The United Nations reported that in 2026, 2.5 million refugees around the world will require resettlement.
UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that Afghan citizens represent the largest group in need of resettlement.
“Speaking of refugees, our friends at UNHCR today released a report estimating that 2.5 million refugees worldwide will need to be resettled next year. UNHCR said that while the figure remains high, annual resettlement needs have decreased for next year — down from 2.9 million in 2025, even as the global number of refugees continues to grow. This is mainly due to the changed situation in Syria, which has allowed for voluntary returns. UNHCR said that for 2026, the largest refugee populations that will need to be resettled are Afghans, followed by Syrians, South Sudanese, Sudanese, Rohingya and Congolese.” he said.
At the same time, UNHCR’s Afghanistan office reported that in the first five months of this year, more than 393,000 Afghan migrants were deported from Iran and Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan. Additionally, 264 cases of deportation from Tajikistan have been recorded so far this year.
This comes as fewer than six days remain before Pakistan’s deadline and less than twelve days before Iran’s deadline for Afghan migrants to leave.
