When Leaving Home Isn’t a Choice: Understanding Forced Displacement

Imagine waking up tomorrow and realizing you can’t stay in your home–not because you want to move, but because your life depends on leaving. Maybe there’s a war, armed police knocking on your door, a flood has swept through your town unexpectedly, or a drought has destroyed your crops. Whatever the cause, the decision to leave all that you've ever known is not truly a choice–you're forced to leave.

That’s what it means to be displaced. When we talk about forced displacement, we’re talking about situations where people lose the choice to remain in their homes. It’s not just about an adventure, a new job, or pursuing education. It’s about survival. 

It happens when people flee war, violence, disasters, or are pushed out by governments or armed groups. It’s not just about crossing a border, it includes:

• Before leaving–the fear, tension, and uncertainty of when (or if) you’ll have to go. 

• During the journey–often dangerous, long, and uncertain (you might not have the luxury of having all your right documents in place, visas, or access to safe transportation routes) 

• After arrival–facing the unknown in a new place, sometimes for years or even decades. 

Not everyone who is displaced crosses an international border–in fact, most do not. Many are internally displaced, in their own country but unable to return home safely.

At the end of 2025, more than 117.3 million people have been displaced globally, with nearly 42.5 million refugees (those who crossed international borders), 67.8 million people who are displaced within their home countries, 8.42 million asylum seekers, and 4.4 million stateless people (UNHCR, 2024).

That means more than 1 in every 70 people on earth have been forced to flee (UNHCR, 2025). Each person that has been displaced carries a story of loss, courage, and resilience. 

A Human Rights Issue

Forced displacement isn’t just a personal tragedy–it’s a human rights issue. Everyone has the right to live in safety, to move freely, and to have access to food, housing, and family life (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). When someone is forced from their home because of war, violence, disaster, or eviction, many of these rights are stripped away. 

That’s why governments and the international community have a responsibility to protect displaced people. Laws and conventions exist to ensure that those fleeing danger can find safety and dignity elsewhere. These frameworks might sound abstract, but it’s about protecting human life and dignity. 

Why Language Matters

You might hear terms like migrant, refugee, or asylum seeker used interchangeably. But each word means something specific under international law. Understanding these distinctions helps us see the unique challenges people face – and also clears up many of the misconceptions that often appear in conversations. 

In the next blogs, I’ll unpack who exactly qualifies as a refugee, what the right to seek asylum really means, and why international law protects those who are displaced. 

Forced displacement isn’t just a concept you’ll find in international law and immigration textbooks. It’s the lived reality of millions of people today–families, children, elders–who never chose to leave their homes. As explored in previous blogs, the Bible is also full of stories of people on the move–some by choice, but many against their will. Hagar in the wilderness. The Israelites in exile. Even Mary, Joseph, and Jesus fleeing to Egypt. God’s care for the displaced runs deep through Scripture. Remembering this can shape how we see today’s displaced communities.

Understanding what displacement really means is the first step towards compassion—the more clearly we see these experiences, the better equipped we are to respond with compassion, humanity and justice.

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Further information

Sources referenced in this blog post in addition to other sources that I recommend for further follow-up if you’re interested in learning more:

• World Migration Report 2024: Chapter 2–Migration and Migrants: A Global Overview https://publications.iom.int/books/world-migration-report-2022-chapter-2   

• “Figures at a Glance.” (2024). UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/us/about-unhcr/overview/figures-glance 

• Visit the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) website to learn more about refugees and the work that the UN is involved with on a global scale to respond to refugees. https://www.unhcr.org/ 

• Visit the International Organization for Migration for the UN (IOM) website to learn more about migration and the work they do in supporting safe and regular migration, in addition to supporting solutions for forced displacement: ​​https://www.iom.int/who-we-are.  

• Read up on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to find out more about how the right to freedom of movement within and across state borders is protected (Article 13), and to learn more about how these rights underpin much of our understanding of international law. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights 

• To understand more about lived experiences of forced displacement, consider watching the film, The Swimmers (2022) which follows the story of two Syrian sisters through all stages of displacement: before flight, during, and after. Consider watching with a friend or a family member, as the themes can be difficult to process alone, and discussing the film afterward can deepen your compassion and understanding. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8745676/