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Life in limbo: the refugee experience in Southeast Asia
With under half of all Asian countries having signed the 1951 Refugee Convention or having any domestic legislation in place, refugees in the region are forced to live on the fringes of society.
In today’s public and political discourses, the words ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’ are used almost interchangeably.
There is often no distinction made between someone fleeing violence and persecution, and someone moving for the sake of a better life or other voluntary reasons.
With a historical reticence towards formalised refugee protection within the region, governments and the public have not felt compelled to challenge laws or practises relating to refugee…