Cuts to humanitarian aid by the United States government under Donald Trump are triggering a global dismantling of humanitarian infrastructure, which is severely undermining asylum systems.

These cuts are occurring alongside the current rise of a “post-humanitarian” approach to the U.S. border characterized by militarization, deterrence and deportation that is quickly replacing protection and care for those in need.

Many asylum-seekers have seen their lives plunged into turmoil by Trump’s policies, in particular the cancellation of all appointments for presenting asylum claims at ports of entry, the removal of temporary protection status for nationals of many countries (including Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela) and the deportations of asylum-seekers, regardless of their country of origin. Asylum-seeked have been deported to countries that include Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Eswatini, Libya and South Sudan.

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At the same time, the U.S. administration has also weakened the capacity of many countries in the Global South to provide protection to asylum-seekers by suspending funds for foreign aid first announced in January 2025 and reaffirmed in August 2025.

The vital role of the UNHCR

Cutting funds to the United Nations refugee agency, known as the UNHCR, has harmed many asylum-seekers.

The UNHCR says that by June 2025, it had to reduce its global staffing costs by 30 per cent via downsizing or closing offices and eliminating 3,500 permanent staff posts and hundreds of temporary staff positions.

The agency warned that the budget cuts weaken the health of 12.8 million displaced people, including 6.3 million children. These people depend on the UNHCR for access to various aid involving primary health and mental health care, nutrition programs, prenatal care, gender-based violence programs, sexual and reproductive health care for women and girls and HIV and TB testing and treatment in countries such as Bangladesh, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Egypt and Jordan.

Other international organizations, such as UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration and the Red Cross, have also lost international funds and had to withdraw their support to asylum-seekers.

International co-operation is one of the core principles of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. By providing funding, channelled mainly through UNHCR to countries of the Global South, northern states ensure that the responsibility for refugee protection does not fall disproportionately on poorer states.

Our research

Over the years, we have conducted research on UNHCR aid and humanitarian support provided by other international organizations at refugee camps in countries that include Namibia and Uganda. We’ve also examined aid in Turkish cities.

We have documented the vital role the UNHCR has played in supporting refugees in Costa Rica, Cyprus and Mexico, and third-country resettlement from Turkey to northern countries.

But we’ve also shown that some of the UNHCR’s initiatives in collaboration with northern states can keep refugees in the Global South for long periods of time, which, in turn, can violate their human rights.

Nonetheless, we recognize that without UNHCR support, many refugees would be deprived of crucial forms of protection and resources needed to successfully migrate.

The UNHCR has been dealt a severe blow by recent developments. By early May 2024 in Costa Rica, for instance, the UNHCR budget had been cut by 41 per cent, reducing the capacity of the state refugee agency by 77 per cent.

Such a reduction resulted in considerable delays in documenting asylum-seekers and granting them access to health care, the labour market and education.

The impact on community organizations

The budget cuts have not only weakened state systems and international agencies, but have also severely undermined the ability of civil society organizations to provide aid to asylum seekers and migrants, as we have learned through our research.

In Costa Rica in January 2025, for example, Casa Esperanza — a front-line shelter for migrants in transit at the northern border — was forced to close after losing international funding, leaving hundreds without a safe place to stay and receive assistance.

In Mexico, the non-profit feminist organization Fondo Semillas has warned of a serious financing crisis, with migrant-serving organizations hit especially hard.

Some organizations have lost more than half of their capacity when key donors withdrew, jeopardizing food distribution, shelter and legal aid for migrants. A director of a migrant shelter we interviewed in Mexico City told us that two-thirds of roughly 50 migrant organizations were expected to close after the cuts.

These losses not only dismantle critical services but also weaken the capacity of these organizations to advocate for the rights of asylum-seekers and migrants.

Today, Global South countries are pressured to shoulder an ever-growing share of asylum hosting, but without adequate financial support. The loss of donor support for international organizations, such as the UNHCR, has in turn crippled many other community groups and non-governmental aid organizations that assist asylum-seekers.

Building communities

One immediate way forward is to locate new sources of funding for these and other aid organizations. Another solution is to foster stronger commitments toward building communities among concerned citizens, migrants, workers, volunteers, activists, artists, and others representing diverse ethnic, national, socioeconomic, religious and gender-based groups.

As we have witnessed elsewhere, building these communities often requires voluntary labour and, where possible, donations from local residents. The communities support the everyday lives of asylum-seekers and other displaced people seeking protection by enhancing their friendship circles, networks, education, language and training skills, and can ultimately help improve their precarious status.

Read more: The Learning Refuge: How women-led community efforts help refugees resettle in Cyprus

These communities may initially form locally but have regional, national or transnational reach.

Furthermore, in an increasingly polarizing world, expanded forms of solidarity among activists and others who support migrants are needed to fight against the rising xenophobia and racism that are shaping the current crisis.

Fostering solidarity through community building can help mitigate social and political divisions among migrants struggling with precarity, isolation and exploitation. It can also strengthen inclusive dialogue, assist in bolstering democratic values and build a more socially just future.

Canada’s role

In light of the U.S. retreat from humanitarian leadership, countries like Canada must assume a more prominent role in sustaining global protection systems.

Canada’s recent multi-year funding to UNHCR and its commitment to refugee resettlement signal a willingness to lead.

But further steps are needed: Canada could expand its support to grassroots organizations in the Global South, simplify access to funding for smaller aid organizations and use its G7 presidency to rally international partners around a renewed commitment to refugee protection.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Tanya Basok, University of Windsor; Guillermo Candiz, Université de l'Ontario français, and Suzan Ilcan, University of Waterloo

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Tanya Basok receives funding from Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Guillermo Candiz receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Suzan Ilcan receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.