Global Protection of Displaced Persons
UN Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees
In the aftermath of World War I (1914 to 1918), millions of people fled their homelands in search of refuge. Governments responded by drawing up a set of international agreements to provide travel documents for these people who were, effectively, the first refugees of the twentieth century. Their numbers increased dramatically during and after World War II (1939 to 1945), as millions more were forcibly displaced, deported, and/or resettled. Throughout the twentieth century, the international community steadily assembled a set of guidelines, laws, and conventions to ensure the adequate treatment of refugees and protect their human rights. The process began…
