We are at a crossroads for refugee protection. Around the world, displacement has reached record highs, with more than 122 million people forced from their homes, including over 31 million refugees.

Devastating conflicts are raging in so many parts of the world. Some are receiving prominent coverage; some are neglected; all are utterly tragic. From the destruction in Gaza and the ongoing war in Ukraine, to the brutal conflicts in Sudan and Myanmar, and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, the scale of displacement and human suffering is staggering.

At the same time, division is deepening, funding is contracting, and populist rhetoric is surging – shrinking the space for humane, coordinated responses just when they are needed most.

Refugees and migrants are too often scapegoated for economic, security or cultural anxieties – made into easy targets while the real causes of these issues go unaddressed.

Recent global shifts remind us how fragile and contested refugee protection has become. The US, under President Trump, has dramatically cut international aid, slashed funding to UNHCR, and reduced resettlement opportunities. It has also floated reforms that would threaten the very foundations of the global refugee protection system.​

Yet it is vital that we not lose sight of reality: the biggest problems confronting refugee protection are not flaws in the Refugee Convention, but failures in implementation and political will.

The Refugee Convention, rooted in the longstanding institution of asylum, offers states the very predictability and stability needed to balance sovereignty with humanitarian obligation – respecting national interests while ensuring access to safety and dignity for........

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