Silhouette, Dove and Barbed Wire, 50th Anniversary of UNHCR, Republic of Cyprus

Fifty years ago the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was established when the refugee Convention was formally adopted on 28th July 1951 and with Denmark becoming the first State to ratify the Convention. For over half a century the UNHCR has been at the forefront of help to those millions of people all over the world who for reasons of conflict, persecution in all its for ms, human right abuses or forcible displacement in their own countries, found it necessary to flee from their homes and look for safety elsewhere or in other friendly countries. The world has changed considerably since then and today countries struggle to cope with the rising tide of people knocking at their doors. Distinguishing real refugees from economic asylum - seekers has been aggravated by the increase of people smuggling and illegal immigrants. Countries’ asylum systems are overstretched and inefficient to cope with the phenomenon. As a result, a growing number of States are violating Article 33 of the Convention which reads: "No contracting State shall expel or return a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened". More than three quarters of the worlds' nations are party to the convention and / or its protocols.