The Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons under International Law: Contemporary Challenges and Legal Reforms

Authors

  • Ilyas Khan Assistant Professor, School of Law, Bahria University, Islamabad Campus, Pakistan.
  • Seema Gul Lecturer, Sarhad Institute of Legal Studies, Sarhad University of Science & IT, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62843/jrsr/2026.5a175

Keywords:

Asylum Seekers, Nationality Deprivation, Forced Displacement, Non-Refoulement Principle, Humanitarian Protection, Migration Governance, Human Security, Global Responsibility-Sharing

Abstract

The research takes a look into worldwide legal security of displaced people and stateless persons, considering troubles and conceptualizing changes to fortify worldwide assurance frameworks. The international order of today faces some of its most pressing humanitarian and legal challenges, namely the global refugee crisis and the continuation of statelessness. The protection of refugees and stateless persons is based on treaties, customary norms, and institutional mechanisms of international law. Yet, renewed displacement from armed conflict, the impact of climate change, political persecution and economic instability have highlighted critical failures in the international protection regime. Reflection: This paper reviews the scope of different legal bases of protection of refugees and stateless persons: the 1951 Refugee Convention the 1967 Protocol and the international conventions on statelessness. It further analyses the contemporary challenges confronting these regimes, including restrictive asylum policies, lack of international cooperation, and inadequate implementation by states. The article concludes by proposing legal reforms aimed at strengthening international responsibility-sharing, improving access to nationality, and adapting international refugee law to emerging global realities.

Author Biography

  • Seema Gul, Lecturer, Sarhad Institute of Legal Studies, Sarhad University of Science & IT, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

    Corresponding Author: gulseema03@gmail.com

References

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Published

2026-03-16

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Section

Articles

How to Cite

Khan, I., & Gul, S. (2026). The Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons under International Law: Contemporary Challenges and Legal Reforms. Journal of Regional Studies Review, 5(1), 107-112. https://doi.org/10.62843/jrsr/2026.5a175