The U.N. refugee agency said Wednesday that governments around the world, especially that of the United States and countries in Europe, are increasingly undermining the global convention on refugees and asylum seekers — even threatening its very existence.
The stark warning by the UNHCR came on the 75th anniversary of the U.N. Refugee Convention, a 1951 document that defines who refugees are and outlines the responsibilities of countries hosting them.
Many have moved to suspend applications for asylum — requests for international protection by those who say they face war or persecution for their religion, race, nationality, sexuality or for their political beliefs if they were to return home.
