Reimagining Refugee Protection: 75 Years and Forward

At the heart of contemporary international migration politics lies refugee protection - a regime legally anchored in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees yet increasingly contested in practice. Adopted on 28 July 1951, the Convention established a shared framework for protecting individuals fleeing persecution. Together with its 1967 Protocol, it has become the cornerstone of international governance on refugee populations, shaping state practice, institutional mandates, and multilateral cooperation. While widely ratified, many of the world’s top refugee-hosting countries – including Bangladesh, Jordan, Lebanon, and Pakistan – remain non-signatories. Moreover, signatory states have often drawn on limitation and derogation clauses to limit the quality of protection that refugees can avail themselves of. Consequently, discrepancies persist in both its ratification and implementation across states.

In 2026, the Convention marks its 75th anniversary. This period has encompassed epoch-defining moments, from post-war reconstruction and decolonisation to the Cold War, the transition to a multipolar world, and overlapping eras of globalisation, migration, and climate change - culminating in the rhetoric of “poly-crises,” through which states and international organisations often legitimise practices that erode the rule of law and human rights. Refugee experiences have been deeply entwined with, and constitutive of, these global transformations.

Today, the international refugee protection regime faces growing strain. States in both the Global South and the Global North are increasingly retreating from their international and, in some cases, domestic legal commitments. While refugee experiences have become more intersectional, protection is increasingly selective, conditioned by skills, perceived “desirability,” and political expediency. The normative power of the international community - once a key factor shaping state behaviour through reputational concerns and collective oversight - has weakened. Consequently, refugees and asylum seekers encounter shrinking spaces of protection, heightened precarity, and exposure to exclusionary policies. Under these circumstances, calls for revisiting and reconceptualising refugee protection have become louder.

As conflict, displacement, migration, gender, and governance are increasingly intertwined, the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention coincides with two other critical milestones: the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Together, these anniversaries invite reflection on both the steady erosion of the Convention’s achievements and the thinning veil of refugee and gender protection. The weakening of refugee protection cannot be examined in isolation from broader questions of gendered insecurity, racialisation, mobility control, and the transformation of global governance. 

Against this backdrop, “Reimagining Refugee Protection: 75 Years and Forward”, which situates refugee protection at the crossroads of politics, policy, and refugee experiences, seeks to create a space for critical, interdisciplinary, and policy-relevant dialogue that assesses the past, confronts present realities, and imagines possible pathways for the future.

We welcome papers engaging with the following thematic areas through perspectives from countries of origin, countries of destination, and non-signatory states.

1. Migration Governance: Policies, actors, and legal frameworks regulating migration and refugee movements at local, national, and international levels.
2. Labour Market and Economic Participation: Refugees’ engagement with labour markets, including access to employment, skills recognition, and structural barriers to economic inclusion.
3. Gender, Displacement, and Protection: The increasing feminisation of migration and the impact of displacement and protection regimes, differentiated by gender, age, disability, and other intersecting identities.
4. Integration and Citizenship: Pathways to social, cultural, and political inclusion, exploring how refugees navigate rights, participation, and citizenship in host societies.
5. Return and Reintegration: Challenges of voluntary and forced return, repatriation, portability of rights and restitution, and the policies and ethical considerations shaping durable solutions.

The conference will be held in person at TED University, Ankara, and will include:

• Keynote speeches by leading scholars and senior practitioners
• Thematic academic–policy panels
• Roundtable discussions aimed at drafting an Ankara Declaration on the future of refugee protection
• Pre-conference for emerging scholars
• Optional field visits focusing on labour market integration of Syrians under temporary protection in Türkiye
• Publication of Abstracts: Accepted abstracts will be published on the conference website and in a digital abstract booklet with ISBN. 

Detailed Programme

The conference is organised by the Department of Political Science and International Relations at TED University, Türkiye, and the Sussex Centre for Migration Research (SCMR) at the University of Sussex, UK, in partnership with Middlesex University, UK, and Christ University, India.

TED University (TEDU), in the heart of Ankara, is a young, dynamic university founded in 2012 by the Turkish Education Association (TED), a leader in education in Türkiye since 1928. Emphasising interdisciplinary, English-medium instruction, TEDU nurtures creative, confident, and globally minded graduates. Through academically rigorous coursework, innovative teaching, impactful research, and numerous opportunities for local and international engagement, the university fosters a diverse community of socially responsible, globally minded, lifelong learners. TEDU’s Department of Political Science and International Relations combines critical scholarship, public engagement, and interdisciplinary exploration, preparing students to analyse political and global issues thoughtfully and to become informed, ethically engaged leaders.

The Sussex Centre for Migration Research (SCMR) at the University of Sussex is a leading interdisciplinary hub for migration scholarship, bringing together faculty, doctoral researchers and postgraduate students from across the social sciences and beyond. True to Sussex’s global outlook, SCMR conducts high‑quality, theoretically informed and empirically grounded research on migration, ethnicity and mobility with partners across Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The Centre hosts the prestigious Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies and a vibrant programme of international conferences, seminars and community events. SCMR’s work influences policy and public debate, fostering a diverse research community with global impact.

