UNHCR has called for stronger international action to create lasting solutions for refugees, as its latest Global Trends Report shows that seven in ten refugees continue to live in long-term displacement.
The report focuses on forced displacement, refugee returns, long-term exile, humanitarian assistance, self-reliance, voluntary repatriation, refugee inclusion in national systems, resettlement, family reunification, work permits, scholarships, statelessness and international protection.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih launched the agency’s Global Trends Report in Geneva, noting that global forced displacement declined for the first time in a decade, while still remaining at extremely high levels. In 2025, 5.4 million people fled violence and persecution by crossing into other countries.
The report also highlighted a sharp rise in returns. A total of 14.7 million displaced people returned to their countries or areas of origin in 2025, including 4.4 million refugees and 10.3 million internally displaced people. Many of these returns were recorded in Afghanistan, Sudan and Syria, though UNHCR noted that several people returned under pressure and to fragile conditions.
Global refugee numbers declined by 3 per cent in 2025, reaching 41.6 million. The report also recorded a positive development, with nearly 46,000 stateless people acquiring citizenship across 24 countries during the year.
Despite these developments, UNHCR warned that 70 per cent of refugees remain trapped in exile for years, with many living below the poverty line. Salih urged the international community to support a new initiative aimed at reducing long-term displacement and helping refugees move away from dependence on humanitarian aid.
The proposed goal is to reduce by more than half, over the next decade, the number of refugees in long-term displacement who rely on humanitarian assistance. The initiative will focus especially on low- and middle-income countries, where most refugees are hosted.
UNHCR said the target can be achieved by expanding opportunities for voluntary returns, relocation, humanitarian visas and self-reliance. The agency also emphasized the need to include refugees in national education, health care, financial services and labour markets, enabling them to earn incomes and contribute to local economies.
Salih stressed that voluntary returns must remain the primary solution, but added that more international pathways are urgently needed. These include resettlement for vulnerable refugees, family reunification, work permits and scholarships. In 2025, arrivals through resettlement or sponsorship pathways fell by more than half to 81,800.
The report also showed that more than 70 per cent of refugees and others needing international protection came from Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela. The largest host countries in 2025 included Colombia, Germany, Türkiye, Uganda, Iran, Chad and Pakistan.
At the end of 2025, 68.6 million people were internally displaced due to conflict or violence, while Sudan remained the world’s largest internal displacement crisis. The report also estimated that 4.5 million stateless people were recorded globally, representing a 3 per cent increase from the previous year.
UNHCR said that while asylum and protection remain essential, the world must do more to ensure that refugees are not left without realistic opportunities to rebuild their lives.
