Is it permissible to give Zakāt to refugees?
The answer
It is permissible to give Zakāt funds to a Muslim refugee who does not possess the value of the Niṣāb amount of zakātable assets and/or surplus assets.
Condition: The refugee must be Muslim and not own, or have no access to, niṣāb-level zakatable or surplus assets.
Explanation
Zakāt can be given to the Muslim refugee despite him owning Zakātable & surplus assets in his home city; as long as he does not have direct access to his Zakātable assets & surplus assets.1
In the presence of a crisis, one should generously give to those projects which are supporting the crisis afflicting refugees. Not only should we give Zakāt, we should donate as much as possible and help in any manner possible.
We have full hope that Allah Ta’ālā will reward those striving to help the stricken refugees.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Faraz Adam
References
1هو الفقير وهو: من يملك مالا يبلغ نصابا ولا قيمته من أي مال كان ولو صحيحا مكتسبا والمسكين وهو: من لا شيء له والمكاتب والمديون الذي لا يملك نصابا ولا قيمته فاضلا عن دينه وفي سبيل الله وهو منقطع الغزاة أو الحاج وابن السبيل وهو: من له مال في وطنه وليس معه مال (حاشية الطحطاوي ج 1 ص 720 دار الكتب)
(قَوْلُهُ: وَابْنُ السَّبِيلِ) هُوَ الْمُسَافِرُ سُمِّيَ بِهِ لِلُزُومِهِ الطَّرِيقَ زَيْلَعِيٌّ (قَوْلُهُ: مَنْ لَهُ مَالٌ لَا مَعَهُ) أَيْ سَوَاءٌ كَانَ هُوَ فِي غَيْرِ وَطَنِهِ أَوْ فِي وَطَنِهِ وَلَهُ دُيُونٌ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَخْذِهَا كَمَا فِي النَّهْرِ عَنْ النُّقَايَةِ لَكِنَّ الزَّيْلَعِيَّ جَعَلَ الثَّانِيَ مُلْحَقًا بِهِ حَيْثُ قَالَ: وَأُلْحِقَ بِهِ كُلُّ مَنْ هُوَ غَائِبٌ عَنْ مَالِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي بَلَدِهِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْحَاجَةَ هِيَ الْمُعْتَبَرَةُ وَقَدْ وُجِدَتْ؛ لِأَنَّهُ فَقِيرٌ يَدًا وَإِنْ كَانَ غَنِيًّا ظَاهِرًا. اهـ. (حاشية ابن عابدين ج 2 ص 343 أيج أيم سعيد)
Based on the Hanafi school and on the question as it was asked. Another mufti may reach a different conclusion. Read the disclaimer.