GENEVA – Global public support for refugees’ rights to seek safety continues to hold steady despite current geopolitical fragilities and significant cuts in humanitarian aid, according to a new Ipsos survey released today to mark World Refugee Day.
The Ipsos survey also revealed that, across 29 countries, a majority of people believe that wealthier countries should shoulder more responsibility for supporting refugees.
The overall picture is complex, impacted by deep aid cuts and increased scapegoating of refugees by some politicians and on social media.
Overall, two-thirds of the public across 29 countries (67 per cent) continue to support the principle of offering refuge to those in need, with support outweighing opposition across all countries. Although this represents a slight decrease from 2024 (2 percentage points), countries like Sweden, Argentina, the Netherlands and Australia demonstrate particularly strong and unwavering support for refugee rights.
“This survey confirms the public’s continued commitment to providing refuge, which is encouraging,” says Trinh Tu, MD Ipsos Public Affairs. “It’s also clear from our data that there is an urgent need to address the persistent underlying concerns among the public about asylum-seekers’ motivations and integration. A more balanced narrative, acknowledging the diversity of views and experiences among both refugees and the public, would greatly assist this. This is the driving force behind Ipsos’ annual global survey for World Refugee Day – to provide data that informs constructive discussions and solutions that benefit both refugees and local communities.”
The survey revealed that overall scepticism persists regarding the motivations behind refugees’ journeys in many countries – with 62 per cent believing asylum-seekers are primarily seeking economic opportunities rather than fleeing danger. This view fuels concerns about border security and welfare, leading 49 per cent of respondents to express support for closing their country’s borders to refugees entirely. Despite this prevailing scepticism, a considerable proportion (40 per cent) continues to acknowledge the positive contributions refugees make to their new homes, with the US among the most supportive at 56 per cent.
The results indicated less personal engagement in activities to support refugees, with fewer donating or volunteering; personal action to support fell to 29 per cent from 38 per cent, potentially reflecting compassion fatigue and financial constraints.
Still, a majority (62 per cent) believe wealthier nations have a moral responsibility to financially support refugees. Indonesia, South Korea and Türkiye, in particular, want more involvement from international organizations – just as aid to the UN is being drastically reduced.
“There’s a clear disconnect between compassion and action,” said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR’s Director of External Relations. “The public still believes in the right to seek safety and wants wealthy nations to do more, but the economic backdrop and global political climate are eroding individual support. Needs are more acute than ever. The humanitarian system will wither without a unified effort from governments, organizations, the private sector and the public to build solutions and hope for those forced to flee.”
Ipsos’ Global World Refugee Day survey, conducted annually since 2017, comes at a critical time, with over 122 million people forcibly displaced worldwide by the end of April 2025, including 42.7 million refugees. The findings – from polling in April and May – highlight the need to understand and address public perceptions to improve support for refugees.
Read the results of the survey.
SOURCE UNHCR
