The current crisis is of course not the first refugee emergency in history. Today, Professor Alexander Betts writes for The Guardian’s Global Development Professionals Network about how history can help inform the responses to the current global refugee crisis.
He states that “Five particular precedents stand out as instructive for informing contemporary policy responses in Europe and globally.” These are:
1) Enabling safe passage;
2) Comprehensive plans of action;
3) Development assistance for regions of origin;
4) European burden-sharing; and
5) Adapting international legal standards.
