Refugees, Persons of Concern, and People on the Move: The Broadening Boundaries of UNHCR

Abstract

This article examines the way in which UNHCR has expanded its range of policy interests and operational activities since its establishment in 1951, focusing on the extension of the organization’s mission from refugees to groups such as asylum seekers, returnees, stateless popula­tions, internally displaced persons, and victims of natural disasters.The article identifies the different factors that have contributed to this expansionist process, examines its implications for UNHCR’s core mandate, and asks whether the process is an irreversible one.