70th Anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention – more relevant than ever

At the same time, states regularly disregard the rights of refugees. This concerns, for example, forced returns – so-called push backs – at the EU’s external borders, which violate the principle of non-refoulement and thus the cornerstone of the 1951 Refugee Convention. So how has international refugee protection developed? What is the state of compliance with the Convention and what is its current role?

This question will be at the centre of this year’s Conference. In addition, various aspects of the current situation of refugees in Germany and Europe will be examined: With the «New Pact on Migration and Asylum», the European Commission has proposed a restructuring of the procedures at the EU's external borders – but are they fair and based on the rule of law? Which solutions can be found in discussions on the legal situation of beneficiaries of protection recognised in one EU member state who again apply for asylum in another state? Additional challenges and human rights concerns in Germany relate to family reunification, the continued practice of deportations to e. g. Afghanistan and heath protection of asylum seekers during the pandemic. Last but not least, the question arises: What will this year’s general election bring in terms of refugee protection?

At the 21st Berlin Conference on Refugee Protection, these legal and political questions as well as aspects of administrative practice will be discussed. The Conference offers a forum for in-depth exchange to policy makers and representatives of administration, the judiciary, non-governmental organisations and refugee communities, lawyers, academics and volunteers. We invite the various actors to engage in an open and constructive dialogue on refugee protection and to discuss possible solutions.

On Monday, translation into German/English respectively will be offered. With regard to the events on Tuesday, it is noted in the programme whether they will be held exclusively in German or English or partly with translation.

Informationen zum Symposium auf Deutsch finden Sie hier.

The organising team:
Manuel Armbruster, AWO Bundesverband, Berlin
Günter Burkhardt, Pro Asyl, Frankfurt/M.
Friederike Foltz, UNHCR, Berlin
Johanna du Maire, Dienststelle des Bevollmächtigten des Rates der EKD, Berlin
Inga Matthes, Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, Berlin
Lea Rösner, Evangelische Akademie zu Berlin
Franziska Vilmar, Amnesty International, Berlin