UN warns of refugee resettlement shortage for 2.4 million in 2027

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has issued a stark warning about a significant shortage of resettlement options for refugees in 2027. The agency's annual Projected Global Resettlement Needs report estimates that nearly 2.4 million individuals from 43 countries will require resettlement next year. This figure, while down 6% from the previous year's report, highlights a critical gap between the need for safe relocation and the available opportunities.

Afghan refugees constitute the largest group in need, followed by individuals from South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. The decline in the overall number needing resettlement is partly attributed to a significant number of Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan under adverse conditions, and potential voluntary returns from Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. However, the number of refugees actually resettled through UNHCR-assisted programs has plummeted, falling from 116,000 in 2024 to approximately 37,000 in 2025.

This drastic reduction is largely due to several countries, historically major resettlement nations, slashing their intake quotas. The United States, once the world's largest resettler, significantly reduced admissions after President Donald Trump's return to the White House. UNHCR noted that other long-term resettlement countries have also either suspended programs or reduced their quotas. Jackie Keegan, who leads UNHCR's durable solutions and field protection support service, emphasized the urgent need to expand resettlement, calling for increased quotas, broader international participation, and accelerated processing to ensure this life-saving mechanism reaches more vulnerable individuals.