Call to Action Is Clear and Urgent
A newly released report by The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) shows that active global conflicts have forced people from their homes and stranded them at historic levels.
While numbers alone can never fully tell the stories of real people living with loss and fear, separation from their loved ones, and no clear path to safety, 2025 data in this “Global Trends” report is stark enough to sound an alarm about a humanitarian relief system in serious decline.
- At the end of 2025, there were 41.6 million refugees globally.
- One in every 70 people, or 1.4 per cent of the entire world’s population, is now forcibly displaced.
- 70% of refugees have been displaced for five years or more with no pathway forward.
- 39% of refugees are children.
- A three percent decrease in refugees from 2024 does not indicate that conflicts were resolved and individuals were safe once again. Rather, it is due to an increase in people being pressured to return to the home counties they fled, with no guarantee of safety.
Far from meeting this challenge, structural support for refugee resettlement is on the decline throughout our global community.
- Refugee resettlement collapsed by more than half, with resettled refugees dropping from 188,800 in 2024 to just 81,800 in 2025.
- Asylum backlogs grew for the ninth consecutive year, impacting 9 million people awaiting a decision on their future.
- Safe pathways are shrinking, with far fewer people able to access resettlement or sponsorship routes.
While these trends are disheartening, it is important to note that the actions of governments worldwide do not necessarily reflect the feelings of their communities and individuals. Here in the U.S., where the refugee resettlement and immigration systems are being undermined by federal policies, polls show that 69% of U.S. voters from both major political parties support maintaining a refugee resettlement program. This support increases to 84% when people have had personal contact with refugees.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we remain a nation of immigrants that values freedom, fairness, opportunity, and the diversity that defines us. In the face of these global trends, IINE’s work at the local level has never been more important. Together, we protect and strengthen the refugee program by continuing to show up for the displaced people who reach our communities eager to contribute and succeed; by helping them to put down roots, learn English and flourish in the workforce; by amplifying their voices; by celebrating their successes; and by advocating for laws and policies that prioritize human dignity, equal opportunity, and prosperity for all.
IINE is committed to fighting for the rights and safety of refugees, but we need your support. Please consider making a donation today.
