Expert Commentary by Dr Asher Hirsch

Southeast Asia is a region that hosts a significant number of refugees, yet struggles with providing adequate protection and rights due to various challenges, including a lack of legal frameworks, funding, and regional cooperation. This Expert Commentary focuses on the role donor states, especially those in the Global North, can play in supporting Southeast Asian host states to enhance access to protection and durable solutions for refugees.

Context and Challenges
Many states in Southeast Asia have not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention, resulting in a lack of formal legal frameworks for refugee protection. This situation leaves refugees vulnerable, with limited access to essential services, legal work opportunities, and pathways to durable solutions. The Expert Commentary discusses these challenges in detail, outlining the complex political, social, and economic factors that contribute to the precarious situation of refugees in the region.

Incremental Approach for Change
Recognising the complexities of the regional context, the Expert Commentary advocates for an incremental approach to refugee rights enhancement. It suggests that donor states should support host states through a series of practical, context-sensitive steps, in addition to pushing for the longer-term goal of wholesale adoption of international refugee law standards. This approach is grounded in the understanding that small, steady improvements can lead to significant long-term changes in refugee protection and long-term solutions for displaced communities.

The full Expert Commentary is available here and the Executive Summary is available here.