UNHCR Philippines and San Beda College host forum on international protection

MENDIOLA, Manila, Philippines – Together with San Beda Legal Aid Bureau, UNHCR Philippines hosted the forum, “Strangers in Their Own Homes” as part of the Volunteerism Week of the San Beda College of Arts and Sciences.

Deputy Representative Yasser Saad from UNHCR Philippines started the session by giving an overview of the legal frameworks on the protection of refugees, the stateless persons, and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Agencies such as the Department of Justice and the Commission on Human Rights were invited to lead the sessions. The forum was open to all those interested as well as to the media. Many of those who came in were undergraduate and law students, faculty members, government officials, and community stakeholders.

Other topics highlighted were the national perspective and the policy of the Bureau of Immigration on the protection of refugees and stateless persons, the status of the IDP bill, and the academe’s role in advocating for the bill. The aim of the forum is to educate the youth on the status and challenges that refugees, stateless persons, and IDPs face. Various state initiatives to solve the said challenges were also tackled. Students and professors gave their feedbacks, questions, and reactions during the open forum.