GENEVA – Refugees in Eastern and Southern Africa remain in exile for a median period of almost 16 years, according to new analysis by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, underscoring the urgent need to expand solutions.
The analysis, based on UNHCR’s registration data between 2001 and 2025, shows that displacement in the region is rarely short-term. At the end of 2025, 6.4 million refugees and asylum-seekers were recorded in UNHCR’s registration system across the region. Many had escaped war, instability and persecution in countries such as Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, and continue to be hosted mainly by neighbouring countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya. The data will form part of UNHCR’s 2025 Global Trends Report, with updated global displacement figures, to be released on 11 June.
“Asylum saves lives, but after nearly 16 years of living in limbo, refugees need more than help; they need hope, opportunity and a way forward,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. “We need to move faster towards real solutions, helping refugees return home when it is safe to do so, and ensuring those who cannot return are able to study, work, support themselves and contribute to their communities.”
The data shows that most registered refugees and asylum-seekers in the region remain displaced long after the initial emergency, with three in four still displaced after five years and almost two in five still in asylum 20 years later.
Children and young adults are among the most affected. Refugees and asylum-seekers registered before the age of five remain in asylum for a median of over 18 years. This means many pass through early childhood, primary and secondary education and into adulthood without a solution.
“No child should have to grow up with their future clouded by uncertainty,” Balde said. “An entire generation of refugee children are starting their adult lives in exile. Young refugees need access to national education systems, documentation, skills and opportunities that will allow them to reach their potential wherever they are and contribute to the societies hosting them.”
The analysis also shows that larger families remain in asylum for longer, reflecting the complexity of finding solutions for entire households. Single people remain refugees or asylum-seekers for a median of just under six years, while families of five or more remain for nearly 19 years.
Women and girls also stay in asylum for a median duration of nearly 17 years, compared with just over 14 years for men and boys; a pattern that often reflects different protection risks, family responsibilities and barriers to mobility. UNHCR said the findings point to evidence that the impact of displacement on women and children lasts for a generation or more, laying a foundation for multi-generational dependency on aid.
Host countries in Eastern and Southern Africa continue to show solidarity and provide protection to millions of refugees despite limited resources. UNHCR is calling for donors, development actors and the private sector to step up support so that refugees and the communities that welcome them can rebuild and grow together in dignity.
Notes
The analysis is based on data from UNHCR’s registration and case management systems for refugees and asylum-seekers recorded in Eastern and Southern Africa between 2001 and 2025. It follows individuals from their first registration until their case is closed, whether through a durable solution, a change in legal status, death or an administrative reason.
The figures should be read as indicative rather than precise. Changes in status are often recorded during verification exercises or registration data quality reviews, meaning the date of closure in the system may not always correspond exactly to the date a person’s situation changed.
Further analysis and updated global displacement figures will be available in UNHCR’s upcoming Global Trends Report, to be launched on 11 June.