Do the right thing rather than what is convenient

The story of Liliana Segre, is such an amazing lesson. She was 13 years old when she and her family fled Italy. They crossed the border to Switzerland but were caught up and pushed back to Italy. It was 8 December 1943.

Soon after, she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz concentration camp. But she made it, survived the Holocaust. And she now dedicates a lot of her time to share her experience, particularly with young generations to learn not to repeat the same mistakes again and again. 

She is one of the living examples of how life-saving is the universal right to seek asylum and the principle of ‘non-refoulment’ (from French verb refouler = to force back), the former meaning the obligation of States to accept and protect people who flee their country due to violence, war and persecution on various grounds; the latter affirming States’ obligation to not return them back to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom.

These are great advancements of human civilisation enshrined in Art.14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and a cornerstone of the UN Refugee Convention of 1951. They costed the lives of many, too many people and we always have to treasure and protect such achievements. Had Liliana and her father and cousins been granted asylum, had they not been 'refouled', in other words, had they found protection, Liliana's family would be alive.

Expanding rights and protection is ALWAYS the right thing to do!

Today, 1% of the world’s population is displaced. In 30 years, people forced to flee almost doubled, from about 40m. in 1990 to about 80m. in 2019.

‘Doing the right thing rather than what is convenient’ is so much needed, now more than ever.