MOBILE – Mobility Law Open Lab with Evelien Wauters

Towards a minimum protection order for displaced persons: Fair sharing between states in the protection of refugees and (forcibly) displaced persons

Guest presenter: Evelien Wauters is a PhD researcher at KU Leuven. Her doctoral research explores fair sharing between states in the protection of refugees and displaced persons.

Presentation: As the number of forcibly displaced persons surpasses 120 million, international law remains rooted in a refugee framework designed for a different era. While the 1951 Refugee Convention acknowledges the need for international cooperation, it lacks explicit binding commitments to fair sharing between states. At the same time, prohibitions against forced displacement are firmly embedded in humanitarian and criminal law, and many displacement-related norms are potentially peremptory in nature. Drawing from principles in other areas of international law—such as environmental protection, anti-piracy, and disarmament—this research argues for a systemic, normative foundation for fair sharing in refugee protection. It highlights the need for a minimum protection order, grounded in existing obligations and the broader coherence of the international legal system.

Time: 24 April 2025 14:00-15:15

Place: MOBILE – 6B-2-22 Southern Campus + ONLINE

Online participation

For online participation, please contact Lin Solvang at liso@jur.ku.dk to receive a Zoom link.