Global Refugee Protection System Faces "Most Serious Test" Amid Funding Cuts and Declining Resettlement

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has released a report warning that the global system for protecting refugees is undergoing its most serious test in 75 years. The report, "Protection Under Pressure," highlights collapsing humanitarian funding, shrinking resettlement opportunities, and a trend of governments turning away asylum seekers as key factors undermining the 1951 Refugee Convention. Over 50 million displaced people rely on these protections, yet humanitarian funding decreased by over $31 billion in 2025, and global resettlement commitments have been more than halved.