Chapter 2 By country of origin Almost seven in ten refugees and other people in need of international protection (69 per cent) originated from just five countries and 85 per cent of them are from just ten countries, consistent with the previous year. The number of Afghan and Syrian refugees dropped in 2024 and reporting of Ukrainian refugees was updated.135 The number of Venezuelans that were refugees or other people in need of international protection, increased by 2 per cent from the previous year. At the end of 2024, there were 370,200 refugees and 5.9 million other people in need of international protection from Venezuela, the majority of whom have been granted residence permits and regular stay documentation.136 As in previous years, almost all the reported Venezuelans have remained in Latin American countries, mainly in Colombia (2.8 million), Peru (1.1 million), Brazil (605,700), Chile (523,800) and Ecuador (441,600). One in six refugees were Syrian, with the total decreasing by 6 per cent in 2024 to 6 million. As previous years, most of them were hosted by Türkiye (2.9 million, -10 per cent), Lebanon (755,400, -4 per cent),137 Germany (725,100, +3 per cent) and Jordan (611,500, -6 per cent). The reported decreases reflect returns from Lebanon in adverse circumstances as well as spontaneous returns to Syria after the fall of the Assad government in December 2024.138 Approximately 5.8 million Afghan refugees were reported at the end of the year, a fall of 10 per cent compared to end-2023. The Islamic Republic of Iran (3.5 million, -7 per cent) and Pakistan (1.6 million, -22 per cent) remained the largest host countries.139 The decreases in Pakistan reflect downwards adjustments to the estimated number of people remaining in a refugee-like situation.140 The lower figures in both countries also reflect returns to Afghanistan, comprising of Afghans who have returned or are forced to return, including individual deportations, as well as Afghans who feel compelled to return in the context of an overall environment of discrimination, harassment and intimidation, with risks of arrest, detention and removal.141 From the Islamic Republic of Iran, almost a quarter of a million Afghan refugees and people in a refugee-like situation were estimated to have returned to their country in 2024.142 From Pakistan, an estimated 126,800 Afghan refugees and people in a refugeelike situation returned since October 2023, primarily driven by the implementation of the government’s return plan for irregular persons.143 The number of Ukrainian refugees hosted within Europe stood at more than 5 million at the end of 2024,144 as the international armed conflict in the country continued. Most of them were hosted in Germany (1.2 million, +10 per cent), Poland (991,200, + 4 per cent) and Czechia (388,400, +4 per cent). There were 2.3 million refugees from South Sudan at the end of the year, a figure unchanged from the previous year. Most of them were hosted in Uganda (975,000), Sudan (613,100) and Ethiopia (420,100). The number of Sudanese refugees jumped by 40 per cent and reached 2.1 million by the end of 2024. Almost all refugees from Sudan (93 per cent) were hosted by neighbouring countries, including Chad (1.1 million, +20 per cent), South Sudan (487,700, +36 per cent) and Libya (199,400, up 200-fold).145 135 See footnote 18. 136 Cumulatively, over 4.8 million permits have been granted. See Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela, R4V. 137 See footnote 8. 138 For more information on Syria, see the Spotlight on the Syria situation. 139 Iran hosts approximately 3.5 million refugees and people in a refugee-like situation who may require international protection. This represents a decrease from 3.8 million at end-2023, primarily due to returns, including deportations in 2024. 140 See footnote 39. 141 Total returns refer to all types of returns, including deportations, assisted voluntary repatriation and other returns of Afghans of all statuses in Pakistan, including undocumented Afghans. See the Afghanistan situation overview, UNHCR. 142 Returns are expected to increase in 2025, following the announcement by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in February 2025 that headcount slips will not be extended beyond 20 March 2025. See Iran-Afghanistan - Returns Emergency Response #1, UNHCR. 143 The 126,800 returnees reported are those who have been assisted by UNHCR and partners. See Pakistan-Afghanistan - Returns Emergency Response #26, UNHCR. 144 See footnotes 18 and 38. 145 See footnote 28. 38 UNHCR > GLOBAL TRENDS 2024