The European Union and its Member States have reaffirmed their commitment to the protection mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), stressing the importance of the right to seek asylum and the principle of non-refoulement, in a statement delivered at the UNHCR 93rd Standing Committee on 17 June 2026. The statement, delivered by the EU Delegation to the UN in Geneva under agenda item 2a on international protection, comes as the EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum entered into force last week, marking a historic milestone in the bloc's migration policy. The EU noted that around four million asylum seekers received protection status in the EU over the last decade, including approximately 375,000 in 2025 alone, and that over four million people fleeing Russia's war in Ukraine are under temporary protection.
The EU also highlighted that since 2015, its resettlement and humanitarian admission programmes have helped more than 195,000 refugees find protection, and the first Union Plan on resettlement and humanitarian admission for 2026-2027 is now being rolled out. The statement expressed concern over dangerous journeys, loss of life, human trafficking, and the instrumentalisation of vulnerable persons, and encouraged UNHCR-IOM efforts to address mixed movements through a comprehensive approach. The EU called on partner countries to strengthen cooperation on readmission and sustainable reintegration for those found to have no right to remain. As the largest donor to UNHCR, the EU underscored the need for collective action and innovation amid funding unpredictability, and noted that in 2025 about 15% of the EU annual humanitarian budget was allocated to protection interventions. The EU also supported the UN80 and Humanitarian Reset reforms as opportunities for more effective cooperation.
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