UNHCR: US and European governments increasingly undermine global refugee convention

UNHCR: US and European governments increasingly undermine global refugee convention
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The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) warned Wednesday that global governments, notably the US and some European countries, are increasingly undermining the 1951 Refugee Convention, threatening asylum protections worldwide, Arab News reported.

Marking the Convention’s 75th anniversary, UNHCR highlighted the rise in suspended asylum applications and bilateral deals to deport migrants or transfer asylum responsibilities, especially to African nations. Greece has temporarily halted asylum processing amid increased Sudanese arrivals. A global humanitarian funding crisis has left over 122 million displaced people vulnerable, with 75% of refugees hosted in low- and middle-income countries like Chad, which shelters 1.5 million refugees from Sudan’s civil war. UNHCR’s programs there are severely underfunded, with refugees facing violence and extreme hardship.

Despite abuses of the asylum system by some economic migrants, UNHCR stresses the importance of supporting refugees locally to prevent dangerous onward migration to Europe. The agency called on leaders to increase funding and uphold the refugee protection framework to save lives and maintain global asylum standards.