UNHCR fund cut: Refugee lifeline hangs by a thread in host nations

What adds to the plight of refugees in India is that the country, which is neither a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention nor its 1967 Protocol, provides limited protection to them

The UNHCR, or the worldwide refugee agency, is staring at a 66 per cent reduced global budget in 2025 as the Trump administration cuts aid, making things further worse for uprooted people worldwide. 

From a projected $5.17 billion in 2024, the agency’s funds for 2025 have dropped to just $1.75 billion, which is one of the sharpest contractions in its funding. 

For millions of refugees all over the world, the consequences will be immediate and far-reaching. But in countries such as India where the state does not have a formal legal framework to protect refugees, the effects may be especially