UN chief urges renewed global action on refugees amid rising crises

GENEVA

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday that the global refugee situation has worsened since the last Global Refugee Forum, citing growing conflict, increased displacement, tighter border controls and significant cuts to humanitarian funding.

The second Global Refugee Forum Progress Review, organized by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Swiss government, has begun in Geneva.

Guterres addressed the meeting in a video message, stressing the need for greater support for countries hosting refugees. He noted that low- and middle-income nations sheltered nearly three quarters of the world’s displaced people.

Calling for greater efforts to include refugees in local economies and promote self-reliance, he said: “We must boost refugee inclusion and self-reliance a dignified way to unlock human potential. Lift up local economies and lower dependency on aid.”

Guterres also highlighted the importance of expanding so-called third-country solutions, including family reunification and resettlement, acknowledging that for some refugees “there simply are no local solutions.”

He pointed to recent examples of progress, including the return of a million Syrians to their home country over the past year, praising the work of international partners involved in refugee protection.

The UN chief also paid tribute to High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, thanking him for championing protection efforts during what he described as some of the largest humanitarian crises in modern history.

Guterres urged continued global cooperation “to invest in refugees and those communities and to defend and uphold the right to seek asylum and protection, a fundamental pillar of international law.”