerating processing are crucial steps to ensure this life-saving mechanism reaches more vulnerable individuals.

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Expanding resettlement is urgent and achievable.

UNHCR's annual Projected Global Resettlement Needs report details that 2.37 million people from 43 countries of origin, residing in 76 countries of asylum, will need resettlement. The report highlights Afghan refugees as the largest demographic requiring resettlement, with significant numbers also coming from Sudan, Syria, and Rohingya refugees from Myanmar who are currently living in camps in Bangladesh.

The agency's warning underscores the complex challenges faced by displaced populations globally, emphasizing the critical need for international cooperation and expanded humanitarian efforts to address the escalating resettlement crisis.

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Increased quotas, bringing more countries on board, and accelerating processing will ensure this life-saving tool reaches more of those in need.