The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has warned that dwindling resources are fuelling a surge in irregular migration from Libya and North Africa to Europe, describing the funding cuts as “catastrophic” and a direct threat to the agency’s ability to manage refugee flows.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Grandi said there is growing evidence that thousands of Sudanese refugees are moving north from Chad into Libya, one of the region’s key transit routes to Europe, rather than remaining in Sudan or neighbouring countries.
He stressed the urgent need to bolster support for host nations to help displaced populations remain safely in place, arguing that such efforts could ease mounting pressure on migration corridors.
Grandi criticised European governments for investing in new migration control frameworks instead of reinforcing existing reception systems in Africa. “Neglecting the crises in African countries is a strategic mistake,” he said.
He also voiced concern over recent EU deals, including one with Tunisia, which has reportedly restricted the UNHCR’s ability to process asylum claims amid reports of forced deportations to Libya and Algeria.
Grandi warned that Libya lacks the legal and humanitarian conditions necessary for implementing asylum arrangements, and urged European capitals to consult with the UNHCR when designing external migration policies, ensuring they are lawful, rights-based, and rooted in shared responsibility rather than outsourcing.
