UN Warns Refugee Protections Undermined by Politicized Asylum Debate

GENEVA-The United Nations warned on Tuesday that growing political debate over migration is eroding protections for refugees, with the head of the UN refugee agency urging governments to uphold the right to seek asylum as the world marked the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Speaking at a commemorative event at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih said refugees fleeing persecution are increasingly being caught in politicized debates and portrayed as sources of broader social, economic and political problems. Salih, a former president of Iraq and himself once a refugee, called for greater international efforts to address the causes of displacement rather than focusing solely on managing its consequences.

Salih said people forced to flee are too often depicted as burdens or security threats instead of individuals escaping violence and persecution. He urged governments to preserve the principles of the Refugee Convention, which was opened for signature in Geneva on July 28, 1951, describing it as a cornerstone of international protection for displaced people.

According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), 117.8 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced by the end of 2025, down from the record 123.2 million reported a year earlier. Of those, 35.6 million were refugees under UNHCR’s mandate, with nearly two-thirds originating from Venezuela, Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan and Sudan.

The agency said the decline marked the first reduction in global displacement in a decade, driven in part by refugees returning from Iran and Lebanon despite ongoing risks in countries including Syria and Afghanistan. Salih said he would travel to Syria next week and argued that earlier international action to end the country’s 2011-2024 civil war could have prevented millions from being displaced across the region and into Europe.

The anniversary event also featured Syrian refugee and Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini, who described returning to Syria for the first time after fleeing the conflict. She said she witnessed families crossing back into the country with hope, only to discover widespread destruction of homes, schools, roads and hospitals.

Mardini is among the first 75 signatories of the “Promise” initiative, a campaign reaffirming the right of people facing persecution to seek protection in other countries. Other early supporters include actors Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett and Ben Stiller, as well as Nobel Peace Prize laureates Malala Yousafzai and Nadia Murad.

In a message marking the anniversary, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Refugee Convention had saved millions of lives since its adoption after World War Two but warned that its principles were under increasing pressure. He said conflicts continue to multiply, persecution persists and the right to seek asylum is increasingly being challenged, restricted or denied.

The UN also highlighted mounting financial pressures on humanitarian operations. While the number of forcibly displaced people has nearly doubled over the past decade, funding available to respond has fallen sharply. The United States, historically UNHCR’s largest donor, has significantly reduced overseas assistance, while other governments have tightened spending.

Salih said UNHCR’s funding declined by around 35% last year, forcing the agency to eliminate nearly 5,000 positions in 2025, more than a quarter of its workforce. He told reporters the reductions had significantly affected the agency’s ability to deliver assistance but expressed hope that cooperation with Washington, which he described as a vital partner, would continue.

While supporting measures to prevent abuse of asylum systems and recognising governments’ authority to control their borders, Salih stressed that refugees constitute a distinct legal category because they are escaping persecution and conflict rather than simply seeking improved economic opportunities.