This certificate course introduces learners to the international system for protection of refugees and stateless persons. Issues concerning international protection of refugees and stateless persons have undergone a sea change from the 1950s when the international instruments for protection of both these vulnerable groups of persons were first adopted. The contemporary world order poses serious challenges to their protection, beginning with identifying refugees and stateless persons within mixed migratory flows, inadequate national policies by states to protect them, their incompatibilities with international law, the role of international organisations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), issues of xenophobia and security in host countries amongst various other issues.
This e-learning course is designed to provide a comprehensive picture to participants on what the international system for the protection of refugees and stateless persons is from the international perspective, what are their needs and available legal protections, which are the relevant actors involved in their protection and what are the challenges facing today’s refugees, stateless persons and host countries. The course also analyses the regional systems protection with the help of selected case studies. The course is based on a dynamic pedagogy including reading materials, video clips, case studies, and interactive webinars with the instructor as well as officials of UNHCR.
- Professor: Jan Hessbruegge
- Professor: Mihir Kanade