New York launch of "Political Participation of Refugees: Bridging the Gaps"

Today, more people than ever before live in countries other than their country of origin.  In 2015, alone, the number of migrants reached 244 million and the number of refugees reached nearly 19.5 million.  While the distinctions between migrant and refugee may differ based on cause and circumstances that led people to leave for different destinations, it is important to recognize that many migrants and refugees face similar challenges when it comes to political and human rights.

Discussions of the political participation of refugees and migrants should go beyond merely how to enable the casting of a vote in elections in one’s home country, rather, they should encompass the full range of political participation. Drawing on the recent International IDEA report on “Political Participation of Refugees: Bridging the Gaps”, and the December 2017 Interactive Panel Discussion “Realizing Human Rights: Effective Protection of Civil and Political Rights of Migrants and Refugees”, this event will seek to discuss the political participation and representation of migrants and refugees in their countries of origin and destination with a focus on access to citizenship, out-of-country voting, diaspora mobilization and transnational political engagement with an eye to the ongoing intergovernmental negotiations on the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration that is taking place at the UN Headquarters in New York and the Global Compact on Refugees which is taking place in Geneva.