The Refugee Convulsion

The international protection system and narratives about refugees continue to reflect the same colonial attitudes and racist biases displaced in 1951. The different perception and treatment of Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian refugees by global North countries is a testament to this fact. Far too often, people hide behind the idea that they are, quote unquote, helping others or doing good to avoid having difficult conversations about how colonialism and racism constitute the very foundation of the refugee protection sector. We need a grassroots movement where refugees and allies can build trust and reconciliation through acknowledgement and accountability for past wrongs.