Germany

UNHCR and the Federal Republic of Germany share a long-standing and well-established partnership. Germany was among the first signatories to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and it has been a member of UNHCR’s Executive Committee (ExCom) since its establishment in 1958.

Germany’s strong commitment to refugee protection is reflected in its substantial contributions to UNHCR. Over the past decade, Germany has consistently ranked as one of the organization’s largest donors. A significant proportion of funding from the German Federal Foreign Office (FFO) is provided as flexible funding, enabling UNHCR to deliver protection and assistance in some of the largest displacement situations worldwide, including in Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine.

The Federal Foreign Office's 2024 Humanitarian Strategy underscores Germany’s continued role as a central pillar of global refugee protection. It highlights key priorities such as localization and the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus, while reaffirming Germany’s commitment to the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Refugee Forum. The strategy further emphasizes efficiency in humanitarian operations, the importance of addressing funding shortfalls, and the role of humanitarian diplomacy in securing access for humanitarian actors. It also promotes multi-year, flexible funding, alongside strengthened transparency and risk management, as essential elements for enhancing resilience.

Germany is also among the most advanced partners in linking humanitarian action with longer-term, development-oriented approaches. Through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany provides substantial support to address forced displacement to promote refugee self-reliance and socioeconomic inclusion. BMZ has become a key strategic partner for UNHCR, supporting the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees and demonstrating strong international leadership in promoting responsibility-sharing.

Germany has further distinguished itself as a pioneer in expanding access to higher education for refugees. In 1992, UNHCR and the German Government jointly launched the Deutsche Akademische Flüchtlingsinitiative Albert Einstein (DAFI) scholarship programme. As UNHCR’s flagship tertiary education initiative, DAFI is a central component of the 15by30 Roadmap, which aims to increase refugee participation in higher education to 15 per cent by 2030. Thanks largely to DAFI, the proportion has already increased from 1 per cent in 2019 to 9 per cent today. Over more than three decades, the programme has supported over 27,200 young refugee women and men in more than 50 countries to obtain accredited higher education qualifications in their countries of asylum.