Overview

• Filippo Grandi told UN member states that putting the Refugee Convention and the principle of asylum on the table would be a catastrophic error.
• UNHCR has shed nearly 5,000 positions this year, more than a quarter of its workforce, with further reductions possible.
• The agency projects $3.9 billion in available funds for 2025, about 25 percent less than in 2024, against an approved budget of $10.6 billion.
• Grandi said some current deportation practices in the United States are not consistent with international law, as Washington leads a push to narrow asylum access and promote first‑country claims.
• Budget shortfalls have forced UNHCR to halt or scale back critical services, including school operations, food assistance, cash grants, gender‑based violence prevention, psychosocial support, and resettlement.