Reflecting on The Geneva Convention: The State of Global Refugee Trends and Refugee Policy Today

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

As the 70th anniversary of the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 60th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness draws near, the world continues to experience some of the highest levels of displaced people in modern history. From Venezuela to South Sudan to Syria, the emergence of major refugee crises over the last ten years has led to 100 million people fleeing their countries, with more than 79.5 million individuals displaced in 2019. Although the United Nations negotiated the 2018 Compact on Migration to address these challenges, countries have adopted differing responses to increased refugee flows, with some offering refuge while others have limited refugee resettlements. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced these trends as countries shut travel in order to limit the virus’ spread, leaving more vulnerable populations without access to safety.

Episcopal Migration Ministries and The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations hosted a webinar on the current state of refugees and refugee policy on Thursday, May 20. In addition to the Church’s migration ministry and policy staff, the event featured the following experts:

• David FitzGerald, Professor, Gildred Chair in U.S.-Mexican Relations, and Co-Director, Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, UCSD
• Susan Fratzke, Senior Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Institute
• Jana Mason, Senior External Relations Advisor, UNHCR