DAKAR, 12 JUNE 2025 - The number of people forcibly displaced or stateless across West and Central Africa has reached a record 12.7 million, reflecting a 48 per cent increase since 2020. Among them are 8.2 million internally displaced people, 2.9 million refugees and asylum-seekers, and nearly 1million stateless individuals, according to new data released by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
These figures confirm that West and Central Africa remains a displacement-affected region with overlapping crises in Sudan, the Central Sahel, and the Lake Chad Basin continuing to drive population movements. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, more than 1.1 million people were newly displaced, mainly due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
"Displacement in this region is not only deepening, but also evolving," said Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, UNHCR's Regional Bureau Director for West and Central Africa. "From conflict to climate shocks, protection risks are rising--particularly for women and children, who represent 80 per cent of the the forcibly displaced. But the data also highlights solutions to forced displacement people are returning home in increasing numbers where conditions allow. We must reinforce these positive trends."
Returns gaining momentum amid persistent risks
Despite complex challenges, returns of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are significantly outpacing refugee returns. As of April 2025, close to 194,200 IDPs had returned in Mali and 64,700 in the Central African Republic, the two largest IDP return movements in the region. In contrast, 11,000 refugees returned to countries including Nigeria, CAR, and Mali during the same period.
UNHCR continues to work with governments to strengthen legal frameworks for voluntary repatriation. Under the Yaoundé Declaration and its regional platform, up to 300,000 refugee returns to CAR are projected by 2028, with 40,000 expected in 2025 from Cameroon and DRC.
Chad remains epicentre of refugee crisis
Nearly half of all refugees in the region are hosted in Chad, including over 779,500 Sudanese who have arrived since April 2023. Additional arrivals are expected throughout the year, placing significant strain on humanitarian and local resources. Cameroon and the Central African Republic are also seeing growing refugee populations from Sudan and CAR, respectively.
Internal displacement driven by violence and climate shocks
Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon alone account for over 80 per cent of IDPs in the region. Armed violence, flooding, and chronic food insecurity continue to uproot communities and challenge humanitarian access. Protection monitoring data from Project 21 reveals that displacement, movement restrictions, and food insecurity intersect to heighten protection risks and limit access to services, especially education, healthcare, and civil documentation.
Migration trends and protection challenges
West and Central Africa remains a major transit region toward North Africa and Europe. While irregular arrivals in the Canary Islands decreased by 34 per cent in early 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, serious protection risks persist along the West Atlantic and Central Mediterranean routes, including trafficking, abuse, and deaths at sea. Between January and March 2025, 10,500 individuals arrived in the Canary Islands, with Malians comprising the largest share. According to Eurostat, more than 10,000 Malians sought asylum in Europe in 2024, the majority via this route, citing conflict and insecurity as the main drivers of their displacement. The Route-Based Approach, operational in Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania, aims to respond to these needs by reinforcing asylum systems, strengthening access to protection, and providing safe alternatives along this corridor.
To address these risks, UNHCR and IOM are scaling up the Route-Based Approach in Niger, Chad, and Mali. In 2024, this included border monitoring, community-based referrals, asylum support, and 1,370 refugee youth accessing higher education scholarships.
Resettlement and funding under strain
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While resettlement departures rose by 34 per cent in 2024(4,000 individuals), this progress is now at risk. The regional resettlement quota has been cut by 64 per cent in 2025. Overall, UNHCR's regional budget has been reduced by 50 per cent between 2024 and 2025, leading to a prioritization of life-saving assistance.
Purposeful and regionally grounded response needed
As underlined in UNHCR's global trends report, the vast majority of forcibly displaced people remain in their own region or country. In West and Central Africa, this holds especially true. It reinforces the need for stabilization of communities, local solutions and sustainable responses to foster to self-reliance, priorities that guide UNHCR's strategic approach in the region.
"We urge the international community to remain engaged," said Gnon-Konde. "This region is at a tipping point. With the right support, we can build on progress and help uprooted people reclaim their dignity and rebuild their lives."
