Global Forced Displacement Hits Record 123 Million, Straining Asylum Systems Worldwide

The global asylum system is struggling to cope with an unprecedented surge in forced displacement, with recent figures indicating nearly 123 million people worldwide are currently displaced. The Economist, a prominent publication, recently articulated this crisis, stating, > "The asylum system is not working. It cannot cope with a world of proliferating conflict, cheap travel and huge wage disparities." This assessment underscores the immense pressure on international mechanisms designed to protect those fleeing persecution and violence.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 123.2 million people were forcibly displaced by the end of 2024, a significant increase from previous years. This figure includes 36.4 million refugees and 6.08 million asylum seekers as of mid-2023. Major drivers of this displacement include protracted conflicts in countries like Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Sudan, alongside widespread human rights violations.

The Economist's tweet points to "proliferating conflict, cheap travel and huge wage disparities" as key factors overwhelming the current system. Beyond traditional conflicts, the impacts of climate change are increasingly contributing to forced migration, pushing more individuals to seek safety across borders. These complex global dynamics create a continuous flow of people seeking protection, often outpacing the capacity of host nations.

The majority of refugees, approximately 70%, are hosted in countries neighboring their origin nations, many of which are low- or middle-income countries already facing their own challenges. This concentration places immense strain on their resources and infrastructure, leading to significant backlogs in asylum applications. National asylum systems worldwide are grappling with the challenge of processing millions of claims while upholding fairness and integrity.

In response to these challenges, there is a growing call for more pragmatic and sustainable approaches to managing forced displacement. The Economist suggests that "A more pragmatic approach starts by helping refugees find shelter closer to home." International initiatives like the Global Compact on Refugees aim to ease pressures on host countries, enhance refugee self-reliance, and support conditions for safe return. Efforts are also underway to improve the efficiency of asylum processing through better data management and differentiated case handling, seeking to build more resilient systems for the future.