Marking the 75th year since the adoption of the Refugee Convention, Prague Process and UNHCR convened a training-workshop to strengthen access to asylum and protection-sensitive systems. The event on 15-16 September 2026 in Geneva brought together asylum and migration practitioners from across the Prague Process region, alongside representatives of UNHCR, the European Commission, EU Agency for Asylum, and IOM.
Since the 1951 adoption of the Convention, (also called the Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees), the environment in which refugee protection operates has markedly evolved. Mixed movements, evolving migration routes and diverse protection needs present increasingly complex challenges for asylum authorities. Yet the fundamental question remains: how can states ensure that people in need of international protection can actually access it?
Against this backdrop, the anniversary offered more than an occasion to look back; it provided an opportunity to consider what the commitments embodied in the Convention mean for asylum and protection systems confronted with today’s changing patterns of human mobility. The training formed part of activities of the Prague Process Training Academy and the Thematic Component 4: Strengthening Capacities on Asylum and International Protection, led by Lithuania.
Opening the workshop, representatives of Lithuania, UNHCR and the Prague Process Secretariat reflected on the continued relevance of the Refugee Convention and the practical challenges facing asylum systems today.
Mr Gintaras Valiulis, Chief Adviser, Migration Policy Group, Ministry of the Interior of Lithuania, stressed that “access to asylum procedures and the development of protection-sensitive systems are integral parts of a functioning migration management system,” adding that the workshop offered an opportunity to explore practical solutions to common challenges.
Mr Philippe Leclerc, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Europe, highlighted the complexity of today’s mixed movements: “Ensuring access to protection and effectively managing movements should go hand in hand.” He stressed the importance of robust asylum systems alongside effective screening, identification and referral mechanisms.
Mr Alexander Maleev, Senior Project Manager at the Prague Process Secretariat, ICMPD, placed the workshop within the wider work of Prague Process and the ongoing update of its Action Plan, ahead of the 5th Prague Process Ministerial Conference in Lithuania in January 2027.
From principles to practice
The first day focused on mixed movements, beginning with the global context and UNHCR’s route-based approach before examining dynamics affecting Prague Process participating states across Asia and Europe. Discussions looked at protection-sensitive entry systems and procedural safeguards that ensure access to asylum; including how identifying vulnerabilities can translate into appropriate procedural adaptations for survivors of trafficking. The EUAA shared their expertise on safeguards in asylum border procedures under the EU Asylum Procedures Regulation.
These discussions highlighted the broader issue of access to protection that depends not only on the an asylum system; but also on what happens before and throughout the process – whether protection needs are recognised, vulnerabilities identified, and procedures adapted accordingly.
The second day looked closely at strengthening national asylum systems in the face of contemporary challenges. UNHCR shared its strategic approach to supporting national asylum systems; while a dedicated session with IOM explored the protection of survivors of trafficking and their international protection needs. Peer exchange brought participants’ discussions closer to the operational reality by sharing challenges their countries and institutions faced, alongside good practices that could inform the work of counterparts elsewhere in the Prague Process region.
A partnership centred on protection
Playing a central role in the delivery of the training, UNHCR brought its international protection expertise to the discussions, reflecting their continued active partnership with the Prague Process in advancing cooperation on asylum and international protection. Together with the expertise of national practitioners and other international partners, the activity connected the principles of international refugee protection with the practical realities facing asylum authorities today.
At 75, the Refugee Convention is inevitably an occasion for reflection. The anniversary invites a forward-looking question: how can its principles remain meaningful as patterns of human mobility and the challenges facing asylum systems continue to evolve? The workshop in Geneva underscored that the answer lies not only in maintaining international standards, but in translating them into workable responses – at borders, along migration routes and throughout asylum procedures. This work will continue through the Prague Process Training Academy, including a forthcoming training for the judiciary on asylum and international protection law in Vilnius, as the Prague Process continues to strengthen practical capacities and cooperation on international protection across the region.
