Examining Refugee Protection in Non-Signatories to the Refugee Convention & Protocol:
Lessons Learned for the Taiwan Context
Thursday, April 25, 2024
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM ET
Online Event via Zoom
Individuals fearing returning to their countries of origin continue to arrive in Taiwan and are in need of protection yet Taiwan’s draft refugee act remains stalled. What role has the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) played in non UN-member states? How has UNHCR been involved in refugee protection in non-signatories to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol? As Taiwan is neither a UN member nor a signatory, are there any takeaways for Taiwan? This presentation provides an overview on the current refugee context in Taiwan, including relevant existing domestic legislation and the evolution of Taiwan’s draft refugee act. It examines UNHCR’s operations in Hong Kong and select non-signatory states to identify successes and challenges in refugee protection to derive lessons learned for Taiwan.
About
Speaker
Christine Lin is the Director of Training & Technical Assistance at the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies based at UC Law San Francisco and has taught in the Refugee & Human Rights Clinic. Her research on the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and the advocacy of local autonomy led her to pursue a career in international human rights law advocating for the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. Currently, Christine is researching the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in non-Refugee Convention signatory states and examining the protection of asylum seekers in Taiwan.
As a Visiting Scholar at The George Washington University’s Sigur Center for Asian Studies and the U.S.-Taiwan Next Generation Working Group 2023-2025, Christine is examining the coalescing of a Taiwanese American identity and U.S.-Taiwan relations. She previously published on Taiwanese Americans’ political views in the United States and the status of Taiwan.
Previously, Christine served as the Legal Director of Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre and an Attorney Advisor with the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. She has taught in refugee legal aid clinics at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Christine is on the board of the Taiwanese American Professionals – San Francisco.
