UNHCR fund cut: Refugee lifeline hangs by a thread

What adds to the plight of refugees in India is that the country, which is neither a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention nor its 1967 Protocol, provides limited protection to them. SHIKHA CHATURVEDI explains

- SHIKHA CHATURVEDI

The UNHCR, or the worldwide refugee agency, is staring at a 66 per cent reduced global budget in 2025 as the Trump administration cuts aid, making things further worse for uprooted people worldwide.

From a projected $5.17 billion in 2024, the agency's funds for 2025 have dropped to just $1.75 billion, which is one of the sharpest contractions in its funding.

For millions of refugees all over the world, the consequences will be immediate and far-reaching. But in countries such as India where the state does not have a formal legal framework to protect refugees, the effects may be especially acute. In India, the UNHCR supports over 47,000 refugees and asylum seekers. Many of them—including Rohingyas running away from repression in Myanmar and Afghans fleeing Taliban persecution—live without formal legal status and rely heavily on the agency for documentation, health care referrals, education support, and basic protections. But in 2025, even these fragile lifelines are at risk.

UNHCR India's financial requirement has fallen from $21.2 million in 2024 to $17.3 million for 2025. However, this does not reflect improved efficiency or reduced need—it's a forced adjustment due to the anticipated donor shortfall. Even this reduced requirement faces a severe funding gap—as on March 31, only 25 per cent of the requirement was met, leaving a projected shortfall of $12.94 million, or roughly 75 per cent, which may or may not be bridged in coming months.