This chapter examines how fear, intimidation, and retaliation impact UNHCR’s organisational culture, ultimately undermining both staff morale and refugee protection. Using staff testimonies, tribunal cases, survey data, and case studies, it demonstrates how fixed-term staff, in particular, see silence as a survival tactic: speaking up against misconduct, abuse, or poor leadership often results in retaliation, sidelining, or contract termination. Mechanisms meant to enable safe communication—such as anonymous surveys, pigeonhole tools, or ethics channels—are widely distrusted, reinforcing a climate of self-censorship. The chapter shows how whistleblowers in cases from Kakuma (2016) to Sri Lanka (2009) paid personal costs for challenging wrongdoing, while perpetrators were often shielded or discreetly relocated. Elevated scores in “impression management” in psychometric data reflect this fear-driven environment, where self-protection takes precedence over honesty. The effects go beyond staff relations: when fear guides behaviour, accountability diminishes, misconduct spreads, and protection gaps increase. Refugees suffer when internal silence blocks early warnings, hampers advocacy, and emboldens abusive actors. Ultimately, the chapter argues that UNHCR’s credibility and effectiveness depend on fostering psychological safety, safeguarding whistleblowers, and ensuring accountability mechanisms operate without political interference.