Displaced in Danger: Latin America’s Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Amid Rising Violence and Hostility

Across Latin America, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in slow motion. Displaced people—forced from their homes by criminal violence, political instability, and armed conflict—are being met not with protection, but with closed borders, extortion, discrimination, and broken asylum systems. According to a damning new report from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and their partners under the ProLAC initiative, the very lives of these people hang in the balance, yet the international response remains paralyzed by apathy and austerity.

The report’s findings are harrowing: one in four displaced families said returning to their home region would mean risking death. That figure alone should be enough to halt deportations and spark urgent policy change. Instead, many governments in the Americas continue to deport refugees and asylum seekers without proper assessments, violating the principle of non-refoulement—a fundamental tenet of international law that forbids sending people back into danger.

“This isn’t just a regional problem. It’s a test of global will and moral clarity,” said Stine Paus, regional director for NRC in Latin America. “Displaced people whose lives have already been shattered by violence must be better supported by the international community where they are. They cannot be forgotten in these times of cuts to aid budgets.”

But forgotten they are. In country after country, legal barriers to asylum are tightening. Families are left with little choice but to embark on perilous journeys through irregular routes, often in the hands of smugglers and criminal networks. Half the families surveyed during the study reported suffering abuse during transit. In Mexico, 66 percent of those abused were extorted—many kidnapped and held for ransom. In Guatemala, that number was 62 percent; in Peru, 53 percent.

The threat doesn’t stop when they reach their destinations. More than a third of refugee and migrant families reported experiencing at least one incident of discrimination, xenophobia, or harassment. In Peru, 65 percent said they were targeted. Many have had to flee yet again—not from war zones or criminal syndicates, but from the host communities they hoped would offer refuge.

For women and girls, displacement is particularly brutal. Gender-based violence shadows them at every stage—while fleeing, in transit, and even once settled. Eighteen percent of households affected by internal conflict reported such abuse. Another 12 percent faced it in their destination countries. The consequences are not just physical, but long-lasting psychological scars and systemic marginalization.

“Women and girls face the brunt of abuse, and it’s crucial we address their specific needs,” said Yann Cornic, DRC’s regional operations director. “We need to improve access to information and our ability to respond to gender-based violence, especially for the most vulnerable groups.”

Internal displacement within countries like Colombia, Ecuador, and Guatemala adds another grim dimension. In Colombia’s Catatumbo region alone, more than 56,000 people have been forced from their homes since the beginning of 2025 due to escalating violence. Mexico continues to grapple with criminal violence that has displaced over 357,000 people. Guatemala remains haunted by legacy displacements from its civil war and by frequent climate disasters.

Yet few of these internally displaced persons receive the legal recognition or support that international refugees do. The lack of protective frameworks, clear legislation, and coordinated government responses has left many stranded in bureaucratic limbo, vulnerable to the same dangers they fled.

“Addressing the challenges faced by displaced people in Latin America requires political will and coordinated efforts and commitment from both national and international decision makers,” said Paus. “It’s time for us to come together and make a difference. We cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of displaced people in Latin America.”

But time is running out. In 2023 alone, the Americas hosted over 23 million forcibly displaced people—an increase of 1.5 million from the previous year. This figure will only rise unless governments and humanitarian actors act decisively. The crisis cannot be contained by ignoring it. It cannot be solved with deportation flights or slashing foreign aid. It demands compassion, funding, and bold leadership.

The ProLAC initiative’s report is more than just a data trove—it’s a warning. If the international community continues to sidestep its responsibility, the region will continue hemorrhaging lives, and the long-term social and political costs will be catastrophic. Latin America’s displaced are not statistics. They are families, women, children—people who deserve safety, dignity, and the chance to rebuild.

This is not just a crisis of movement. It is a crisis of humanity.