4. Responding to refugee movements
This chapter discusses the global refugee system. The fundamental principles are detailed in the 1951 Refugee Convention and the core institution of the system is the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These instruments are supposed to ensure that refugees have access to key rights. However, today’s global refugee system has often had difficulty in providing effective responses to refugee movements. The chapter examines the principal constraints on responding to refugee movements through international cooperation within the context of a radically changing international political system, an expanding global mobility regime, and a growing and diverse group of displaced people in need of assistance and protection.