Between 2015 and 2025, the number of displaced people worldwide nearly doubled. Today, more than 123 million people are forcibly displaced globally, including around 42 million refugees. Many of the countries that host refugees internationally are low- or middle-income, often lacking adequate social protection systems for their own citizens, let alone for displaced populations. As conflicts become increasingly protracted, displacement now lasts for years, or even decades, turning forced displacement from a short-term emergency into a long-term development challenge.

Given this background, the episode explores how perspectives on forced displacement have evolved, shifting from a primarily humanitarian concern to a broader development issue. It examines how social protection systems can be expanded to better include refugees, and discusses the opportunities and challenges of approaches that bridge humanitarian and development responses within social protection frameworks.

This month’s episode marks five years of the Social Protection Podcast. Over this time, the podcast has brought together voices from a wide range of institutions, countries, and perspectives to explore the evolving debates, policies, and practices shaping social protection worldwide. Since its launch, the podcast has released 70 episodes, including five special series, and reached thousands of listeners in over 180 countries. This milestone reflects the commitment of our guests and partners, as well as the dedicated work of the socialprotection.org team and its collaborators. And, of course, to you, the listener: thank you for being part of this journey!

Meet our guests:

Mattia Polvanesi, Senior Social Protection Officer, UNHCR

Pablo A. Acosta, Lead Economist for Social Protection and Global Lead for Migration, World Bank Group

Sarah Hague, Senior Advisor and Global Coordinator, Economic and Social Policy Global Practice, UNICEF

For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Lauren Whitehead, Lead on Inclusive Social Protection and Gender, UNICEF, who shared key outcomes and takeaways from the Gender-Responsive Social Protection Symposium.

Resources:

Website | 1951 Refugee Convention

Publication | 2018 Global Compact on Refugees

 Publication | Refugees and Social Assistance in Low- and middle-income Countries : A Review of Operational Experiences

Publication | Responsibility Sharing and the Economic Participation of Refugees in Chad

Publication | Leaving no one behind: Why social protection must include displaced people (not open access)

 Publication | IMF World Economic Outlook  - A Critical Juncture amid Policy Shifts

 Publication | The Global Cost of Refugee Inclusion in Host Countries’ Health Systems: A Joint World Bank-UNHCR Report

Publication | G20 Call to Action Towards Inclusive, Resilient, and Sustainable Development through Universal Social Protection Systems

Publication | Tipsheets for applying the Common Principles for linking Humanitarian Assistance and Social Protection: Principle 9

Publication | Guiding Principles for Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Social Protection