Sixty-five years ago today in an unremarkable room in Geneva, a life saving commitment was made.
It was the summer of 1951 and the horrors of the Second World War were still fresh in everyone’s minds. Just a few years earlier amidst Europe’s darkest days, western nations had shamefully turned boatloads of Jewish refugees away from safety.
As a result, 65 years ago after weeks of legal wrangling, 26 nations, vowing to never to make those mistakes again, adopted the Refugee Convention – the Magna Carta of international refugee law.
At the same time back here in Britain, the organisations which later became the Refugee Council were founded to ensure that refugees who sought safety in Britain had somewhere to turn.
Although it’s our 65th birthday, we’re not asking for any presents. We’re just asking you to do one simple thing.
Please watch this four minute video.