Sweet Sixty? The 60th Anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention: Refugee Crises in 2011 and Challenges for the Future

As the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees turns 60, millions of refugees – confined in camps, or scraping an existence in rural areas and cities – are facing a critical humanitarian situation. Refugees’ health and lives are being put in danger as a result of restrictive government policies and serious shortfalls in assistance. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is extremely concerned by the global trend to restrict the movements of refugees and asylum seekers and to deprive them of the protection they need and are entitled to.

This document is not an exhaustive account of the contemporary challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers; instead it is a firsthand perspective drawn from MSF projects in 2011. It aims to illustrate – through five examples in southern Europe, South Africa, Liberia, Tunisia and Kenya –the restrictive policies of governments towards refugees and asylum seekers, and the shortfalls in assistance provided to them.