Is a new international convention to protect refugees needed?

Belarus and the European Union are raising their stakes in a standoff over refugees and migrants at the Belarusian-Polish border.

The EU is imposing more sanctions on entities in Belarus, while Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is threatening to cut gas supplies to Europe.

Poland has asked NATO to take concrete steps to resolve the crisis.

Caught in the middle are thousands of refugees.

They have spent weeks sleeping rough at the borders between Belarus, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Many have been denied basic protection, such as housing and medical care.

It is the latest example of the United Nations’ refugee convention under strain.

From Europe to the United States and Australia, countries have failed to uphold obligations under international humanitarian law. So is a new agreement needed?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Shabia Mantoo – Spokesperson, UN refugee agency

Nando Sigona – Professor of international migration and forced displacement, University of Birmingham

Marianna Karakoulaki – Researcher and award-winning journalist focusing on refugees in Greece