In 1951, world leaders came together to sign the Refugee Convention, making a promise that people fleeing persecution would have the right to seek safety. On the 75th anniversary of the Convention, CGRS is publishing a series of interviews with CGRS team members on the landscape of the global asylum system today and their work with CGRS to defend the principles enshrined in the Convention.

CGRS interns are conducting, transcribing, and publishing these interviews. To learn more about working with CGRS, see our Career Opportunities page.

Interviews have been edited for clarity and concision.

The following interview is with our Director of Training and Technical Assistance, Christine Lin. Christine oversees all aspects of CGRS's training and technical assistance programs, including leading trainings and providing technical assistance support. She is a founding member of the Immigrant Health Equity and Legal Partnerships (ImmHELP), a medical-legal collaboration of attorneys and health professionals, and has an interest in trauma-informed representation. 

Before joining CGRS, Christine served as the Legal Director of Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre, an associate at a private immigration law firm, and an Attorney Advisor with the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review through the Attorney General's Honors Program. Learn more about Christine here.

Q: Many attorneys enter this field because they want to make a difference, but asylum law can also be emotionally demanding. How do you prepare advocates to navigate both the legal and emotional aspects of this work?

A: That’s a really great question, and I think these days, people are recognizing the emotional toll. When I first started practicing, there was none of that recognition, and I feel like now, there’s so much more discussion about a trauma-informed approach. 

Since I’ve worked at CGRS, we have always integrated a trauma-informed approach to working with clients, while also understanding that a lot of people who come into this kind of work have their own personal experiences with trauma. This can complicate the layers of trauma and the emotional toll that working with clients might bring. An advocate’s own family background or having similar experiences to their client can really have an impact on them. 

So it’s important to provide people with the right tools and knowledge and be really frank about the kinds of cases and the level of detail that one might hear. Especially if they’ve not heard about these things before. I think that it's important for people to determine for themselves whether or not they can take on this work. If they do take on this work, they  need to be equipped with coping mechanisms, skills, and resources to handle what might come up emotionally. 

Q: How does that preparation ultimately improve outcomes for people seeking asylum?

A: I think that preparation can help somebody build rapport first with the client, which is crucial in the attorney-client relationship. . The more the client can trust you, the more they’re able to give you the details of their claim and understand why it is that they need to provide that information. Sometimes, they are sharing very personal things that they’ve never shared with anybody before, and now they have to share with their attorney. And knowing that information as their attorney can make a critical difference in whether or not they’re going to get asylum in the United States.

Q: As the 75th Anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention is coming up, are there any commitments or principles from the Convention that you think deserve greater attention today than they currently have?

A: Are any of them receiving any attention today? Seventy-five years ago, it seemed like the international community treated people much more humanely, or at least recognized humanity, dignity, and compassion for other people. And I feel like that’s been missing with what we’re seeing in the news today. Although it is the spirit of the Refugee Convention to treat people with dignity, respect, compassion, and humanity, those values have been lost in all the terrible U.S. policies to shut down the border and recent Supreme Court decisions. 

One of the main principles of the Refugee Convention is non-refoulement, meaning not sending somebody back to a country where they could face persecution, but we’re seeing that happen with the U.S. as well as some other countries. So, I think that also needs to be highlighted more. 

Article 3 of the Refugee Convention provides for nondiscrimination, but yet, we see discrimination happening in the fact that the only refugees that the U.S. is allowing are white South Africans. It’s clear in the Convention that states are not supposed to discriminate based on country of origin, race, or religion. However, this administration bans individuals from certain countries, impacting their ability to seek asylum in the United States. 

Another one of the principles of the Refugee Convention is that manner of entry isn’t a reason to turn somebody away from getting asylum or refugee status, but we see the Mullin v. Al Otro Lado Supreme Court decision, essentially saying “Oh, if you can’t get to the United States, on to U.S. soil, then you’re not able to seek asylum.” So, there are so many layers to restricting asylum access now that are really problematic and not in the spirit of the Refugee Convention.

Q: Looking ahead, what gives you hope for the future of refugee protections? And what role do you think organizations such as CGRS will play in strengthening asylum systems over the next decade?

A: What gives me hope is that we’ve actually, in some ways, been here before as a world, as a nation, and there is already a very strong network of committed, compassionate people and organizations that see what’s happening, and are speaking out and advocating. 

We see the community in Minnesota standing up, and there’s hope and inspiration from a lot of the different organizations, groups, and people, and the resilience of asylum seekers and refugees themselves to continue fighting their cases and to join in advocacy efforts. So, I do feel like we have to hold on to hope and things will turn around. 

There are ups and downs in general, in all countries and all political situations. I do feel like CGRS does have a lot of great expertise, knowledge, commitment, and compassion to upholding the protection of refugees and the fundamental human rights of each and every person. We will continue to fight, and we will continue to work with our partners and join coalitions to make sure that individuals are protected.

Q: What advice would you give to people who want to make a meaningful impact in refugee protection and/or the asylum system?

A: The advice I would give is to keep up with the news and what’s going on in the world. I would encourage people to not stay silent, because it’s not somebody else’s problem. People need to pay attention to what’s going on in their community, because it will eventually impact them as well. 

Another piece of advice I would give is to reach out to your representatives at the local, state, and federal levels to express any concerns you have with policies. You have to speak up for the rights of others, not just for yourself. And then also when looking at what is happening to asylum seekers, refugees, and noncitizens, think about how you, yourself, would want to be treated and if the situation is worse than that, speak up. People can also contribute in other ways if they don’t have the bandwidth to make calls to elected officials. If they have the means or the money, donate to organizations doing the work, or to an individual who may be in need of additional financial assistance because their work permit has been cut off. Be compassionate and treat others with dignity, respect, and humanity!