Organisation Team

Prof. Dr. Zuhal Yeşilyurt Gündüz, Department of Political Science and International Relations, TED University, Türkiye

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tahir Zaman, University of Sussex, Sussex Centre for Migration Research, United Kingdom

Dr. Gülece Şenel (Co-ordinatior), Department of International Relations, Akhmet Yassawi University, Kazakhstan

Dr. Mithilesh Kumar, Cultural Studies Cell, Department of English and Cultural Studies, CHRIST (Deemed to be University) Bangalore, India

Dr. Kasia Narkowicz, Department of Law and Social Sciences, Middlesex University, United Kingdom

Didem Gül Kizir, Research Assistant, Department of Political Science and International Relations, TED University, Türkiye

Gülcay Günay, Master's Student, Department of Political Science and International Relations, TED University, Türkiye

Musa Uysal, Master's Student, Department of Political Science and International Relations, TED University, Türkiye

Registration is now open for students, academics, practitioners and policy-makers to attend the RRPC conference; please complete the registration form by 8 April 2026 to be considered for participation. As capacity is limited, accepted attendees will be notified via email and are kindly asked to arrange their own travel and accommodations.

Registration form for attendees: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAsyN_ZYC--nKHaQ5TQHs-NXJhhKE-LMNtbrnP37zmWUxiZA/viewform?usp=publish-editor 

Eligibility

We warmly invite scholars at all career stages, as well as researchers and practitioners, to contribute to this critical conversation on the future of refugee protection.

We particularly welcome theoretical, methodological, and empirical research drawing on perspectives from countries of origin, countries of destination, and non-signatory states. Contributions adopting critical, comparative, interdisciplinary, or Global South approaches are especially encouraged.

Submission Guidelines

To submit abstracts (max. 250 words) and a short bio (max. 150 words) for each author/presenter (in English), please complete the registration form no later than 02.03.2026.

Please note that submissions should clearly indicate the relevant thematic area under which the paper should be considered.

Important Dates

Abstract submission deadline: 02.03.2026

Notification of acceptance: 18.03.2026

Registration for attendees: 8 April 2026

Pre-Conference for Emerging Scholars: 14 April 2026

Conference dates: 15–17 April 2026

Venue

TED University, Multi-Purpose Hall

TED University is located in the Kolej area of Çankaya, one of Ankara’s central districts. The campus is easily accessible by public transportation, with the Kolej metro station on the Ankaray line within walking distance.

Costs

Fee: There is no registration fee for the conference. Unfortunately, no scholarships or financial assistance can be offered.

Meals: Coffee breaks and lunches will be provided throughout the conference. The surrounding area also offers a wide selection of restaurants and cafés.

Travel: Participants are kindly requested to arrange and cover the costs of their travel to and from Ankara, as well as local transportation within Ankara and to TED University.

Accommodation:

TED University is centrally located in Ankara, with a wide range of accommodation options available nearby. For conference participants, the hotels listed below—each within a 3–5 minute walking distance of the venue—offer discounted rates. Participants are kindly asked to make their own reservations by contacting the hotels directly and stating in the subject line that they are attending the conference “Reimagining Refugee Protection: 75 Years and Forward” (RRPC/TEDU) in order to benefit from the discounted rates.

New Park Hotel Ankara (5 Stars)

Address: Ön Cebeci Mh., Ziya Gökalp Bulvarı No: 58, 06600 Çankaya/Ankara

Website: https://www.npankara.com/

Price: 78,5 Euro per night (Taxes and breakfast included)

For reservations, please contact: hkaracaoglu@npankara.com; bkocabay@npankara.com

Doğa Residence (4 Stars)

Address: Ataç 1 Sokak No:11 06410 Kızılay Çankaya/Ankara

Website: https://dogaresidence.com/

Price: 2200 TL (Taxes and breakfast included)

For reservations, please contact: hakan.koprucu@dogaresidence.com

Gürkent Hotel (4 Stars)

Address: Mithatpaşa Cd. No:4, Çankaya/Ankara

Website: https://gurkenthotel.com/

Price: Single Room (including breakfast): 2000 TL
Double Room (including breakfast): 3000 TL

(Prices include VAT, taxes, and an open buffet breakfast)

For reservations, please contact: rezervasyon@gurkenthotel.com

VE Hotels Adakale (3 Stars)

Address: Fidanlık Mh., Adakale Sk. No: 15, Çankaya/Ankara

Website: https://vehotelsadakale.com.tr/

Price:

For reservations, please contact: vehotelsadakale@vilayetler.gov.tr

For submissions and enquiries, please contact: rrpc@tedu.edu.tr