Strengthening Refugee Protection in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

There is a massive gap between the quality of life and recognized rights for refugees in high-income countries and those in the rest of the world. And with 85 percent of the world’s more than 25 million refugees living in low- or middle- income countries that often lack the resources and capacity to support them, this protection gap is difficult to bridge for three key reasons. Firstly, international resettlement and humanitarian aid does not come close to balancing the scales. Second, governments are often reluctant to offer refugees the full rights and benefits outlined under international law. And finally, even where countries are willing to provide more comprehensive protection, they often lack the capacity to do so.