UN Warns Organised Crime Driving Surge in Internal Displacement Globally

Organised criminal activity is now among the leading—and most under-recognised—drivers of internal displacement worldwide, according to a stark warning issued by the United Nations. In her latest report to the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Paula Gaviria Betancur, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), urged global action to address this deepening crisis.

The report reveals a doubling in the number of people internally displaced by criminal violence between 2023 and 2024, reflecting a neglected but escalating human rights emergency.

A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight

“Organised criminal activity is an increasingly relevant driver of internal displacement,” said Betancur. “Despite this mounting threat, few States have developed effective strategies to prevent, address, and remedy displacement in these contexts.”

Unlike displacement driven by armed conflict or natural disasters, internal displacement caused by organised crime tends to receive far less political and humanitarian attention. This gap, Betancur argues, leads to fragmented state responses, allowing displaced populations to fall through legal and institutional cracks.

Her report provides an extensive review of the legal and policy frameworks applicable to criminal-induced displacement, spanning humanitarian law, international human rights law, and criminal justice systems. It also outlines the need for integrated, victim-centered solutions rather than militarized crackdowns.

Crimes That Displace—and Then Re-Traumatize

The Special Rapporteur emphasized that organised crime is not merely a cause of displacement, but also a source of systematic human rights abuses targeting the displaced. These include:

• Extortion and racketeering by gangs targeting entire neighborhoods

• Sexual exploitation and trafficking, particularly of women and children

• Forced recruitment, including of minors, into criminal organizations

• Arbitrary killings and threats, displacing people en masse

In many regions—especially in Latin America, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia—criminal groups operate as de facto authorities, controlling territories, imposing social codes, and extorting residents with impunity. These dynamics generate a climate of fear, often leaving IDPs with nowhere to go and no access to justice.

“The totality of these acts erodes the State’s legitimacy and fractures community cohesion,” Betancur said. “Persistent insecurity undermines the very possibility of finding durable solutions.”

Militarised Responses Worsen the Crisis

While many states have responded to the growth of criminal violence with force, Betancur cautioned that militarised responses often exacerbate displacement, criminalize victims, and violate human rights.

In several countries, states of emergency have allowed governments to suspend legal protections, leading to:

• Arbitrary detention of displaced persons

• Mass incarceration without trial

• Restrictions on freedom of movement

• Denial of humanitarian access to at-risk communities

“These responses may target criminal actors,” she said, “but often end up punishing the victims.”

The report stresses that criminal organisations are not monolithic—they vary in size, motive, and strategy. Therefore, a one-size-fits-all, militaristic approach is not only ineffective but counterproductive.

A Call for Structural Solutions

Betancur’s report calls on governments to pivot from reactive enforcement to preventative and structural reforms. The recommendations include:

1. Tackling root causes such as poverty, corruption, youth unemployment, and weak governance.

2. Centering protection in responses, ensuring IDPs receive shelter, documentation, legal support, and security.

3. Upholding human rights, especially during states of emergency and anti-crime operations.

4. Facilitating justice and accountability, enabling victims to seek redress and criminal actors to be prosecuted.

5. Investing in durable solutions, such as safe return, local integration, or resettlement based on the informed consent of displaced persons.

Importantly, the report also advocates for international cooperation in addressing cross-border dimensions of organised crime and displacement, including smuggling networks and transnational criminal economies.

Visit to the Marshall Islands Highlights Displacement Complexities

In addition to her thematic findings, Betancur presented a summary of her October 2024 country visit to the Marshall Islands. While the island nation is not directly impacted by organised crime-induced displacement, her visit underscored the complexities of small island developing states facing a range of displacement risks—including climate-induced migration, land scarcity, and limited institutional capacity.

Her findings from the Marshall Islands complement the broader message: that displacement—regardless of cause—requires rights-based, tailored, and context-sensitive responses.

Toward a More Inclusive Global Displacement Agenda

As organised crime takes root in fragile societies and urban areas alike, the UN urges the international community not to ignore this hidden dimension of displacement. By failing to recognize and address this driver, states risk normalizing impunity, enabling the continued victimization of already marginalized populations, and undermining long-term peace and development efforts.

“The displacement crisis driven by organised crime is not invisible—it is neglected,” Betancur concluded. “We must stop punishing the victims and start protecting them.”