Celebrities and Leaders Rally for Refugee Protections Amid Global Challenges

Prominent figures including actors and religious leaders advocate for refugee rights as global asylum systems face mounting pressure. The U.N. highlights the 1951 Refugee Convention's importance amid tightening border policies. Concerns rise as funding cuts threaten the U.N. refugee agency's operational capacity.

Actors Angelina Jolie and Cate Blanchett, alongside Archbishop Sarah Mullally, voiced their support for maintaining refugee protections as the United Nations expressed concerns over intensified pressure on asylum systems.

The 1951 Refugee Convention, established post-World War II to safeguard displaced persons, is now threatened by global tightening of border controls amid record displacements.

Ahead of a U.N. meeting in Geneva, former Iraqi president and refugee, Barham Salih, emphasized the need to uphold these protections to honor the convention signed by 149 states. However, funding shortfalls and policy changes, notably by the U.S., challenge the implementation efforts of the U.N. refugee agency.