When I think about asylum seekers, I think first about what it takes to leave home.
Leaving behind your family, your work, your community and the life you understand is a difficult decision. Leaving because you fear persecution or violence brings another burden: you may have no safe place to return to.
Too often, our public conversations begin with suspicion before we have heard a person’s story.
I believe we need to bring humanity back into this discussion. We can manage borders responsibly, examine asylum claims carefully and protect public safety while treating people with dignity. Our institutions should be capable of doing all three.
What the UN figures tell us
According to UNHCR, 117.8 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2025, including people displaced within their own countries and those who crossed borders. Within this wider population, 9 million asylum seekers were awaiting decisions on their claims. Source: UNHCR, Figures at a Glance
Behind those pending applications are people trying to make ordinary decisions under extraordinary uncertainty.
Can I continue my education? Will my family be safe? Can I work? Will I have to leave again?
A government must take the time needed to reach a sound decision. But prolonged uncertainty has consequences. Children grow older. Skills go unused. Families struggle to recover from what they have experienced.
We should expect asylum systems to deliver decisions that are both fair and timely.
Dignity cannot depend on an application’s outcome
Seeking asylum is a human right. An application does not automatically mean that someone qualifies for refugee protection, but the person deserves a fair opportunity to have their protection needs assessed. Source: UNHCR, Asylum Seekers
The principle of non-refoulement is central to that responsibility. Under applicable refugee and human rights standards, people must not be returned to places where they face prohibited dangers, including persecution or torture. Those risks must be properly examined before removal. Source: UNHCR, The 1951 Refugee Convention
For me, the essential point is this: whatever decision is ultimately reached, a person’s dignity remains.
We can apply the law without humiliation. We can investigate concerns without blaming entire communities. We can have an honest debate about policy without encouraging hostility toward people seeking safety.
Countries offering protection need meaningful support
UNHCR’s figures also challenge the way responsibility is often discussed.
At the end of 2025, 68 per cent of refugees and other people in need of international protection were hosted in low- and middle-income countries. Sixty-five per cent remained in countries neighbouring their countries of origin. These figures exclude Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate. Source: UNHCR, Figures at a Glance
Many countries closest to conflict are carrying substantial responsibilities while managing their own economic and social pressures.
Their schools need teachers. Their hospitals need resources. Their local authorities need support for housing, water and other essential services.
We cannot call for solidarity internationally and leave those communities to manage alone. Support must be predictable, sustained and useful to the people receiving it.
What should change?
I believe there are six practical priorities.
1. Invest in fair and timely asylum decisions.
Governments should provide trained decision-makers, qualified interpreters, accessible legal assistance and effective review procedures. People should understand what is required of them and receive clear reasons for decisions. Improving efficiency must include improving accuracy.
2. Ensure humane conditions while claims are considered.
People need safe accommodation, essential healthcare and protection from exploitation and abuse. Community-based arrangements should be used wherever appropriate. Any detention must satisfy legal requirements and be subject to independent scrutiny.
3. Keep children learning and protected.
UNHCR estimates that children represented 39 per cent of refugees under its mandate, people in refugee-like situations and other people in need of international protection at the end of 2025. This statistic is broader than the asylum-seeker population, but it shows the scale of children’s needs. Source: UNHCR, Figures at a Glance
Children need education, stability and care now. Unaccompanied children need guardians and help locating their families. An unresolved application should never mean an abandoned childhood.
4. Help people regain independence.
Timely access to lawful work, where permitted, language learning and recognition of qualifications can help people rebuild their lives. Employers and community organizations can contribute, alongside strong safeguards against exploitation.
5. Strengthen host communities and expand safe pathways.
International funding should improve services for residents and newcomers alike. Countries with greater capacity should also expand resettlement, family reunification and humanitarian pathways, while maintaining access to asylum.
6. Include asylum seekers in decisions that affect them.
People who have experienced these systems can explain where procedures fail, where information is missing and where support makes a difference. Their participation should help shape better policy.
Leadership begins with how we speak
Those of us working in civil society, public service, business and the media have a responsibility to use accurate information and respectful language.
Community concerns about housing, employment and public services deserve serious attention. So do the experiences of people arriving in search of protection. Responsible leadership listens to both and works toward practical answers.
We must also give greater attention to the conditions that force people to flee: persecution, conflict, violence and failures to protect civilians. Prevention, accountability and sustained humanitarian assistance must remain international priorities.
The work is difficult. But difficulty does not remove our responsibility.
I want us to measure progress by whether claims are heard fairly, children are attending school, host communities receive support and people can rebuild their lives in safety.
Human rights must remain with people throughout their journey. They must not stop at the border.
H.E. Prince HassanWorld Chairman, International Peace Commission | Founder & Ambassador at Large, IPC Global SDG Leadership Network
About the International Peace Commission
The International Peace Commission (IPC) is a global peacebuilding organization dedicated to advancing peace, diplomacy, human dignity, sustainable development, and international cooperation. Through advocacy, leadership development, strategic partnerships, and community engagement, IPC works with governments, international organizations, civil society, academia, youth, and local communities to promote peaceful solutions to global challenges and strengthen a culture of dialogue and cooperation.
The IPC Global SDG Leadership Network is the Commission's worldwide leadership initiative, bringing together SDG Ambassadors, Commissioners, Team Leaders, Representatives, and Volunteers committed to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through practical action, collaboration, and local leadership.
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International Peace Commission 🌐 https://internationalpeacecommission.com
IPC Global SDG Leadership Network 🌐 https://globalsdgleaders.org
