EU warns Iran-US war could trigger massive refugee crisis
Mar 3rd 2026
The EU Agency for Asylum warns that even partial destabilisation in Iran could produce refugee flows rivaling recent crises, as strikes and regional fighting displace thousands and international agencies call for urgent de-escalation.
- EU Agency for Asylum says displacement of 10% of Iran’s 90 million people would rival the largest refugee flows of recent decades.
- The EUAA links the risk to heightened international tensions and sustained domestic repression after weeks of protests.
- The Iranian Red Crescent reports at least 787 people killed in Iran since Saturday amid U.S.-Israeli strikes.
- About 8,000 Iranians applied for asylum in the EU in 2025, far below numbers that would follow large scale displacement.
- IOM and UNHCR warn that military escalation could force millions to flee and overwhelm regional humanitarian capacity, with roughly 30,000 already displaced in Lebanon.