ASEAN, Refugees and Forced Migrants
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a political and economic organisation consisting of ten Southeast Asian countries, of which only Cambodia and the Philippines have ratified the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol. With more than 520,000 refugees and asylum seekers, 855,000 internally displaced people and 1.4 million stateless people in Southeast Asia, the region has yet to put in place a regional agreement and processes to protect their rights. Additionally, the lack of national legal framework in most ASEAN countries has subjected refugees and asylum seekers to detention, expulsion, refoulement, and other protection risks.
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What's happening?
ASEAN can Learn from Europe's Refugee CrisisNew Mandala, 24 Sep 2015: With numbers almost as staggering as in Europe, the challenge in Southeast Asia is urgent and requires collective action.
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Towards a Real Solution to Southeast Asia's Refugee CrisisThe Diplomat, 19 Aug 2015: A true solution demands more than empty rhetoric.
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Life and Death along Thai-Myanmar BorderAljazeera, 31 Jul 2015: A 1,200 mile long photographic journey, documenting the fear, faith and everyday survival of those living in exile.
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ASEAN: Statement on Irregular Migration2 Jul 2015: ASEAN proposes to set up a task force and trust fund to respond to the irregular movement of refugees and migrants in the region
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UNHCR: Southeast Asia Fact SheetSep 2014: This provides a statistical overview of the situation in South East Asia and UNHCR's responses and operations
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