UN warns 2.4 million refugees will need relocation by 2027

The United Nations estimates that roughly 2.4 million refugees worldwide will require relocation in 2027, a slight 6 % drop from the previous year. The largest cohort are Afghan refugees, followed by people from South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Rohingya fleeing Myanmar.

UNHCR officials say that fewer countries are offering resettlement places, with the United States sharply reducing its intake after the return of Donald Trump to the White House, and other traditional donor states cutting or suspending quotas. Jackie Keegan, UNHCR’s coordinator for durable solutions, urged at a Geneva press conference that “extending the relocation programme is urgent and feasible” and called for more states to increase their contribution limits and accelerate processing.

The agency’s annual report highlights that only about 37 000 refugees were relocated in 2025, down from 116 000 in 2024, underscoring the growing gap between need and available solutions.