Population figures
Total country population
18,847,148
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
1,239,907
Asylum-seekers:
11,396
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
219,393
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
0
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
296,301
Country context
Chad, a landlocked country in Central Africa, hosts a large population of refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Refugees primarily come from Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR), Nigeria, and Cameroon, with the majority residing in the eastern and southern regions of the country. The country is currently facing a large-scale influx of refugees from Sudan with nearly one million new arrivals from Sudan since April 2023. As of mid-2025, refugees represent 1 in 3 people in eastern Chad.
Chad has historically maintained a protective and enabling environment for refugees and other forcibly displaced persons, including an open-door policy for refugees and prima facie recognition in case of large influxes. Chad, already a state party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, enacted a new asylum Law on 31 December 2020 which clarifies the principles applicable to refugees and asylum-seekers to ensure their protection and provides a legal basis for their civil and socio-economic rights, including freedom of movement, access to justice, the right to work, healthcare, education and land. Additionally, the new asylum Law grants refugees the same rights as Chadian citizens regarding education, healthcare and social protection. It also provides for the recognition of the refugee identity card as a residence permit.
...In April 2023, in the midst of significant arrivals from Sudan, the Transition President promulgated Decree No. 0648/PT/PM/MATDBG/2023 implementing the asylum Law. This Decree outlines the procedures for reception and registering asylum-seekers arriving in Chad, including accelerated refugee status determination procedures for specific groups and the specific legal and judicial assistance that asylum-seekers and refugees can benefit from in the national asylum procedure, but also for any other matters/conflict.
In 2024 ANATS (National Agency for Secured Titles), CNARR (National Refugee Commission) and UNHCR signed a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing the issuance of the biometric identity cards to refugees to ensure that every individual, whether a refugee or an asylum seeker, obtains a unique National Identification Number (NNI). The assignment of NNI and the delivery of secured refugee ID cards are major step forward in the process of integrating refugees into the Chadian Integrated Biometric Population Management System and in facilitating access to a range of essential services such as employment, education, health, banking and telecommunication operators. Whereas the Ministry of Finance had previously allowed the refugees to use their CNAR cards to open bank accounts, the possession of the NNI greatly facilitates and systematizes access to financial and banking services. Despite ongoing efforts to integrate refugees in Chad into the national systems of education, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities, the authorities continue to face significant challenges due to limited funding and capacity.
With regards internal displacement, on 1 June 2023, the Transitional National Council enacted Law No. 012/PT/2023 relating to the protection and assistance of internally displaced persons in the Republic of Chad. This Law establishes the legal framework to assist internally displaced persons, serving as a guiding, preventive and assistance tool for both the state and other relevant actors in addressing internal displacement.
The government of Chad, alongside other stakeholders, has expressed a willingness to address the issue of statelessness by facilitating the issuance of necessary documents, such as birth certificates and identity cards. Statelessness is a particular concern for women and children, as legal frameworks do not provide equal rights for women in conferring nationality to their children, potentially perpetuating statelessness across generations.
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Sources: UNHCR Refugee Data finder https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/ | 2024 mid-year figures. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2022). World Population Prospects 2022, Online Edition https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Files/WPP2022_Data_Sources.pdf