OECD-UNHCR Safe Pathways for Refugees - 2026 update

Reliable evidence and data are critical for informing decision-making and planning around complementary pathways. UNHCR collaborates with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on the release of the 2026 update of the “Safe Pathways for Refugees” report series. The study addresses the information gap and contributes to building the evidence base for complementary pathways. It also serves as a valuable resource to report on the progress made towards achieving the Roadmap 2030 goal of admitting 2.1 million refugees by 2030.

The project began in 2018 and compiles data from 37 OECD countries and Brazil, focusing on the number of first-time entry permits issued to nationalities with high asylum recognition rates for family, education, and work purposes with an additional spotlight on sponsorship figures. The nationalities covered by this project include: Afghans, Eritreans, Iranians, Iraqis, Somalis, Sudanese, Syrians, and Venezuelans.

As evidenced in the update, 246,000 permits were issued in 2024, maintaining a similarly high level compared to 2023. The 2024 figures brought the total number of permits issued since 2019 to around 1.2 million, marking important progress towards the 2030 Roadmap target. Family permits continued to represent the most used type of permit, with around two in three issuances during this 6-year period being for family purposes. The update provides a brief analysis of trends by permit type, destination country and nationality that can be helpful for policymakers and other stakeholders working on scaling access to safe pathways for refugees.