The international convention governing the global response to refugees, crafted in the aftermath of World War II, is unsuited for the challenges of today. To address current and future crises, the convention should be amended to increase funding, strengthen enforcement mechanisms, and reassess who counts as a refugee.
ISTANBUL – The debacle in Afghanistan has rekindled the global debate over how to manage refugee flows. There is widespread concern that the Taliban’s return to power will trigger new waves of people fleeing the country. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is preparing for more than a half-million people to leave Afghanistan in this year alone. The crisis in Afghanistan, like recent crises in Syria, Libya, and Myanmar, has exposed the weaknesses of the global system governing refugees – primarily, the deficiencies in the 1951 Refugee Convention.
ISTANBUL – The debacle in Afghanistan has rekindled the global debate over how to manage refugee flows. There is widespread concern that the Taliban’s return to power will trigger new waves of people fleeing the country. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is preparing for more than a half-million people to leave Afghanistan in this year alone. The crisis in Afghanistan, like recent crises in Syria, Libya, and Myanmar, has exposed the weaknesses of the global system governing refugees – primarily, the deficiencies in the 1951 Refugee Convention.