The world’s refugee protection system is facing unprecedented pressure as displacement accelerates while international support shrinks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday, calling for a fundamental rethink of how the global community responds to forced migration.
Speaking at the opening of the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review in Geneva, Guterres said the international environment has grown more hostile since the last forum, with armed conflicts multiplying, borders tightening and humanitarian budgets being cut at a time when needs are surging.
He stressed that responsibility for hosting refugees continues to fall disproportionately on low- and middle-income countries, which now shelter nearly 75% of the world’s displaced population. According to Guterres, this imbalance is no longer sustainable without stronger global burden-sharing.
Rather than relying solely on emergency aid, the UN chief urged governments to prioritize policies that allow refugees to become economically active and socially integrated. He argued that enabling access to education, employment and legal status not only restores dignity but also strengthens host communities.
“Refugees are not a burden to be managed, but potential to be unlocked,” Guterres said, emphasizing that self-reliance reduces long-term aid dependency and contributes to local economic resilience.
He also highlighted the importance of expanding pathways beyond host countries, including resettlement, humanitarian visas and family reunification, noting that for many displaced people, returning home or integrating locally is simply not an option.
Despite the grim outlook, Guterres pointed to signs of cautious progress, including the voluntary return of large numbers of Syrians over the past year, made possible through coordinated international support and improved local conditions.
The UN secretary-general concluded with a warning that weakening the right to asylum would undermine one of the core pillars of international law, urging states to recommit to collective action before global displacement reaches even more destabilizing levels.
Source: Newstimehub
