The Daily Journal — The Americas now rank as the region with the highest number of forcibly displaced people in the world, with 22.8 million individuals living in that condition. Meanwhile, Colombia has become the world’s leading host country, sheltering 2.8 million refugees and other people in need of international protection, according to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.
The situations in Haiti, Nicaragua, northern Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela have positioned the Americas as “the world’s leading region in terms of forced displacement,” according to UNHCR’s annual report, Trends in the Americas. Eastern and Southern Africa ranked second, followed by the Middle East and North Africa.
By the end of 2025, the Americas hosted 22.8 million forcibly displaced people, more than any other region in the world and an increase from the 21.9 million recorded at the end of 2024, the report states.
Venezuela
Venezuelans continue to represent one of the largest displaced populations worldwide, with 97% residing in Latin America and the Caribbean.
UNHCR reported that by the end of 2025, authorities had registered 417,000 refugees and 6 million other Venezuelans who required international protection.
Colombia hosts 2.8 million Venezuelans, making it the leading host country globally. Other countries with large Venezuelan refugee and migrant populations include Peru, with 1.1 million; Brazil, with 699,000; Chile, with 662,600; and Ecuador, with 435,800.
The report notes that Colombia’s large-scale regularization efforts have enabled millions of people to access jobs and public services while making significant contributions to local economies and communities.
UNHCR also reports that returns to Venezuela have increased in recent years. A survey conducted in six host countries found that approximately 9% of displaced Venezuelans plan to return within a year, highlighting the need to support both integration in host countries and the conditions that enable safe and sustainable returns.
Haiti
Severe insecurity continues to drive displacement in Haiti. As a result, the number of internally displaced people reached 1.4 million in 2025, marking a 38% increase compared to the previous year.
About 153,700 Haitians currently hold refugee status, while 230,900 have filed asylum claims. During 2025 alone, 84,600 Haitian nationals applied for asylum worldwide, placing Haiti among the leading countries of origin for international protection requests.
Central America
The Trends in the Americas 2025 report estimates that 181,900 refugees originate from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The report also records 406,400 asylum seekers and 1.1 million internally displaced people across those three countries.
Regarding Nicaragua, UNHCR estimates that 30,000 Nicaraguans hold refugee status and 264,000 have submitted asylum applications. EFE
