World Refugee day - The politics of refugee protection

The number of people displaced worldwide has hit a new record, with 65.3 million people forced from their home as of the end of 2015, the UN said on Monday. The figures, released on World Refugee Day, show pressures fuelling an unprecedented global displacement crisis. As conflict and persecution force growing numbers of people to flee, anti-migrant political sentiment has strained the will to resettle refugees globally. And even when countries need foreign labour and resources, accepting refugees is often a hard political sell. Those serious about advancing refugee protection must not just see these debates as distractions. Protection is political and we have no choice but to engage.

Guest: Dr. Roni Amit
Position: Senior Researcher at the African Centre for Migration and Society (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg) Her research focuses on rights protection, administrative justice, legal processes and developments in the areas of refugee law and immigration detention and deportation