Conflict refugees: Past, present and future of international protection.

About the event

By the end of 2022, there were more than 35 million refugees in the world. The main cause of forced displacement today is violence and widespread human rights violations associated with armed conflict. Accordingly, most refugees originate from countries experiencing armed conflicts such as Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar. Many of these situations of armed conflict are described as ‘protracted’ reflecting the obstacles to peace building and leading to associated situations of protracted forced displacement as refugees cannot return home.

This Panel will discuss the application of the Refugee Convention to persons fleeing violence in conflict, including its prospects and challenges, and other complementary protection statuses, designed for the needs of persons displaced by indiscriminate violence in conflict.

The Panel Discussion will also formally launch Dr Christel Querton’s monograph, Conflict Refugees: European Union Law and Practice, published by Cambridge University Press in 2023.

Agenda

• 16:00-16:05 Welcome and Introduction by Chair: Dr Ruvi Ziegler, Associate Professor in International Refugee Law, University of Reading 
• 16:05-16:25 Presentation of Conflict Refugees by Author: Dr Christel Querton, Wallscourt Fellow in Law, UWE Bristol
• 16:25-16:40 Book discussant: Dr Cathryn Costello, Full Professor of Global Refugee and Migration Law, Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin 
• 16:40-16:50 Panellist: Practising barrister (TBC)
• 16:50-17:00 Panellist: Dr Iryna Hnasevych, Senior Legal Officer, ECRE (European Councils on Refugees and Exiles)
• 17:00-17:10 Panellist: Dr James C. Simeon, Associate Professor, York University, Toronto 
• 17:10-17:30 Discussion/Q&As