Global attitudes towards refugees remain stable, while questions about implementation persist

Against a backdrop of historically high levels of displacement, economic pressure and continued debate about immigration, Ipsos' latest global survey finds that public attitudes towards refugees have remained remarkably stable.

According to UNHCR, an estimated 117.3 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced at the end of 2025. While this marks the first decline in global displacement in over a decade, the overall number remains exceptionally high.

Most people continue to support offering refuge to those fleeing war or persecution. At the same time, many express concerns about refugee claims, integration and how refugee systems operate in practice.

At a glance

Support remains stable
Two-thirds (66%) agree that people should be able to take refuge in another country to escape war or persecution - broadly unchanged from 2025 and consistent with pre-pandemic levels.

Questions about implementation persist
Six in ten (61%) believe many people claiming refugee status are not genuinely in need of protection, while almost half (49%) support closing borders to refugees entirely. The findings suggest support for refugee protection often coexists with concerns about how refugee systems operate.

Views on integration remain mixed
Less than half (44%) believe refugees will integrate successfully into society. Younger people are more optimistic, with 49% of Gen Z expressing confidence in integration compared with 39% of Baby Boomers.

Support becomes more selective in real-world crises
When considering displacement caused by conflict in Iran and Lebanon, people are most likely to favour humanitarian aid (28%) and diplomatic action (24%). Temporary asylum (19%) attracts considerably more support than accepting additional refugees on a permanent basis (6%).

Responsibility is increasingly seen as shared
International organisations remain the most commonly mentioned group expected to do more to support refugees. At the same time, more people now look to NGOs (28%, up from 23%) and their own governments (20%, up from 16%), while fewer prioritise wealthier countries alone (21%, down from 30%).

National differences remain important
Support for offering refuge varies considerably between countries, ranging from 78% in Sweden and the Netherlands to 44% in South Korea.

Some countries have experienced notable long-term shifts. In Japan, support for offering refuge has increased from 23% in 2019 to 64% in 2026, while France has risen from 43% to 68% over the same period.

At the same time, the survey highlights that support for refugee protection does not necessarily eliminate concerns about refugee claims or how systems operate. In several countries, strong support for offering refuge exists alongside continued doubts about who qualifies for protection and whether systems are working effectively.

As the international community reflects on 75 years of the Refugee Convention, the findings point to a public that remains broadly supportive of refugee protection while continuing to debate how responsibility should be shared and how support should be delivered in practice.

Trinh Tu, Managing Director, Public Affairs UK, Ipsos, said:

People continue to support protecting those forced to flee. That hasn't changed much. But many question how refugee protection works in practice and whether systems are fair. Those views are often presented as opposites, but our research suggests they frequently coexist. Debate is shifting from whether refugees should be protected to questions of systems, delivery and responsibility. Understanding these concerns will be important for maintaining public confidence.

Read the UNHCR Press Release