An urgent expansion of refugee resettlement is needed as the gap between global resettlement needs and available places continues to widen, according to a new report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The agency’s annual “Projected Global Resettlement Needs (PGRN) 2027” report warns that millions of refugees remain without access to durable solutions despite growing humanitarian needs and ongoing conflicts.
The report identifies Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Eritrea, Somalia, Venezuela and the Central African Republic as the countries generating the highest resettlement needs. Afghans remain the largest refugee group in need of resettlement, followed by refugees from South Sudan, Sudan and Syria. Rohingya refugees, most of whom remain in Bangladesh, also continue to face severe protection risks and limited opportunities for lasting solutions.
According to the report, globally, an estimated 2.4 million refugees will require resettlement in 2027. Although this figure is slightly lower than in 2026 and reflects a decline from the peak recorded in 2025, it remains far above the number of available resettlement places. The reduction is largely linked to changing conditions for some refugee populations, particularly Syrians, whose prospects for voluntary return have improved. However, worsening conflicts and humanitarian crises in Sudan and South Sudan have significantly increased protection needs.
Regionally, Eastern and Southern Africa continues to record the highest resettlement needs, followed by Asia and the Pacific, West and Central Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Europe and the Americas. The region hosts more than 23.8 million forcibly displaced people, including 6.4 million refugees and asylum-seekers from South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ethiopia is projected to have the highest resettlement needs globally.
According to the report, conflict, political instability, climate-related shocks and economic vulnerabilities continue to drive displacement across the region. Sudan’s ongoing conflict has created one of the world’s largest displacement crises, while refugees across Eastern and Southern Africa face limited livelihood opportunities, funding shortages and increasing protection risks.
UNHCR emphasizes that resettlement remains a vital component of a comprehensive solutions strategy, alongside voluntary repatriation, local integration and complementary pathways such as family reunification, labour mobility, education opportunities, sponsorship programmes and humanitarian admissions. In countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa, resettlement is integrated into broader efforts to promote refugee inclusion, self-reliance and long-term solutions.
UNHCR projects that approximately 840,600 refugees across Eastern and Southern Africa will require resettlement in 2027, up from 701,600 in 2026, representing a 20 per cent increase.
Rising needs are being driven by ongoing conflicts, climate-related hazards, restrictive policies and growing risks of exploitation and violence.
Marking the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention this year, UNHCR called on governments to strengthen refugee protection and expand pathways to durable solutions.
The agency stressed that resettlement is not an act of charity but a proven solution that enables refugees to rebuild their lives while contributing economically and socially to their new communities.