The need for debate is now

by Jack Straw

Man's inhumanity to man. A trite phrase, often quoted, but one that sums up the reason for the existence of the 1951 Refugee Convention. And 50 years later – 50 years of torture, persecution, violence and human rights abuse – the Convention is as important as ever for protecting those who have no other source of protection.

It is a commonly repeated truth that in the 50 years since the signing of the 1951 instrument, the world has moved on. In a very real sense, the world is smaller than it was in 1951. Information travels between continents in seconds, and the technologies that enable this are becoming more and more accessible. All of us can benefit from the eclectic mixture of cultures which has resulted from globalization.

But just as we have become more aware of ways of life in other countries, so too have the inhabitants of developing countries become aware of the advantages of life in developed countries.

The complex set of technological, institutional, organizational, social and cultural changes, which are summed up in the term 'globalization' have created a world where the prospect of travelling many hundreds of miles to seek out a new life seems not an impossible dream, but rather an achievable reality.

So I can understand why so many people want to leave their own countries and settle in the United Kingdom and other developed countries, in the hope of achieving a better life for themselves and their families.

But they are not refugees. Our asylum processes were set up in order to administer the international protection afforded to refugees under the 1951 Convention. Those who are not truly refugees do nothing but harm by seeking to circumvent lawful immigration controls. It is in the interests of genuine refugees, as much as anyone else, for the United Kingdom and other countries to take strict measures to maintain the integrity of our asylum system

TAKING ACTION

With this in mind, we have taken action to improve the administration of our domestic asylum system. This has included speeding up the initial decision making and appeals process and reducing the backlog of undecided cases to its lowest level for a decade. There is much still to be done on the domestic front, but we have made a strong beginning to the process of putting our own house in order.

As well as looking at domestic systems, we need to look more generally at the international system of protection.

We need to reconsider the ways in which we seek to protect those genuinely in need. While developed countries such as the United Kingdom are devoting resources to dealing with applications for asylum, so many of which are unfounded, we are not paying enough attention to the large numbers of refugees who are living in their regions of origin in hardship, and sometimes in danger. But having recognized this, we need to do something about it.

Most genuine refugees want nothing more than an opportunity to return in safety and dignity to their homes. They do not wish to entrust themselves and their families to criminal traffickers and agents but sometimes, mistakenly, think that is the only way of achieving their goals.

I have made some key proposals which focus on the importance of supporting refugees in their regions of origin, while helping the minority who cannot safely remain in those regions to gain access to the international protection regime. I also welcome the European Commission proposal to carry out a study of the feasibility of an EU resettlement program. These proposals have received across Europe more support than I anticipated.

We have a long road to travel before we can achieve a protection regime which is genuinely fair and effective and not subverted by criminal traffickers. We can only properly make this journey through open and frank debate about these issues. This debate needs input from all interested parties; refugee producing countries, countries which host refugees, countries of first asylum, UNHCR and other interested organizations.

In this 50th anniversary year, the time is right to have this debate. I am very glad that UNHCR has recognized this and acted upon it by instigating the global consultations exercise. The United Kingdom is keen to make a full contribution to the consultation exercise as part of a journey to a modern international protection regime.

Jack Straw was, until recently, Britain's Home Secretary in charge of immigration and asylum issues. He is now Foreign Secretary.

Source: Refugees Magazine Issue 123: "The Wall Behind Which Refugees Can Shelter" – The 1951 Geneva Convention 50th Anniversary (July 2001). Download the complete issue (pdf, 1.2Mb) here