Not Wanted on the Voyage

Over the last year the global refugee crisis has gone from an ongoing and unresolved humanitarian problem to an international political challenge that threatens the stability of Europe, the sustainability of international refugee law and the capacity of United Nations institutions. It is timely to try to situate the mass movement of affected populations in the context of political instability, state insecurity and the resulting oppression and persecution of minorities, rather than be swept along by the heart-rending stories and images, and to consider how the international community can respond to what will inevitably be similar challenges in the future.

As a result of the prolonged conflict in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, but also in Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes and many of them have fled their countries, seeking asylum in neighbouring countries or further afield. Although the conflict...