Overview

• In Geneva on Oct. 6, Filippo Grandi warned that reopening the Refugee Convention and core asylum principles would be a “catastrophic error.”
• He said UNHCR has eliminated nearly 5,000 positions this year and scaled back 185 offices, and the agency projects $3.9 billion in 2025 funding, roughly 25% below last year.
• Conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza are driving displacement that is straining the agency’s reduced capacity.
• Grandi suggested some U.S. deportation practices are inconsistent with international law.
• The U.S. is courting partners for a model emphasizing first-country claims and temporary protection, and it is preparing a refugee cap of 7,500 that would prioritize white South Africans, according to sources.